Horses

First bred in Virginia and nearby settlement in the early 17th century the American Quarter Horse, is a highly distinctive breed and the oldest all American Breed, breeding commencing even before the Morgan Horse thought the American Quarter Horse Association and thus American Quarter Horse breeding records were not kept till almost 50 years after the commencement of the equivalent Morgan horse Register and breed records.

ORIGINS
The American Quarter Horse is descended from the horses they found in North America descended from the early Spanish Horses.? Likely they migrated North of their own accord.? The horses were Andalucian, Barb Arab crosses and were then cross with English stock to form the foundation stock of the American Quarter Horse.

Horses of the kind later user to develop the Thoroughbred with imported into Virginia in 1611 and bred with the local stock. It is thought these horses would have had strong links with the now extinct Galloways, swift ponies developed in northern Britain between Nithsdale and the Mull of Galloway and perhaps also the Irish Hobby, a pony breed found in Connemara in the west of Ireland in the 16th / 17th centuries.
The breed developed in a compact, chunky horse standing around 1.52, (15hh) with large muscled quarters.

WORKING AND RACING
Though not a heavy horse, their strength lent them to use as utility farm workers.? Cattle droving and mustering, carriage and load hauling and being ridden.? They were also light croppers demanding little food comparatively.
As large and muscular as its quarters were/are, its name comes not from these large muscles, but its ability to sprint over a quarter mile from a standing start, its combination of power and short turn of speed more than a match for larger breeds faster over longer distances.

By 1656 Quarter Horse racing in Virginia was established and popular, and the breed was quickly became established as the supreme short-distance racer. With the introduction of thoroughbred racing on oval tracks and over longer distances, quarter mile racing declined however the breed remained a popular competition horse with the focus shifting from racing, to cow work. With its short bursts of speed, balance, and agility the American Quarter Horse made the perfect cow pony. (Editor "?? They are also known for their ability to stop andor/change direction from a full gallop.? I learnt this at my own peril, having only ridden thoroughbreds I decided to show off and try and jump my girlfriends quarter horse over a fence.? She yelled out to me to stop being an idiot.? I "pulled up"? the horse thinking it would pull up gracefully.? It stopped almost on the spot.? I continued over the fence.? I do not think she was very impressed with my riding abilities that day.)

The breed is an excellent trail-riding mount and all round rodeo horse ?In The US there has been an major revival in Quarter Horse racing with the breed being seen as similar in class as thoroughbred, as opposed to the former bulldog vs greyhound comparisons. The Quarter Horse register is the largest in the world and now has millions of entries.