QUARTER HORSE

Breed of riding and sprint-racing horse. As the first all-American breed, the quarter horse is the essential, all-around horse of the western United States and the working mount of the cowboy. The quarter horse has a powerful, medium-sized body, and stands about 142 to 163 cm (about 56 to 64 in, or 14 to 16 hands) high at the withers. (the high part of the back, located between the shoulder blades). This horse frequently is photographed from behind to accentuate its heavily muscled, well-proportioned hindquarters and hind legs. The back is short and straight, the chest wide and deep, and the shoulders long and muscular. A long, flexible neck supports the short, broad head. It has a wide forehead, large, alert eyes, and ears set wide apart. The quarter horse comes in almost any color. However, no white markings are allowed above the knees, except on the face, for registration with the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA). With more than 3 million horses registered, the AQHA is the largest horse breed association in the world. The quarter horse originated in 17th-century Virginia when settlers imported stock from which the English Thoroughbred descended. They crossed those horses with the Chickasaw pony, which descended from the wild mustang. The result was the quarter horse, an all-around horse used for farm work, logging, light harness work (pulling carts and wagons), and racing. The quarter horse takes its name from the length of the first racetracks on the American frontier, which were straight and measured a quarter-mile long. Originally prized for its quick start and speed over short distances, this horse soon became more valuable for working cattle. The nimble quarter horse is a natural for working cattle. It can make short stops and turns and accelerate explosively from a standstill. Even without a rider it will work, or cut, cattle. The quarter horse often is used as a pack (cargo-carrying) animal for camping and hunting trips in mountain country of the American West. It also is used as a mount for calf-roping and bulldogging at rodeos, barrel racing, parades, and recreational riding.

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