The American Quarter Horse is derived from the Arab, Barb and Turk breeds that were brought to America by Spanish conquistadors. Colonists crossed this stock with English Thoroughbred mares that arrived in 1611. What resulted was a dense, muscular horse that excelled in short distance sprinting, in particular the ‘quarter mile.' They served as work horses during the week performing tasks such as ploughing, pulling and riding. On the weekend, they were used as short distance race horses. Later, Morgan and Standardbred bloodlines were added.
As longer distance racing gained popularity, Quarter Horses began to fulfil other duties as a working horse. During the 1800's, cattle ranches began to pop up around America and it became apparent that the former quarter mile sprinters had a natural ‘cow sense'. Quickly, Quarter Horses became indispensable on the cattle ranch. Their main roles involved cattle roundup and trail driving. It was during this time that the foundations of the rodeo contest were laid
The changing face of America in the 1900's greatly impacted demand for Quarter Horses. New settlement patterns lead to a decline in the number and size of cattle ranches. New transportation developments meant that long distance cattle drives were no longer required.
Today, Quarter Horses are still bred for their versatile uses. Their innate ‘cow sense' is invaluable in competitive rodeo. They are superior performers in disciplines including calf roping, barrel racing, team penning, cutting and reining. In America, Quarter Horse racing is a lucrative industry, though this is yet to take off in other countries. They are also known to appear in other equestrian activities like driving and gymkhana. Finally, Quarter Horses are reliable mounts for recreational trade riding and for police units. The Australian Quarter Horse participates in areas such as Pony Club, hacking, dressage, show jumping, polo, polocrosse and campdrafting.
Quarter Horses come in a variety of solid colours including black, bay, chestnut, brown, cream, palomino, buckskin, cremello, champagne, duns, grays and roans. Pinto genes also exist in the breed. Limited white markings may also appear. Typically, Quarter Horses stand at 14-18 hands high.
Two distinct body types exist. The stock or ‘bulldog' type is shorter and more compact, while the racing and hunter type is taller with a stronger resemblance to the Thoroughbred.
Four Quarter Horse stallions were imported to Australia in 1954. These were the first Quarters to arrive in Australia and went to stud in Queensland. Throughout the sixties, more shipments arrived and soon enough, in 1964, a group of breeders convened and established the Australian Quarter Horse Association. The association works to protect the standards of Quarter Horse progeny with stringent inspection and classification.
