Can I have any info you can think of on quarter horses?

Question

Please help!!! I'm trying to write a speech for a thing I am going too next week. For my age division, the speech needs to be 7-10 minutes long. I have spent all morning reseaching and using my own knowledge, and 19 full index cards later my speech is only about 4 and 1/2 minutes long. Any info you have would be greatly appreciated!

Answer 1

You could also check out Monty Roberts' website www.montyroberts.com for more information.

Answer 2

facts about the quarter horse...

they are the faster horses in the world for 1/4

of a mile races...440 yards.

they can extend their speed to 870 yards.

world record for 870 yards is under 44 seconds.

the all American futurity is held each year, at

ruisdoso downs, new Mexico at 440 yards with a purse of over 2 million on the line.

in quarter horse racing you take the two best part of Thoroughbred racing and put them together, the start and finish.....g

Answer 3

Description: The American Quarter Horse was named for it ability to sprint 1/4 of a mile faster than any other breed. Today The American Quarter Horse is one of the most popular breeds in the USA. The Quarter Horse is exceptionally versatile and athletic. They are often called 'stocky' because of their well-muscled body type. They are typically level headed, sensible and willing to please their rider. The quarter horse is well known for having cow sense (the natural instinct to work cattle) and popular in events

History : The American Quarter horse was the first registered breed that was developed in the USA. The American Quarter horse is the result of the breeding of horses brought to new world. It originated from Arab, Turk and Barb breeds. Selected stallions and mares were crossed with horses brought to Colonial America from England and Ireland in the early 1600s. The resulting horse was a strong, stout, heavily-muscled mount. This horse was ideal for short distance racing and is now famous for running 1/4 of a mile faster than any other breed. in the 1800's the quarter horse began working on cattle ranches. Its instinctive cow sense, strong sturdy body, and good disposition made it ideal for such work. In 1940, The American Quarter horse was recognized as a breed and the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) was developed.

Colors: The American quarter horse comes in just about every color. Base colors (black, bay, chestnut, brown) are common, as are cream dilutes (palomino, buckskin, cremello, perlino). Duns, grays, roans, and rarely, champagnes are also seen. There has even been one Silver-dilute AQHA horse. Pinto genes do exist in the breed, but pintos that have a certain amount of white (the AQHA's "white line rule") are not allowed into the registry. Sabino, splash, and frame overo exist in the breed. Tobiano does not.

Height: The American Quarter horse generally stand 14.3 - to 16hh but height varies

from horse to horse and some may be taller or shorter. The original Quarter Horse stood about 14.2, and were rarely over 15 hands high. Modern Quarter Horses often have Thoroughbred blood which has increased the horse's height and endurance.

Uses: Although traditionally a Western horse, the Quarter Horse is very versatile and is used in a wide variety of events. The AQHA is still used for racing, and is the most popular racehorse next to the thoroughbred. Because they are bred for speed, many quarter horses are used in events such as rodeo, Barrel Racing, Roping, and Cutting. Quarter Horses are also shown in various English and Western events, from western and english pleasure, to halter, reining, and show jumping.

The Quarter Horse

CHARACTERISTICS

This breed is well-known for it's stocky build, heavy muscling and compact appearance. There are two distinct types of Quarter Horses -- the old-fashioned "bulldog" type (the Foundation Quarter Horses) and the "racing Quarter", which looks more like a well-muscled Thoroughbred. They range in size from 14 to 16 hands. They are solid in color, with limited white markings.

The Quarter Horse head is short and wide; with a short muzzle; small ears; large nostrils; wide-set eyes; and jawbones that are set wide apart and well-defined. The neck is full and medium length with a slight crest. The withers are medium high and well-defined, combining with deep sloping shoulders; the back is short, full and powerful across the kidneys; and, the underline should rise cleanly to the flank.

The barrel is deep with well-sprung ribs. Forelegs are powerful and set wide in a deep, broad chest; and, the hind legs are muscled inside and out. The stifle is very deep and hind quarters are heavy and muscular. Cannons are short, pasterns are medium length, hocks are set wide, deep and straight, and hooves are well-rounded, with deep open heels. There has been an alarming trend toward "vanity-breeding" heavily muscled horses with small feet. Fortunately, this trend seems to be diminishing.

Quarter horses are quick, balanced and agile They are collected in action and stand at ease with their legs well under them. They are evel-headed, kind, surefooted and steady.

HISTORY

The history of the American Quarter Horse began in the early 1600's, when English Colonists crossed their imported stallions from the Hobby and Galloway lines of Ireland and Scotland on the native mares gotten from the Chickasaw Indians. The imported horses were noted for the speed and small compact build.

The most noteworthy infusion of imported blood has been credited to Janus, a grandson of the Godolphin Barb, who was bred in England by Anthony Langley Swimmer, foaled in 1746, and imported to Virginia (Eastern US) in 1752 by Mordecai Booth. Edgar's "The American Race-Turf Register, Sportsman's Herald and General Stud Book," published in 1833, described Janus as: a chestnut horse....about 14 hands, 3/4ths of an inch high...Janus had great bone and muscle, round, very compact, large quarters, and very swift...Nearly all his descendants were 'swift Quarter nags'."

Settlers in the colonies entertained themselves by match racing their horses. Since the main streets of their small towns were usually the only straight stretch of leared ground available, this is where the races were held. The main streets were short, often a quarter mile or less; the settlers bred horses who were sprinters; they could start fast and sustain a burst of speed for a short distance. These horses were so adept at sprinting they became known as the "Celebrated Quarter of a Mile Race Horses."

As long distance racing became established in the East, quarter-mile racing moved west with the pioneers. Quarter Race Horses were primarily work horses, their owners common men, and they had little place in the heady world of Thoroughbred racing. The settlers of the west bred their horses to the Spanish mares of the area, who were already known as tough, hardy, independent range horses unequaled for cow-sense and endurance. The crosses produced horses who were compact and heavily muscled, with greater weight and speed and the attributes of their dams.

One of the first native bred stallions to impact the breed was Steel Dust, born and bred in Kentucky and brought to Texas in 1844 by Middleton Perry and Jones Greene, farmers from Illinois. He was described as "a big-jawed, short-backed sprinter standing 15 hands and weighing 1200 lbs." and in his day was unequaled. At the age of 12 he won a quarter-mile race by three lengths over a younger Kentucky import named Monmouth. Other important stallions include Copper Bottom, imported to Texas by Sam Houston; and Shiloh, a contemporary of Steel Dust.

As ranches grew in size and importance, the Quarter Horse became a fixture in the west. Ranches like the King Ranch began to selectively breed cattle which were more commercially profitable and at the same time began upgrading their horse herds. Unfortunately, those who bred and worked with Quarter Horses were more concerned with performance than pedigree and bloodlines became fuzzy. It wasn't until the early 1900's that any serious attempt was made at tracing the Quarter Horse's origins.

The popular stallions of the 1930's, such as Old Sorrel, Little Joe, Joe Hanock, Midnight and Joe Bailey were traced back to such horses as Peter McCue, Traveler, Billy and Shiloh, which were in turn traced back to Steel Dust, Sir Archy and Janus. Out of the diligent work of Robert Denhardt, an avid horse enthusiast, author, researcher and scholar, in researching these bloodlines the American Quarter Horse Association was formed in 1940. The first horse to be registered was Wimpy, listed as P-1 in the Stud Book. Over three million Quarter Horses are now registered, making it the largest horse breed organization in the world.

American Quarter Horse Breed Description and Equine History

The adaptability of the quarter horse breed has allowed it to be used in other occupations such as trail riding and for use by many urban mounted police units. Their even temperament makes them a great animal for new riders learning about horses and their breeding ability has made several stud farm owners both famous and wealthy. It is by far the most popular breed and currently boasts a population of about 3.2 million.  

The quarter horse breeds usually shown in competition are larger, more muscular horses with wide jowls. Those for reining and cutting are smaller with more powerful hindquarters very agile and quick on their feet. The show type resembles the running quarter horse though some may be taller and slimmer. All quarter horses however have speed, power and are more than willing to please their owners.

Their popularity also has them working in rodeo and on ranches and as show horses in show and pleasure events.





Quarter Horse Picture by Gemma Giannini



Their coloring varies from bay, black and brown and includes chestnut, palomino, buckskin and grey. The quarter horse breed is known for its small, short and refined head and straight profile as well as its broad chest and powerful hindquarters. Standing between 14 and 16 hands, about five-feet-tall at the withers, they are bred with two main body types. The stock type, which is more compact and muscular yet extremely agile, and the racing type that may be slightly taller with smoother muscles typically trained for running quarter mile sprints.

History of the Quarter Horse Breed

Back in the late 1700’s the colonists came across a horse breed that combined the English horses with the Chickasaw breed, which was a descendent of the Arabia and Barb, brought into the southeast United States by the Spanish Conquistadors. What they had was a small, sturdy horse that was quick and nimble and showed signs of superior intelligence and a willingness to work. As flat land horse racing became popular, this fast animal, achieving speeds of up to 55 miles per hour over short distances soon dominated the quarter mile track and was aptly named the quarter miler, or quarter horse. As the quarter horse breed continued to gain popularity, its gentle nature led it to be used as a riding horse and due to its strength was soon performing other work on many of the early farms. The breed seemed to have a natural instinct for working around cattle as well. When the settlers began surging west in the 1800’s, the quarter horse breed was the horse of choice of the early cowboys, being used for cattle round-up due to their speed and agile maneuverability and quickly became the horses that cowboys counted on for their daily duties on cattle ranches. As with most activities undertaken by the early cowboys, the duties performed by them and their horses, quickly turned into competition, setting the stage for rodeo riding, and the quarter horse breed excelled at calf roping, team roping and barrel racing. Today, these horses are still in demand for these events

if nun of this is helpin, just go to wikipedia and type in Quarter horse or google it

or mail me if you need more

Answer 4

Use this line in your speech, I'm sure it will get some laughs:

"If you own one quarter horse you are a Quarter horse owner; if you own two then you are a Half a horse owner"