THE QUARTER HORSE is the oldest surviving American horse breed, although it was not officially recognized as a breed until 1941.

In the 17th century, on Sundays and holidays, the settlers of Virginia and the Carolinas used to enjoy racing their horses down the main street of the local town- usually a distance of about a quarter mile (0.4 km). Horses that had been bred by crossing local Chicasaw Indian ponies (mustangs of Arab, Bard and Turk origins) with Thoroughbreds imported from England proved extremely fast over this distance, and were soon in demand as breeding stock. Among these, a stallion called Janus, imported from England in 1756, is recognized as the foundation stallion of the breed. Janus had raced over 4 miles in England; however, his offspring were very successful over a quarter-mile.

Soon the Quarter Horse was being carefully bred to produce a very fast horse with great powers of acceleration for sprint racing. With the development of Thoroughbred racing, quarter-mile racing also became more organized and more popular.
The breed quickly came to be valued for other qualities as well as its speed. It is a tremendously strong horse with very powerful shoulders and hindquarters, and it was able to carry heavy men and packs for long distances. It is able to make quick starts and tight turns, which make it the perfect horse for roping and cutting work with cattle. In addition it seemed to have a good instinct for cattle-work. It was taken west with the pioneers, and proved to be the ideal horse for working on the big ranches that were springing up across the country.

The modern Quarter Horse combines strength, speed and agility with intelligence, and is also easily broken and handled, making it extremely popular. There are different types of Quarter Horse depending on what type of work they have been bred for, but they all share the same Quarter Horse qualities. The heavier type is produced for stock work, and a lighter type for racing. To see a cutting horse at work, springing into a gallop from a standing start, skidding to a halt, and turning on a sixpence, is an exhilarating spectacle. Working cattle, it moves fast and low, anticipating every move that the calf makes.

The versatility of the Quarter Horse is illustrated by the many types of class in which it is shown, such as working classes, jumping, hunting and polo classes. It is also successful in open classes against other breeds.

The Quarter Horse is the most numerous breed in the United States today, with 2 million registered there. Its popularity has led to its being exported all over the world, and a further 800,000 are registered worldwide. It is now bred in Canada, South America, England and South Africa.

Exert on Quarter Horses: McBane, Susan and Helen Douglas-Cooper. Horse Facts Barnes and Noble: New York, 1990

Picture: Stoecklein, David R. The Western Horse "Peppy San Badger". Stoecklein Publishing: Helena, MT, 1999