American Quarter Horse

by Lisa Selvaggio

Published: July 9th, 2016

About American Quarter Horse

Weight

950-1,200 lb

Physique

Compact, heavily muscled

Lifespan

25 years

Best Suited For

All levels of horse riders and owners, including beginners

Temperament

Calm, cooperative, adaptable, even tempered, willing to please, easy to train, versatile, gentle, intelligent

Comparable Breeds

Thoroughbred Horse, Barb Horse

Top Breed

Height

American Quarter Horse Breed History

As one of America’s oldest and most popular equine breeds, the American Quarter Horse is tied to the country’s history. The breed was developed in Colonial America in the early part of the 17th century when the colonists were breeding select horses that were of Barb, Turk, and Arabian descent. These equine breeds had been brought over to the New World previously, and they were later bred with the breeds that were arriving from Ireland and England.

As a result of the mixing of English equine breeds with Spanish equine breeds, a compact horse featuring a strong and muscular body was created. This horse was favored for races over short distances of a quarter mile, as well as for farm related work. The English colonists started calling the animals “Celebrated American Quarter Running Horses,” and they introduced Thoroughbred blood into the breed later on as well.

The American Quarter Horse is known for having a pleasant personality.

When the American pioneers continued to move further west throughout the 1800s, the American Quarter Horse became even more valuable because it was found to have a cow sense. In other words, these horses were able to outmaneuver cattle, so they also became assets on cattle ranches that were developing across the plains.

The American Quarter Horse Association was created in 1940, and that was when the breed was given its official name. Today, the Quarter Horse breed is still one of the most popular in the world.

Breed Traits

The American Quarter Horse is known for having a pleasant personality. In fact, one of the many reasons why these horses are so popular is because they have a docile and calm nature. This is an ideal breed for all levels of riders and horse owners, including those who are total beginners, because these horses get along so well with people.

These horses are also popular because they are highly intelligent and willing to please. Most of them are easy to train, handle, and keep, and because they have a steady and gentle demeanor, they make wonderful companions for families.

Overall, this breed is known for its strength and speed, but those features are perfectly combined with a mild temperament and a versatile personality that allows these horses to be loving companions and pleasure horses, as well as dedicated work horses.

The American Quarter Horse has a docile and calm nature.

Overall Description

The Quarter Horse has several distinguishing features, including a short, heavily muscled body with a sure-footed gait that provides a comfortable ride. These horses also have sloping and powerful shoulders, powerful hindquarters, a deep chest, and a muscular neck.

The head is relatively small, with a flat profile and a wide forehead. The eyes are wide, and the ears are always alert and pointed. Also, the horse’s legs will be firm, sturdy, strong, and muscular, but the feet will be noticeably small, especially when compared to the size of the rest of the body.

Colors

The beautiful Quarter Horse comes in a wide range of colors. Those colors include sorrel (which is brownish red and is the prominent color of the breed), white, bay, gray, chestnut, buckskin, red dun, dun, black, palomino, perlino, cremello, grullo, brown, red roan, bay roan, and blue roan.

Also, even though the Pinto and Appaloosa markings are not acceptable for this equine breed standard, it is normal to recognize white markings on the American Quarter Horse’s legs or face. However, only limited white markings are allowed below the horse’s knees and on the face, as they are not allowed anywhere else on the body, and the white markings could be a range of shapes, such as blazes, strips, stars, and stockings.

Quarter Horses are highly intelligent and willing to please.

Grooming Requirements

In order to keep your American Quarter Horse looking its best, you should groom your companion regularly.

A curry comb, which is one of the most important tools that you will use to groom your horse, will do a fine job of removing dirt, debris, and loose hair from the body. It will also massage the animal’s skin, releasing natural oils that will make the coat shine beautifully as a result. In addition to the curry comb, you can also use a body finishing brush on more sensitive areas, such as on the horse’s face and legs.

Take extra care to ensure that the horse’s mane is kept as clean as possible because dirty manes will be itchy, and your horse will be more likely to rub and tear out the hair if there are bugs or fungi in it. Also, only shorten the mane by pulling and thinning it by hand, rather than by using scissors.

Lisa Selvaggio

Lisa Selvaggio is a freelance writer and editor, and our resident cats-pert, with certifications in pet nutrition and pet first aid. She enjoys producing content that helps people understand animals better so they can give their pets a safe and happy home.

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New technology helps us find our pets when they wander into trouble.

Study Finds That Pet Owners Experience Slower Cognitive Decline

Studies have shown that owning a pet can promote physical health in older people, but there isn’t enough research on the impact of dogs, cats, and other pets on cognitive function. As people age, their cognitive functions and memory decline. Although all people experience some level of cognitive decline as they age, some individuals can maintain good cognitive function well into advanced age. In contrast, others experience a sharp cognitive decline early on. Researchers have suggested various strategies to slow cognitive decline, from treating sleep apnea to improving diet and increasing exercise. In a new study, a team of researchers has set to discover whether pets, mainly cats and dogs, may help slow down cognitive decline in seniors.Scientists from the University of Maryland wanted to examine the link between pet ownership and changes in cognitive function of community-dwelling seniors. The goal of this study was to determine whether pet owners experience slower cognitive decline. They also wanted to see if there’s any difference if the pet is a dog or a cat, and whether dog walking might reduce the rate of cognitive decline. The team analyzed data from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging, the longest-running study of aging in the U.S. Using the data from this study, enabled the research team to analyze the cognitive tests of 637 participants ages between 51 and 101.Of the participants, nearly one-third owned pets, with 11% owning cats and 13% owning dogs. Among dog owners, 69% reported walking their dogs regularly. Results revealed that during 10 years, all participants experienced a decline in cognitive functions as they aged. However, decline was slower in pet owners, compared to non-pet owners. Interestingly, the slower decline was more evident in some but not all tests used to determine cognitive function. Additionally, the results also showed some variations between cat and dog owners. For example, researchers noted that dog owners who walked their dogs regularly experienced even slower cognitive decline than cat owners and dog owners who didn’t walk their pets.This finding showcases just how beneficial walking your pooch can be for your overall health. Owning a dog can increase physical activity, as they need to be taken out for regular walks and daily exercise, which is known to be beneficial for health. “Older adult pet owners experienced less decline in cognitive function as they aged, after considering both their pre-existing health and age,” the study authors said.“Memory, executive function, language function, psychomotor speed, and processing speed deteriorated less over 10 years among pet owners than among non-owners and among dog owners than non-owners.”“Cat owners experienced less deterioration in memory and language function. Dog walking was also associated with slower deterioration in cognitive functioning.”Numerous other studies have shown that pets can provide social support and that interacting with a cat or dog can lower heart rate and blood pressure.This study is important for the scientific understanding of factors linked with cognitive decline. However, this study isn’t without limitations. Firstly, the study doesn’t allow any cause-and-effect conclusions to be made. Secondly, the study sample consisted of people with higher socioeconomic status and above-average cognitive abilities for their age. “Policymakers could use these findings to support the inclusion of pets in care plans, designing housing and neighborhoods for seniors that are friendly for dog walking and developing programs to support pet ownership and care for older adults’ pets while they are temporarily unable to do so,” concluded the authors of the study. Join the PetGuide community. Get the latest pet news and product recommendations by subscribing to our newsletter here.

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