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    Home » Featured

    8 Fascinating Facts About The Quarter Horse

    Modified: Jul 2, 2020 by ihearthorses · This post may contain affiliate links · 1 Comment

    The American Quarter Horse is one of America’s most popular breeds. Today, the breed is used for almost every discipline – from barrel racing to dressage, and everything in between. But how well do you know the history of the Quarter Horse?  See if you know the following facts about this versatile breed.

    Portrait of nice quarter horse

    #1 – America’s Horse

    The Quarter Horse (QH) is one of the oldest recognized breeds from the United States. It originated in the 1660s as a “cross between native horses of Spanish origin used by the earliest colonists and English horses imported to Virginia from about 1610.” (Britannica.com)

    Perfect brown quarter horse stallion running in autumn

    #2 – The Quarter Mile

    Why a Quarter? The QH was originally used as a sprinter, running races that were a quarter-mile in length in Rhode Island and Virginia . They excelled at it, hence the name. (Britannica.com)

    Nice Quarter horse stallion running on pasturage before a storm

    #3 – Pushed out West

    When the Thoroughbred entered the racing scene, the QH became less popular. However, the breed traveled West and was found to excel as a stock mount for the cowboys, who also continued to race them, making them an all-around mount.

    Portrait close up of a quarter horse.

    #4 – The First 20

    On March 14, 1940, the American Quarter Horse Association was founded. The first 20 horses, were all stallions, were chosen based on their parentage, conformation and performance. (americashorsedaily.com)

    two quarter horses in wooded area

    #5 –  Peter McCue

    Do you know Peter McCue? He’s a horse, and not just any horse. Born in 1895, his bloodlines appear in almost every Quarter Horse today.

    Quarter Horse buckskin Stallion

    #6 – One of The Largest Registries In the World

    The AQHA is one of the largest breeder’s organizations in the world. The 2014 registration numbers were 2.9 million, which of course doesn’t include grade or appendix horses.

    Quarter horse running in front of flowering plum trees on green pasturage

    #7 – Germany Loves The QH

    After North America (The U.S and Canada), Germany has the most registered Quarter Horses of any country, with just shy of 20,000 horses. They hold 76 shows a year there for the breed as well.

    Beautiful Quarter Horse

    #8 – Note The Red Coat

    According to registration numbers, sorrel and chestnut at the most common colors in the Quarter Horse. Originally, there were just 13 accepted coat colors, though that has changed over the years to accept colors like cremello, perlino, and smoky cream. (horse-genetics.com)

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    facts about the quarter horse

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    Comments

    1. L

      September 19, 2022 at 6:18 am

      I was wondering why a picture of an Icelandic horse was placed under the "fascinating facts about the Quarter Horse" title. (But it's a very cute picture regardless.)

      Reply

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