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Discover the American Quarter Horse |
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What is the American Quarter Horse?
He's half a ton of poised and controlled energy, held on an easy rein and a hair trigger. He's a workin' man who can earn his keep on the range all week - and be a handsome dandy at the track on Sunday afternoon. He's proud when he stands, looks lazy when he walks, but when he runs he can whip the tears from the corners of your eyes and plaster your hat brim against the crown. He's big in the haunches, supple in the withers, stout in the neck and wide across the chest... to hold his great heart. He's cow-smart and brave... though sometimes a clown, to the man with the sky in his eye and mud on his boots the Quarter Horse is a faithful hand... and a friend.
The Quarter Horse has been described as being many things to many men. Garford Wilkinson, of the American Quarter Horse Association, once wrote:-
He is the world's fastest horse up to and including 440 yards. He is the best all-round horse that ever stood outdoors. He has no equal as a cutting horse, roping horse, ranch horse or general purpose horse for western-type riding. He is rugged and an ideal mount for children. He is intelligent, usually gentle and easy to keep.
The above extract was taken from "The Complete Book of the Quarter Horse" by Nelson C. Nye, one of the founder members of the American Quarter Horse Association, a description that is still completely fitting today. |
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A little bit of history
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The Celebrated Quarter Mile Running Horse.
The American Quarter Horse evolved when the bloodlines of horses brought to the new country were mixed. Foundation American Quarter Horse stock originated from Arab, Barb and Turk breeds shipped to the Americas by Spanish explorers and traders. Selected stallions and mares from these herds were crossed with horses which arrived from England and Ireland in the early 1600s, horses such as quality English Thoroughbreds and the tough Irish Hobby.
It would run a quarter of a mile faster than any horse ever
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The cross produced a compact, heavily muscled horse which could not only do a full day's work on the range with a heavy saddle and full grown man on his back, but could run a quarter of a mile faster than any horse ever, earning the American Quarter Horse his popularity as a weekend match racing horse and his name "The Celebrated Quarter Mile Running Horse." As pioneers moved westward, so did the American Quarter Horse. In the 1800s, vast cattle ranches began stretching across the plains and the American Quarter Horse was ideally suited for the challenge and hardship of the West.
The greatest cattle roundup and trail driving horse in history and would never be forgotten by early American racing enthusiasts
To ensure the unique qualities of the horse did not perish once railways and other advancements reduced demand for horsepower, a group of enthusiasts met in 1940 in Ft. Worth, Texas and established what was to become the largest equine breed registry in the world, the American Quarter Horse Association. The Association is now based at Amarillo, Texas and can boast nearly 300,000 members and a registry of nearly four million horses. |
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What about the American Quarter Horse in the UK?
All of the qualities which make the American Quarter Horse ideal for the American cowboy, also make him the ideal choice of mount in this country. He is a horse that is very easy on the eye, due to his Thoroughbred and Spanish ancestry, with obvious strength and quality. He is not too big (generally 14.2 to 15.2, though can be found a couple of inches taller or shorter), therefore is easy to mount and dismount and is economical to keep (he should be fed more like a native animal). |
ideal mount for riding club activities, gymkhana, cross country, hunting and all kinds of English riding
He is hardy and can live out (with of course, the usual care you would give to a horse in this situation). His temperament makes him a predictable, calm tempered animal for those who like a quiet life and yet his natural agility and turn of speed make him the ideal mount for riding club activities, gymkhana, cross country, hunting and all kinds of English riding. The unique attributes of the pure bred American Quarter Horse make him not only a perfect mount in his own right but also combine very successfully with other breeds, producing extremely useful and attractive part bred animals with the Quarter Horse stamp. |
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If you only ever have one horse, make it an American Quarter Horse
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New members of AQHA-UK receive an excellent 'starter pack', full of useful information about the breed and the Association. Perhaps you, too, will join the growing number of people who discover the pleasures and rewards of owning an American Quarter Horse!
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The Breed
Sponsors of AQHA.UK
2010 Youth Team
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