What makes a quarter horse

Ott Adams and George Clegg left indelible marks on the breed. The first man to actually attempt to define the Quarter Horse as a distinct breed was William Anson. He was born in England, grew up around fine horses and was a good polo player.

At the age of 21, Anson came to America and established a ranch near Christoval, Texas. He was fascinated by the quick, smart cow horses with which he came in contact and began to trace their origins.

Anson published the first information that linked the western cow horse to its Colonial beginnings. Another man whose horses contributed greatly to the development of the breed was Samuel Watkins of the Little Grove Stock Farm in Illinois. Watkins was a racehorse man, and he believed in the Steel Dust line.

It was from Watkins that many of the great Texas breeders got their foundation horses. Coke T. Roberds was another man who kept the faith when it came to preserving the original blood. Born in Texas, Roberds grew up cowboying around Trinidad, Colorado, and began breeding horses in western Oklahoma about He acquired a fine band of Steel Dust mares and, after moving back to Colorado, bred them to his stallion, Old Fred, which traced back to Steel Dust and Shiloh.

Roberds said that you could breed Old Fred to a boxcar and get a racehorse. Roberds was also the last owner of the great Watkins horse, Peter McCue. They knew how to breed to the best advantage, and they were aware of the common denominators in the backgrounds of the best horses. History of the Quarter Horse. History and Facts. History of AQHA. AQHA Facts. Breeder Awards Banquet. Best Remuda Award Winners. Ranching Heritage Breeders of the Year.

Horseback Riding. Most Valuable Professionals. Ranch Horse Stats: Previous Year. Ranching Heritage Challenge Finals Champions. Versatility Ranch Horse World Champions. Awards Celebration. Current Year Leaders. Level 3 World Champions. Versatility Ranch Horse.

Cowboy Mounted Shooting. Level 2 Champions. Level 1 Champions. Timed Events. Directories Overview. AQHA Staff. Past Presidents. Bank of America. The Quarter Horse has a short back, straight, strong legs and — most famously — high, rounded, extremely well-muscled hindquarters. However, they are also extremely versatile, and this combined with their docile temperament makes them a popular choice for all manner of disciplines. Modern day Quarter Horse: Quarter Horses are still used for ranch work, rodeo sports, and even quarter mile races — but they have certainly branched out since the colonial days.

They are now popular mounts for pleasure riding, show jumping, dressage, trail riding, cross country jumping, polo, reining, cutting, Western pleasure, equitation and campdrafting, to name but a few.

It remains the most popular breed in the United States, and the AQHA is the largest breed registry in the world, with over 5 million horses registered! Looking for a true-blue cattle ride with some beach fun thrown in? Look no further, we have the ride for YOU! Wide open spaces, Western traditions and mouth-wateringly good food are just a few of the reasons we love globetrotting in Wyoming, USA.

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Intermediate - confident and in control on a moving horse at a steady canter over even ground, but does not ride regularly. Strong Intermediate - an intermediate rider who rides regularly and is comfortable in the saddle for at least 6 hours per day.

Advanced - All of the mentioned abilities, plus an independent seat, soft hands, confident and in control on a moving horse at a fast canter over uneven ground. Instruction - you're keen to learn or up-skill with dressage, jumping or horse training.

Exploratory Ride - accompanying a Globetrotting guide when they're road-testing a new ride destination. More influence on the Quarter Horse breed was to come. He was one of the three foundation sires of the Thoroughbred. Cowboys loved Steel Dust's offspring. Referred to these types of horses as "Steeldusts. Some horses have been clocked at speeds up to 55 mph Quarter Horses are the preferred horses of American ranchers, with the world renown King Ranch and Four Sixes Ranch — among many others — raising impressive remudas.

Quarter Horses dominate rodeo timed events. The AQHA Official Handbook of Rules and Regulations , specifically Rule SHW, states that the ideal American Quarter Horse shown at halter is a horse that is generally considered to be solid in color and possesses the following characteristics: The horse should possess eye appeal that is the result of a harmonious blending of an attractive head.

Refined throat latch. Well-proportioned, trim neck. Long, sloping shoulder. Deep heart girth. Short back. Strong loin and coupling. Long hip and croup.