Special Sub-Topic: The Exceptional Quarter Horse Click Here To Play: The Exceptional Quarter Horse

Many breeds originate from the United States. Does the Quarter Horse?

yes. The American Quarter Horse is a true American breed. It's the first American breed, followed by others, such as the American Saddlebred, the Morgan and the Tennessee Walking Horse. The American Quarter Horse officially held that name in 1940, when a registry was formed. The Quarter Horse has held many names, including the Celebrated American Running Horse. An early type of Quarter Horse (sometimes called the Quarter Mile Horse) was first raced in 1674.

The Quarter Horse was the product of several breeds. Which of these did NOT contribute to the creation of the Quarter Horse?

Akhal Teke. Much like the Thoroughbred, the Quarter Horse is product of the Barb, the Turk and the Arabian. As you can see, the two horses turned out quite differently. The Quarter Horse also has Thoroughbred blood. One noted Thoroughbred sire is Sir Archy.

Which of these colors can't the American Quarter Horse be?

Appaloosa. The Appaloosa is a coat color and a breed. The Quarter Horse cannot have a spotted coat, however. It can be a Paint (a coat color and breed), as the AQHA (American Quarter Horse Association) ruled that "any horse with 2 AQHA registered parents to be registered, no matter how much white they expressed. Frame overo and sabino, from minimum to maximum expression, are responsible for the "crop out Paints" seen in the breed." (http://www.geocities.com/equine_color/breedcolor.html) A palomino is a golden coat with a white mane and tail. The grulla is a mouse-gray with primitive markings, such as cobwebbing on the face, zebra striping on the legs, and a dorsal stripe.

The Quarter Horse has many influential horses in its past and present. Which of these is considered to be the one of the first influential horses?

Peter McCue. Peter McCue was a stud in 1895. Although he was registered as a Thoroughbred, it was found that his sire was different than the one on his pedigree. Most modern Quarter Horses can trace their pedigrees back to Peter McCue. Wimpy and Traveler are two other foundation sires to the breed. Doc's Keepin Time was the horse that played Black Beauty in the movie of the same name. Golden Cloud was renamed "Trigger," and was Roy Rogers horse. Steel Dust was another influential sire. His progeny were known for their "Steel Dust" look. He was a good sire of running, racing and cow horses.

Is the Quarter Horse a good horse for children?

Yes. The Quarter Horse is known for its patience and intelligence. When trained, the calm nature make it an ideal pet for children.

Does the American Quarter Horse Association distinguish between a dun and a buckskin?

Yes. AQHA defines buckskin as "Body color yellowish or gold; mane and tail black; usually black on lower legs," and a dun as "body color yellowish or gold; mane and tail may be black, brown, red, yellow, white or mixed; often has dorsal stripe, zebra stripes on legs, transverse over withers."

Which of these can the Quarter Horse NOT do?

Steeple Chasing. While the Quarter Horse can make a good English horse, only a Thoroughbred can steeplechase. Only the Thoroughbred can steeplechase because it's a Thoroughbred-only sport. No other breed can steeplechase. The Quarter Horse is known for its speed over the quarter mile, hence the name "Quarter Horse." Its agility makes it a good horse for all Western events.

What kind of temperament does the Quarter Horse have?

Intelligent and versatile. The Quarter Horse is known for its intelligence and versatility. It's also a calm breed, and can usually be trusted to carry children as long as it's well-trained. The Quarter Horse is usually easy to train, and easy to handle as well.

What was the name of the first horse registered as a Quarter Horse? (It happened in 1941.)

Wimpy. Wimpy was foaled in 1935. In 1940, the directors of AQHA decided to give the first registration to the grand champion at the 1941 Fort Worth Exposition and Fat Stock Show. Wimpy won, and was then registered as the first American Quarter Horse. The horse that took reserve was Silvertone. Doc Bar was an influential sire foaled in 1956. A beautiful, winning horse, he was humanely euthanized July 20, 1992. Bert was foaled in 1934. He was a coarse looking horse, but he sired some comely foals. Bert died in 1956 after siring 292 foals, three of which were world champions.

Is the AQHA registry the largest in the world?

yes. There are over 3,700,000 American Quarter Horses registered worldwide. The American Quarter Horse makes a wonderful trail horse, an excellent cow horse, a beautiful competition horse and a showy dressage horse. It's no wonder that the American Quarter Horse is as popular as it is. My information came from a variety of sources. http://www.geocities.com/equine_color/breedcolor.html http://www.aqha.com/association/registration/generalglossary.html http://www.kyhorsepark.com/imh/bw/quar.html http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/horses/quarter/ http://www.quarterhorsesusa.com/Famous_Quarter_Horses.htm http://www.equine-world.co.uk/about_horses/quarter_horse.htm