What Is a Quarter Horse?
December 9, 2011
Early-day breeders debated about type.
Poco Bueno was an early influence of Quarter Horse body types. AQHA file photo.
By Vohn E. Penn in The American Quarter Horse Journal
Editor’s Note: In the early days of AQHA, there was much dissention among members as to what, exactly, was an American Quarter Horse. Some favored the short, stout cow ponies nicknamed “bulldog” horses, while others were strongly in favor of the infusion of Thoroughbred blood to create a faster, leaner version of our breed. Let’s listen in to the debate as it raged in 1950. This article was first printed in the April 1950 edition of the Journal.
There’s an old saying that, “The less you say, the less chance you run of exposing your ignorance.” I respect that proverb a great deal. Nevertheless, I’m willing to risk my reputation for average intelligence in an effort to end this infernal discussion of type. Nothing aggravates me quite so much as the expressions “Racing Type,” “Bulldog Type,” “Ranch Type,” and so on.
There has never been but one type of Quarter Horse since their inception so many years ago. That description is lost through the various interpretations. But there was a time, not so many years ago, when there was no effort made to type the Quarter Horse. He was simply a Quarter Horse, and that was all that need be said.
Learn everything there is to know about foundation sire Peter McCue, from his humble beginnings, his race career, where he lived, his owners and much more in AQHA’s FREE report, The Gospel According to Peter.
There have, of course, been superior, average and inferior individuals from time to time, and they, in turn, have passed on certain family characteristics that have resulted in a normal variation in the breed. As a whole, however, they were Quarter Horses, quick as a cat, sure-footed and stronger for their weight and height than any breed that ever lived.
It is strange to me that so few people today realize the difference that flesh can make in the appearance of a horse. They seem unable to realize that an animal pulled down by hard work or exercise, using every bit of his food for energy and none for fat, will be an altogether different-looking animal after two or three months of rest with plenty of good food and fresh water.
When I receive an inquiry from someone asking if I can furnish a Racing Type Quarter Horse, I am tempted to reply that I have only Bulldog at present, but that if they will give me 60 days, I will be glad to starve one down to suit them.
Of course they can run. If they can’t, then they aren’t Quarter Horses, in spite of how their pedigree may read. Some will run faster than others, naturally, just as they will in any other breed, but if they are good ones, the essential qualities will be present in all of them. The percentage of top performers at any game is small in comparison to the number involved.
Now, about this business of type: I have no wish to antagonize anyone, but here is how it seems to me, and I am wondering if perhaps it may seem the same way to others. I believe that every one of us knows what truly constitutes a good Quarter Horse, and I would like for you to calmly ask yourselves, “Am I raising Quarter Horses that I like and believe in, or do I like and believe in the horses I am raising, simply because they are mine?” There’s a whale of a difference, you know.
I am wondering if the breeder who consistently refers to his horses as Running Type, is not attempting to excuse rattle-headedness, too much length of leg, too long a back or a lack of muscled weight? On the other hand, is it possible that the Ranch Type enthusiast is trying to excuse sluggishness, lack of speed and action, coarseness or the presence of draft blood?
If you suspect that you might fall in either of these classes, there is but one thing to do. Take your loss right now and start raising plain Quarter Horses. There is small satisfaction in kidding yourself.
The Gospel According to Peter FREE report includes a reprinted article from a Chicago newspaper during Peter’s 2-year old campaign, recounting his maiden race.
Let me tell you about the first description of a Quarter Horse that I can remember having heard. I’ve never forgotten it, and in the past 27 years or thereabouts, I’ve found it to fit nearly every horse that could really fill the bill all the way.
It was a warm Sunday afternoon in the summer of 1920 or ’21, and a group of men were gathered in the shade along the east side of our long stone barn. I was there in the middle of things with my mouth shut, like a kid was supposed to be then, but my ears were wide open.
It beat a ball game all to pieces, and there was nothing I would rather do than listen to this bunch talk and argue horses. Sometimes they’d work up a horse trade or a race, and now and then, they’d draw straws to see who rode out a salty one or two.
A small-looking, rather chunky chestnut with trim feet and legs stood dozing in the corral. The bridle was hung from the horn, and the girth was loosened. His name was Biscuit, and he was completely unaware that he was about to become a part of this discussion.
Comments
58 Comments on “What Is a Quarter Horse?”
Add a Comment
December 9th, 2011 at 11:00 am
As always, a great subject. I believe many breeders today have forgotten the one thing that made the Quarter Horse great – and that is speed. Without speed, they are not true Quarter Horses. Without speed, there is no agility, athleticism, intelligence, substance, etc. The greatest progenitors that contributed to the breed in a positive way were speed horses, first and foremost. Eliminating the speed aspect from modern pedigrees from the 1980s forward was a big mistake, in my opinion. The issues facing many of the specialized, non-speed event horses is proof of that. The challenge is to bring the versatile Quarter Horse back to where it is supposed to be, without sacrificing the traits that made the breed great.
December 9th, 2011 at 11:35 am
Susan’s comments are one of the reasons I’m so glad to see the running horse folded back into the Quarter Horse Journal. As show people we lost complete sight of these bloodlines because they were in an entirely different publication. As a halter horse lover, I know we also lost the soundness of leg.
December 9th, 2011 at 1:44 pm
In trying to breed the perfect Quarter Horse some the breeders and exhibitors have lost sight of the older bloodlines. I had a Skipper W descendant that probably would not make it in the showring today. He was built to last and trustworthy. I was absolutly devasted when he passed away. If I were to get another horse today I would search for one like him. I could ride him bareback without worry. He was my idea of what a Quarter Horse should be. No we would not get anywhere in today’s show ring but for sheer fun and pleasure he was a delight.
December 9th, 2011 at 2:18 pm
I agree with Nancy.
In Nelson Nye’s book, The Complete Book of the Quarter Horse, he talks about Dewey Steele, a noted geneticist, who told him in 1949 that if the trend for breeding quality was ever based solely on what wins in the show ring, it would be the downfall of the Quarter Horse.
I think we’re seeing specialized horses in the show ring today that can’t do what the best Quarter Horses of yesterday could do. I think the versatility of the Quarter Horse reached its pinnacle of excellence in the 1970s, when the breed ideal was showcased by the AAA AQHA Champions and Supreme Champions who could consistently do it all. They could run, they could halter, and they could work a cow, all while looking good doing it.
December 9th, 2011 at 2:22 pm
And here I thought the perfect “type” of QH was one that could do pretty much everything — race (the fastest 1/4-miler), work cattle and do ranch work, then head out of a pleasant trail ride.
We seem, over the years, to have lost sight of the all-around horse as many now breed for a specific discipline. To me, that IS NOT what a quarter horse is — they should not be discipline specific but rather able to do it all.
December 9th, 2011 at 2:42 pm
Absolutely, Lisa. The proponents of the specialized horses say that the performance of these horses has improved over the all-around horse, but I say, “at what cost to the breed?”
Today, there is no breed standard or ideal for breeders to breed for. I think AQHA set a standard in the past, most recently with Orren Mixer’s painting of the ideal Quarter Horse (in 1969, I believe). I don’t know of many people breeding for that type of horse today.
I think there are some horses within the Quarter racing industry that can earn the Supreme Champion title (and a few have recently done so), but how many horses from the other disciplines could do that? My guess is none.
December 9th, 2011 at 2:44 pm
Being very honest the show ring has just about been the down fall of the quarter horse and several other major breeds. When I think of a quarter horse I think of a horse than can run a quarter mile at top speed, cut a cow, take you for a pleasant ride. The quarter horse halter winners of today would probably die if asked to run a quarter mile, would be scared to death of a cow and has probably never been saddled. I believe the real quarter horse is one of the greatest horses ever bred. I hope they stay that way but doubt it very much
December 9th, 2011 at 2:44 pm
agree,…. see Poco Lena… She was described as having “a head like a princess and a rump like a washerwoman” and even today she considered one of the greatest mares in Quarter Horse history. When I look at my mare…. and I see Poco Lena…. she looks alike here. She have naturel talent is smart and what ever I ask… she try to do here best. allways…
December 9th, 2011 at 3:03 pm
In the early 70′s I got a 4 yr. old Quarter Horse mare, Dare’s Candy Bar. She was a lovely chestnut with a white blaze and 2 rear stockings. She was built like a brick house. I Pony Clubbed with her in eastern PA and also fox hunted for many seasons. The first time I ever took her to Fairhill, MD to hunt with Mrs. duPont’s hunt there I was laughed at! The ‘old’ gaurd said she would never last the day. Not only did she last the day, she was still dancing, wanting more when it was over and their hunters were hanging their heads. My Candy Bar changed many a stubborn mind in her day and I was always very proud to be on her back.
December 9th, 2011 at 3:25 pm
Possibly the closest to the all around horse in the performance world is the Reined Cow Horse. They must do a reining pattern, herd work (cut three cows out of the herd) and fence work. They do have to have some serious speed to take that cow down the fence and then turn it back. Most, if not all, of the top competitors are quarter horses. No surprise there. Don’t even want to discuss the travesties that win the AQHA halter classes.
December 9th, 2011 at 3:44 pm
modern American halter QHs are deformities! They are over height and over muscled and have tiny defective hooves. How are they registered as real QHs? I have fine looking working bred QHs and people admire their looks but they wouldn’t halter now that the trend has an Arab head, TB neck, swollen muscles and needs a ladder to see it’s back. What a mess-up!!
December 9th, 2011 at 4:06 pm
Sounds like Susan likes runaways and wrecks. If all you breed for is speed, all you will get is hurt faster. Balance is key in life in all things.
December 9th, 2011 at 4:10 pm
The extreme versions of many halter horses are caricatures, Jonathan, for sure, but there are some that are structurally correct, and if the extra weight were taken off them and they were fitted differently, they’d be pretty decent performance type horses.
I also have a concern for many performance horses, who wouldn’t even halter by *yesterday’s* standards, so it really does go both ways in today’s specialized world. Neither are the breed ideal. Many of today’s show performance horses couldn’t race, either. In my opinion, there really needs to be a standard and ideal in place for the future integrity of the breed.
December 9th, 2011 at 4:15 pm
David, without the speed blood, there is no performance. Yes, there needs to be a balance, for sure. My point is we shouldn’t have to sacrifice all the fine traits of a good Quarter Horse in order to breed a horse to win a specialized event. I never said to breed strictly for speed at the expense of a sound mind and body. The Quarter Horse used to have it all.
Throughout the history of the Quarter Horse, you will find fast horses influencing the pedigrees of the greatest Quarter Horses, whether their descendants were race horses or not. Horses like Leo, Oklahoma Star, Three Bars (TB), Driftwood, etc. were great examples of how speed can contribute positively to the pedigrees of the performance horse.
December 9th, 2011 at 4:18 pm
Amen Bob and rusty star!
I love Quarter Horses. They are truly my favorite breed. However, the direction that the breed has headed is regrettable.
I am not attempting to make jabs at anyone or insult anyone’s choice of event. There are good and bad horses in all realms of showing. What I see now are a lot of horses that just hobble slowly along the rail or large muscled horses that stand around in a ring. And my biggest problem with it all? It seems that the majority cannot stay sound.
Specializing for certain events has truly dealt Quarter Horses a low blow. When was the last time that we saw a halter horse who could turn around and win a cutting futurity at the same show? Or a western pleasure horse that could also succeed in working cow horse?
The hard work of our legendary founding breeders is fading away. We cannot actually say what a Quarter Horse “is”, because we don’t know.
December 9th, 2011 at 4:18 pm
I find it somewhat ironic to read all these comments that are anti discipline specific breeding and yet find the show rings full of the products of these breeding programs. If this is not what most of the membership wants, why is this what we have? In my opinion it is because you get what you reward. The beginning of the end for the all around horse was the Superior Event award. If we as members want an all around horse, then we should stop rewarding one-event wonders.
December 9th, 2011 at 4:24 pm
Throughout time, horses needed to have speed in order to survive. If they weren’t fast, they became a meal for the predator that was chasing them. In order to run fast, horses needed to have correct conformation. It’s the old form to function thing. If a horse isn’t put together properly, it won’t hold up, let alone run fast.
Those who linebreed to the weakest members of the gene pool (those horses who lacked speed) are contributing to the problem today. There is no breed improvement taking place.
When breeders who wish to preserve the breed truly understand the bloodlines of the horses that created the world’s most versatile breed in the first place, it will be a step in the right direction. Otherwise, we are going to have nothing left but horses who were bred for the extreme to win in the show ring (and all the issues that come with that), and we won’t be able to get that versatility back – it will have been bred out entirely.
December 9th, 2011 at 5:00 pm
@Mary — perhaps with the success of the recently introduced Ranch Pleasure to AQHA shows and the continued filling of Performance Halter (yes, to the detriment of standard “halter”) as well as the Ranch Heritage program, we will see a return to the all-around horse. People can only buy what it is available. Judges can only judge what is presented. (To the Judges — it is okay not to pin a first place. Oh, and you should dock points for the fake tails. All that is happening is that you are reinforcing this created image.)
Also trainers need to stop trying to create what they think will win. Just because a horse with a natural, below withers carriage did the best on a particular day to win a championship DOES NOT mean that ALL WP horses must move like that. An entire “look” has been created that is not natural. There is an “ideal” and judges should be judging to that while realizing that perfection is usually not attainable. Pinning horses with fake tails and other “doctored” looks does not do justice and makes the show ring look the fools. I stopped showing because I couldn’t afford the $15k saddle and $1,000 outfit to even garner a judge’s look.
Thank you AQHA for allowing the Ranch Pleasure class for folks like me and the horses I breed and ride.
December 9th, 2011 at 5:09 pm
Lisa, we can hope, but as I read the new rules,I would have to campaign my horse to an ROM every year to qualify for Performance Halter. That prices this rural educator out of the game.
December 9th, 2011 at 5:09 pm
I ride a short, stocky 14.1 black quarter that can keep up with the best of them. He gives me everything he has, tries to please me, and after 6 hours in the saddle, is still willing to run up a hill. He is not your typical big quarter, he is bred well, acts great, and I love him. I don’t believe in inbreeding or line breeding, breed for what the horse does, now what the bloodlines tell you too. My horse is Double Zippo bred, how many 14.1 3 year old Zippo horses do you know?
December 9th, 2011 at 5:11 pm
Mary, granted I haven’t read the rules in depth (like I said, I got out of showing about 10 years ago), but I thought you had to show in a few classes at the show to be able to enter the performance halter at that show.
But I hear you on the pricing — I’m out of the game for anything but Trail … and now Ranch Pleasure.
December 9th, 2011 at 5:12 pm
I love the Quater horse. I have for many years had foundation bloodlines. Decided to try a for a racing bred Quarter horse and picked a Dash For cash blood line for the sire and a Triple Crown bred TH mare for a dam. Got a very typey Qh filly with a lot of potential. She is qentle and to look at her you would never think she is anything but a cow horse. Stocky short bodied and sensiable. She has the smooth gaits of a western pleasure horse and the temperment to die for. She is 2yr 15HH and a true Quater horse. First shoeing today she slept thru it. What a true pleasure she is. Thank God for the Quater Horse.
December 9th, 2011 at 5:24 pm
I love this discussion. I have a couple quarter horses. Three exactly, a mare, a gelding, a stud hores and a Paint mare with Quarter Horse Tail Line.
I also have two Arabs mares and an Arab Appy mare cross. Then I have a Chickasaw/Choctaw Indian Pony mare. The Quarter Horse breeding originated with this type of pony bred with the European Race horse or better said the English Thoroughbred which originated from the Arabs. All I would need is a Thoroughbred and I could start the breed all over. Now, that’s a thought.
Anyway, type isn’t the issue. The issue is my Quarter Horses are my most dependable all around horses. Period. They could work some cows, go on a trail ride and go to a halter show. I haven’t tried showing them in halter, but I have done some walk trot, and barrel racing. Maybe I should halter show them to see how it would turn out.
Thanks for giving me some great reading material this cold, cold night.
December 9th, 2011 at 5:27 pm
In my opinion, the creation of the Performance Halter, Ranch Horse Versatility and Ranch Pleasure type classes is only lowering the bar. While those classes may be fun to compete in, AQHA needs to *raise* the bar to preserve the integrity of their breed. The creation of these new classes are designed simply to be more inclusive and easier for average quality horses to compete. Making things easier never solved anything. Breeders need something to breed for – something that actually showcases versatile, breeding quality horses that would actually contribute to breed improvement.
Nearly any broke, well trained horse of any breed can easily do these classes. How do those classes showcase the versatility and ability of the breed and set the Quarter Horse apart from other breeds? They don’t.
I’d like to see a horse of any other breed equal the ability and versatility of an AQHA Supreme Champion, or even a AAA-AQHA Champion. Breeders breeding for that caliber of horse will more than provide enough high quality, competitive horses for almost anyone, and maybe the Quarter Horse will return to what it once was.
December 9th, 2011 at 6:00 pm
I’d have a really tough time watching today’s WP compete in Ranch Pleasure. Today’s WP horses are that discipline-specific breeding. Ranch Pleasure takes us back to the all around horses QH are suppose to be. If I want discipline-specific, there are a whole lot of options out there to choose from. I prefer to look at one place, and at one horse.
AQHA isn’t “lowering the bar”; they are raising it back to where it should be.
December 9th, 2011 at 6:02 pm
Oh, and Susan, the problem is that with these Supreme Champions, etc. many could never function in a ranch environment or out on the trail. They are simply bred to be in an arena. The training barn I was at many years ago had numerous AQHA World Champion trail horses. Then they went on a real trail ride and were afraid to cross the bridge. How does that bring QH back to what they once were?
December 9th, 2011 at 6:24 pm
In Frank Holmes book on King P-234, he states that Zantanon, King’s sire, was timed at 300 yds. at 15.2 sec. That time would still set track records today. King and San Siemon, Zantanon sons, could be argueably the keystone to the entire Quarter horse industry. I have a 46.4 % King bred 3 yo that is faster and more athletic than anything that I ever rode (Delta Downs, Louisiana). This horses can still compete in the arenas and tracks today. The only reason you don’t see them, is the trainers are constrained to show or train the horses with the latest “names” such as “Cat” in the cutting arena or “Cash” in the racing world.
December 9th, 2011 at 6:38 pm
Lisa, that is the challenge, isn’t it? To breed a horse that can run AND function in a ranch environment? To me, THAT is raising the bar. THAT is taking the Quarter Horse back to what they once were.
In the early days, the Quarter Horse could do both. They used to say that if a Quarter Horse couldn’t run, it wasn’t a Quarter Horse. After studying the bloodlines of these horses, it’s easy to see that speed blood was the most important ingredient in a good Quarter Horse pedigree, no matter what he was used for.
December 9th, 2011 at 6:56 pm
That is why the Ranch classes are raising the bar — to bring those horses and that foundation breeding back to the forefront. Those are the horses that can truly do it all. It will remind people what QH are suppose to be. In my book, anything that can accomplish that goal is raising the bar.
December 9th, 2011 at 7:31 pm
Lisa, I do think that the ranch classes are a step in the right direction. But I would bet those horses couldn’t race any more than the halter and WP horses could. The Performance Halter classes haven’t done anything to improve the versatility of the QH. It only proved that you could take a correct halter-bred horse and get some roping points on him for an ROM, then go win a Performance Halter class.
I’m from a time when sons and daughters of Three Bars (TB) were what we were around every day. They were truly versatile QHs. While Three Bars’ TB son Lucky Bar was responsible for Impressive, his son Lightning Bar was also responsible for Doc Bar, who was the sire of Doc O’Lena, and he in turn sired Smart Little Lena. It wasn’t that long ago to me. Three Bars was also the grandsire of Zippo Pine Bar, who revolutionized the pleasure horse industry. Dash For Cash set the QH racing industry on fire; he was by a grandson of Three Bars, and out of a TB mare. The first three Supreme Champions were sons of Three Bars. The best of the best had the best of the speed blood up close. The last two Supreme Champions are race-bred (Mr Joe Im Kool and Cartel Caliente), and were bred very much like many of the AQHA Supreme Champions that came before them. AQHA Supreme Champions are not “foundation-bred” – they are race-bred. Supreme Champions are the ultimate versatile Quarter Horse.
The versatility and all around ability of the QH began its decline when people stopped breeding performance and halter horses with up close speed blood. They began specializing and linebreeding to horses that didn’t or couldn’t run (race). They bred to horses that were never proven to be fast – only ones that proved they could win in performance and sire a winning performance horse. And they don’t even need to look good or be correct to win a world championship. Sadly, their conformation wouldn’t have allowed them to stay sound if they had raced. How is that helping breed integrity?
December 9th, 2011 at 11:31 pm
So the basically the utopian future for Quarter Horses is in lowering the bar in most specialities so race horses can win in them?
Or perhaps they should create cutting, reining and pleasure classes specifically for race horses.
December 10th, 2011 at 12:31 am
I still look for the old bulldog type built Quarter Horse. To me that is what the Quarter Horse should look like. I have a Skipper W bred stallion and he has the old bulldog look to him. We have lost the leg under the Quarter Horse of today alot because of the Throughbred influence. I also have a Peppy San Badger bred gelding and he has the speed and cowsense but doesn’t really have the bulldog look. It doesn’t mean that he isn’t a good horse. If I look for another Quarter Horse it will be the old bulldog build of yesterday. The horse that can do it all like King P-234.
December 10th, 2011 at 8:05 am
i love my foundation skipper w. he is athletic, muscled, goodminded,not to mention flashy looking. we excersise in the arena, but enjoy trail riding and competing with ACTHA. he has a trot you can sit all day long. he is my idea of a good quarter horse. i feel sad for the show horses who will never get to enjoy the outdoors.
December 10th, 2011 at 8:41 am
There are as many different types of TBs as there are QHs. The short-running, speedy TBs *look* like QHs. Take a look at the photos of TBs like Afton Creek, Carrara Marble, Mito Paint, Three Bars, Depth Charge, Direct Win, Silver Thistle, Azure Te, and thousands of other TB stallions who contributed greatly to the QH. I don’t think anyone is advocating crossing the 17 hand type TBs on QHs unless they specialize in HUS. To me, those aren’t QHs. And, of course, other traits must be selected for as well (disposition, soundness, tractability, etc.) when breeding responsibly. All too often, breeders have selected breeding stock based on a single characteristic at the expense of others for a win instead of focusing on breed integrity.
The U. S. Government Remount program is a good place to research what type of TB worked well on the ranch type mares. They carried the speed that was a necessary ingredient for versatility and athleticism, and were selected based on all the same characteristics valuable to all QH breeders. You will find these TBs in the pedigrees of the horses that made a real difference in many programs.
I think simply studying the great sire Leo (and his descendants) would satisfy anyone wanting the bulldog style QH. Who can deny Leo was a true, ideal QH? And Leo was race bred through and through, being of predominantly TB breeding (and inbred to boot). These horses were not only fast, but they proved valuable in the pedigrees of every single QH and every single discipline those QHs were bred for. They could do it all. You can’t look at a photo of a horse like Croton Oil and say he’s not a “bulldog type”, and a study of his pedigree shows he was speed bred all the way. Leo San is another example of the type of horse that contributed in a big way toward the real working QH.
We cannot say the same about horses like Poco Bueno, whose descendants were limited in their abilities as versatile horses. They lacked the speed necessary for that all-around capability because modern foundation breeders deny using the speed bred horses in their breeding programs. He is only one son of King, whereas King’s daughters, when crossed with Three Bars-bred horses produced some of the fastest QHs ever. When crossed with speed blood, that versatility was restored. Every single important, influential, breed-changing ancestor of the QH was speed bred, with the exception of Poco Bueno and the direction modern foundation breeders have taken that bloodline. They are linebreeding to a weaker member of the gene pool (because it lacks speed). The true foundation of the QH was a racehorse first, not a cowhorse.
A thorough study of the breeding principles of the King Ranch, Ott Adams, William Anson, Hank Wiescamp, Walter Merrick, B. F. Phillips, and many other leading breeders will show that these breeders believed in using TB speed blood to improve their stock. The results of their programs proved that to be true, producing great horses that are found throughout the pedigrees of the best QHs of the breed.
December 10th, 2011 at 9:33 am
It is interesting to note that the arguments of today are similar to the arguments of yesterday. It sounds like we all want the same thing. Tradition, good solid horses and versitility. We have very different ideas as how to get it.ultimay I believe the breeders have control of the breed. You can’t buy what isn’t there to purchase. Responsible breeding is the key. Horses that are sound of mind and body. That embody the spirit and look of the great horses of the past are what we all want. Even though a 14.2 bulldog can easily carry a 6foot tall person, do you really think that person will feel comfortable? There is room for some differences. There is room for some changes. No matter what we do, so long as we keep a good hoof and mind on the Quarter Horse the breed will continue to flourish.
December 10th, 2011 at 9:47 am
Absolutely, Beverly. It’s about responsible breeding. In order to do that, you one must have a working knowledge of the history of the breed, and the bloodlines of the breed. Who wouldn’t want to find another Leo, or King, or Oklahoma Star? How about Driftwood, Old Sorrel, Skipper W, or Peter McCue? It’s about breeding responsibly toward a breed standard and ideal. In order to do that, one must know what that ideal is, what it looks like, and how it is bred.
December 10th, 2011 at 9:49 am
I am thankful for the Quarter Horse Breed, it is the most versatel breed in the world. If you like racing then it has those types, if you like the cowhorses or cutting then it has those types, western pleasure, reining, halter…… No other breed can make that claim or compete at their level. The fact is what ever you perfer it’s still alive and well.
December 10th, 2011 at 11:06 am
Hello, I live up in Canada on a Ranch of at least 20 sections (640) acres in a section. We raise Quarter Horses, who can literally do it ALL. We raise 400 head of cattle so there is no shortage of miles to be made checking , doctoring and moving cows. We have horse that you can be ridding with a loose rein on and extended walk, Then you simply have to undo your rope and gather your coils and they know … just like that they are awake and ready and can burst out with incredible speed to catch an animal that needs treating !! then you can get off in the middle of the prairie and count on that horse to go from race horse to cool minded , Because he now has to work that rope … Keeping it tight enough the 1200 lb cow can’t try to get up. Plus we Don’t even shoe most of out horses ! They all have good feet It get’s rather expensive to keep 20 riding horse shod when in reality their feet were not designed for it. Now also take into consideration these horses are running flat out on un groomed ground !! They have to have good boned legs to be able to take the mile and the impact of this life style . We have had ranch horses live and work up until they were 25 ! And yes they can watch a cow not because we spur them till they understand , But simply because they learn if they let the cow get by them the have a few miles to run to catch her again !!
It was always a good feeling when me and my sisters could show up with a stock trailer and farm truck and kick butt .
Now may sound good for a ranch person but i grew up showing horses as well. The same horse we rode to do all the cow work on the ranch was my 4-H horse my barrel horse and my jumping horse !!! And we won lots
My palomino was a great barrel horse he won 6 out of the ten rodeo’s in one summer ! One day on our way to a rodeo We noticed some of our cows out, So i unloaded my horse and proceeded to gather the renegades, When a friendly driver thought it would be nice to honk the horn and wave , Well that sent one calf 90miels an hr the wrong way ! Since i was in my barrel saddle i couldn’t rope it so old yeller did some fast and fancy working cow horse moves and we managed to get that calf back ! Then i rolled in at the rodeo unloaded him and since he was mostly warmed up already just walked and jogged around and he one that rodeo to
If you don’t believe me check out High Vally Horses on facebook !! lots of pictures and proof their is a place where the horses are still good old fashioned Quarter Horses
December 11th, 2011 at 3:20 pm
In response to Susan,my favourite horse is the quarter horse but it is not the only breed to be able to achieve a supreme championship.My brother trained and showed a paint horse named Powerchick.I think he was the youngest supreme champion in the world.Canadian too.
December 11th, 2011 at 3:48 pm
Raymond, that’s really cool your brother owned Power Chick! Power Chick was a brown Tobiano stallion, sired by a race-bred QH named Cachickaboy (who was by Three Chicks, by Three Bars TB), and he was out of the Paint mare, No Tune.
Yes, APHA has a title called Supreme Champion, just like AQHA does. Both have similar requirements/qualifications, and both awards are the highest achievement a horse can earn with those associations.
December 11th, 2011 at 5:58 pm
Thanks Susan.I would like to say that I agree with your earlier comments.Speed is I think the most important.Cachickaboy I think set 2 track records as well.Power Chick was such a good athlete and so well mannered.My brother John also made him into a pretty good trick horse.He has a picture of him sitting at the table eating some oats with a few guys drinking their beer.He was the only Canadian Supreme Champion in Canada and I think the first under the new racing rules.Before Power Chick they did not have to race to get a Supreme Champion.I race thoroughbreds which I love but my real love is with the quarterhorse ,and I will retire with one.
December 11th, 2011 at 6:09 pm
I forgot to say Power Chick got his Supreme Champion when he was only 4 yrs.old
December 11th, 2011 at 9:03 pm
first I think the Supreme Champion is the ultimate award. I am glad to see horses competing for it again. I was raised with horses in the 50′s. Then the Quarter Horse was still being used every day for ranch work. This ranch work required speed, but it also required control, and I don’t know any cowboy who rode an ugly horse by choice. However, if he did everything else really well, the cowboy usually admitted he hadn’t won many beauty contests eaither. You would have been hard pressed to find a cowboy who would admit he didn’t have the fastest horse and could usually be persuaded to put his money where his mouth was. The horses were preferably good looking, used every day on the ranch, ridden to and from the job (not rrailered) through and around every obstacle imaginable, thus the ultimate trail horse. If you felt like you had been beaten with a club at the end of the day, you usually got rid of that horse and found one that could do the other things and still be a pleasure to ride. On the weekends, that same horse was taken to shows, rodeos, and races in order to win bragging rights. That was the Quarter Horse.
Today the halter horse is supposed to be the picture of what the breed should look like, but as said earlier, his feet are too small for his size, he is muscle bound like a weight trainer who has so much muscle he can’t even move with agility, He is seldom or never ridden, but he can get performance points by competing in showmanship. How is showmanship a performance event? I like a good looking horse as well as the next person, but maybe the halter horses should be required to compete in a performance event.
If a horse had traveled like todays pleasure horses, they would have been taken to a vet to see why he was lame.
Just because the horse was fast did not qualify him as a good horse. He was admired for his speed, but was not well liked unless you could control and use that speed.
Futurities have been good for the pocket books, but hard on the longevity of the horse, their young minds are blown early, their joints are pushed to or past the limit. But very few champions are ever seen again except in the breeding barn used to produce futurity winners, but very seldom tested after the futurity season.
The Quarter Horse ideally should be fast, have lots of agility, longevity, smooth, powerful, a pleasure to ride and be around, and easy on the eyes. This is the horse I love and find harder and harder to locate. Let’s bring them back and this will require some kind of all around contest that should be highly rewarded, because money talks. The reward can come from some kind of highly prized award, buyers supporting these winners by purchasing, using, and enjoying these versatile offspring.
Long live the real American Quarter Horse
December 12th, 2011 at 7:42 am
Wonderful post, Mike! You are absolutely right about the need to make it financially profitable to bring the ideal Quarter Horse back. There needs to be a big incentive to breed toward the breed ideal. Obviously, there is money to be made breeding and showing the specialized horses because many people make their living with that. A larger incentive for those who breed for the breed ideal would bring the real American Quarter Horse back. The horse would win, and the breed would win.
From 1967 to 1979, there were 44 AQHA Supreme Champions. It was a long 16 years until another horse finally earned the title (Gotum Gone in 1995). Two years later in 1997, Lucks Easyfanta Boy earned the award. Then it was another 12 years before Mr Joe Im Kool earned his Supreme Champion title, and in 2010, Cartel Caliente became a Supreme Champion.
Only 4 horses have earned a Supreme Champion title since 1979. That says a lot about what has happened to the Quarter Horse.
You mention that halter horses should perform. I agree. I also think performance horses should halter. After all, a halter horse is supposed to represent what the best performance horse should look like. Since racing is the only true test of a Quarter Horse’s ability that is NOT influenced by human judgement, I think they ALL should race to prove they are real Quarter Horses worthy of contributing to the breed in a positive way. They were race horses to begin with. That is what made the Quarter Horse what they once were and ultimately, what they became by the late 1970s; who are we to breed that out? It’s no wonder we are having difficulty finding the right kind of Quarter Horse today.
December 12th, 2011 at 9:49 am
Raymond Smith wrote:
“I forgot to say Power Chick got his Supreme Champion when he was only 4 yrs.old”
Raymond is correct. Power Chick earned his APHA Championship as a 3yo, then became a Supreme Champion at 4. If anyone is interested in reading about this horse, there is a great article about him in the Paint Horse Journal, July, 1976 issue.
As is the case with nearly all of the APHA Supreme Champions, he was from predominantly QH (and TB) blood.
December 12th, 2011 at 10:06 am
For the back to basics of the All Around Versatile Quarter Horse, go to http://www.stockhorsetexas.org – the essence of the all around stock horse. To excel these horse must be fast enough to catch a cow in the COW WORK, cowy enough to hold it, easy natural gaited for RANCH PLEASURE, athletic enough for REINING, and sensible enough to navigate a RANCH TRAIL course. A specialized event horse may win one event, but in the long run, horse that win consistantly in SHOT may be anywhere from 14h, 1,000#s to 16h, 1,400# – most are a nice blend of cow/speed pedigrees they can do it all and do it well.
December 13th, 2011 at 11:38 am
This is a very good article, published a few years ago in THE HORSE, which, to me, addresses some of the concerns regarding specialization and versatility:
Genetic Concentration: Too Much of a Good Thing?
by: Megan Arszman, The Horse Photo/E-Newsletter Editor
May 24 2008, Article # 11928
“For years we’ve taught the industry about reproduction, but we haven’t taught about breeding,” said Gary Carpenter, executive director of the American Quarter Horse Foundation at the International Equine Summit, held in Lexington, Ky., April 28-29. Fellow horsemen Dan Kenny, owner of Dan Kenny Bloodstock in Lexington, Ky., and Richard Wilcke, director of the Equine Industry Program at the University of Louisville, participated in a discussion with Carpenter on issues surrounding genetic concentration, an over-reliance on specific bloodlines in an attempt to reproduce known traits.
Carpenter cited all-around horses (horses that show halter and multiple performance events) in the Quarter Horse industry as an example of a type with ideal genetic concentration. All-around horses, Carpenter said, come from a broader gene pool, a quality that is diminishing in the performance and horse show world. In some cases, bloodlines get saturated with the same names. Quarter Horse breeders are battling the stigma of horses bred for “Western only” and “hunt seat only” events, and this limits their market.
“Specialization was a function of economics,” said Wilcke. “It is good, economically, for the industry because it was easier to bring in people that wanted to win pleasure classes and win halter classes,” when owners began breeding specifically for these uses.
In the performance horse industry, Carpenter stated that the rise in specialization comes from the saturation of bloodlines and the desire to accentuate certain traits–whether they are negative or positive–and diminish other traits.
“I don’t have to tell you that once those traits, once those genes are gone, they’re not coming back,” Carpenter said. “What’s really cumbersome about that is having those negative traits imbedded in those bloodlines, and it’s really hard to get away from that.”
For example, recent research has shed light on the incidence of polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM). A study published in early 2008 showed that one in 10 Quarter Horses were affected by the muscle disorder, and that the muscle disease is more prevalent in certain bloodlines. While this trait, which affects how the horse responds physiologically to sugars in its diet, doesn’t have such a negative impact on horses in poor forage conditions, it can be devastating to a highly managed show animal. “Take those same horses and manage them the way we manage them today, and it’s more or less a crisis,” Carpenter said.
Transporting Genetic Code
Widespread use of artificial insemination with shipped semen has dramatically changed the face of Quarter Horse breeding, allowing genetic variation of the breed in regions of the country that might have once been limited to certain bloodlines because of geography. While Thoroughbred breeders do not utilize artificial insemination because of industry rules, the Quarter Horse industry has accepted it, along with embryo transfers. Today’s technology makes it easy for breeders to continually breed to get what they already have.
Unfortunately, with the use of this technology, fewer people see their stallion or mare prospect in person. During the discussion, Carpenter showed a photo of a rusty pickup truck and stated that it was a piece of technology that was not being used enough. He cited mare owners posting on Internet forums asking for other people’s opinions on what stud to breed to their mare, making mating decisions without ever seeing the stallion, and with the “advisors” never seeing their mare.
“We just need to go look,” he said. “We’ve got plenty of tools, but we’re not applying them as wisely as we should.”We have a less-educated, less-experienced group of breeders using more powerful tools breeding horses with more identifiable faults, with less observation and less pedigree information, and are breeding mares one, two, or three at a time,” Carpenter continued. “In this age of specialization, where breeders are breeding for a certain conformation type and a certain movement, they use the same pedigrees over and over again, risking the exposure to genetic disease. We open ourselves up to being criticized by animal rights activists.
“The danger occurs when we put (technology) in the hands of breeders who are either uninformed or insensitive to the potential repercussions.”
December 14th, 2011 at 8:02 am
Wow I love all the positive comments about the all-around quarter horse vs the modern quarter horse. It all boils down to getting back to the basics, BETTER LEG AND FEET and being able to take your QH out to work cattle, go to the show, trail ride, barrel race, etc. No more one-trick ponies please!
The only thing my 12-year-old Poco Blu Bar registered Foundation QH (also AQHA) cannot do is pleasure, as in low and slow, troping and looking like a dead head. But he can work cattle no problem and do a reining pattern and loves to do lead changes. We showed this year in 4 dressage shows, several speed shows and won many speed events for a high school equestrian team, can do showmanship with the best of them, trail ride all day, crossing the scary wooden bridge while the TB’s won’t, and even went on a fox-hunt with 50 horses and hounds and horns as if he did it every weekend. He loves to jump and will give my Grandkids pony rides all day. Now that’s a Quarter Horse! He’s very handsome (not baby-doll) pure black and a Poco Bueno look-alike, 14.2 hands tall. Built like a tank. For 2012 I plan on showing at our Michigan Foundation QH shows in MT. Pleasant MI.
December 14th, 2011 at 9:45 am
I have enjoyed finding this conversation, especially comments from those looking forward to the chance to exhibit the natural abilities of their horses in the new Ranch Horse Pleasure class. My father, Don Clark, is an AQHA Director Emeritus from Iowa
who promoted the idea for the class to Don Treadway, then entrusted the committee presentations to a few friends. He has been an AQHA member for 57 years and judged AQHA shows for over thirty years. He continually believed in the Quarter Horse as a good-minded, naturally moving horse, and is proud to see this class approved.
In 1998, Don became aware of the Ranch Horse Classics in Kentucky, and began advancing the concept in Iowa thereafter. In January 2000, he was a founding Board member of the Iowa Ranch Horse Association (www.iowaranchhorse.com). His efforts have promoted the multi-talented horse (registered or not) that has conformation, pleasing natural movement, versatility to address obstacles and perform basic reining maneuvers and can handle cattle. This is the kind of horse that is truly marketable to riders, whether they show or not, and I believe in owning this type of horse. I hope many people, most certainly my Dad, have the chance to enjoy the AQHA Ranch Horse Pleasure through the years. If you aren’t at an AQHA show, come to an Iowa Ranch Horse show to try their classes. This association also includes divisions to appeal to entry-level and youth riders.
The historical perspective of his devotion to these efforts began when he trained and showed Rusty Tequila from 1961 to 1964, a 1958 gelding that he felt was the epitome of versatility. Tequila, raised by Stan Dreier, won the Iowa High Point All-Around Horse in 1961 and 1962, and earned AQHA Champion status in 1962. In 1963, Don duplicated these feats with 1959 stallion Wapsie Spud. Each of these horses had AQHA wins in halter, reining, western pleasure, cutting and western riding classes. In the early 1990’s his wife, Bev Clark, promoted Easter Setty to become an AQHA Superior All-Around Horse, also being a four-time Iowa High Point All-Around Horse. The mare had AQHA points in western pleasure, western riding, trail, reining, hunter under saddle, hunt seat equitation, hunter hack, horsemanship, showmanship and pleasure driving.
Dad’s motto has been “It’s the quality of the consistency in performance that counts” and he has had a special respect for the multiple-event horses he owned. My daughter and I appreciate the horses we show locally and enjoy on the trails. My personal hopes are that the industry will focus on breeding for the purpose of sound, good-minded horses, while supporting recreational venues. May there never be a shortage of types of events and places to be with your favorite companion.
December 14th, 2011 at 10:02 am
Funny man this Peter! The ‘race type’ my as. My Quarter looks like Three Bars (TB). But it shore isn’t a race horse. She’s fast but she doesn’t likes to run. That’s because she a Introvert horse. She’s very pretty and has good muscle from work but she’s only good for driving cattle, pleasure and trail. No cutting ore any fast things are on her menu!
Forewareholics have extrovert character. That makes them want to run. Half of the horses is born this way. In the old days they didn’t know this. If a horse wouldn’t run in a race it was simply a bad horse. I wouldn’t even try to put a introvert horse in a race in the first place. So, in my opinion, the character makes the type of horse and not the breed ore the looks!
December 14th, 2011 at 11:02 am
In Spain they crossbreed PRE with Arab and TB for bullfighting and Doma Vaquera. They call them ‘Tres Sangre’ ore ’3 blood’. They did that for hundreds off years because the TB is fast, the PRE is strong and the Arab is nervous. Her you can see what I mean: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nk_n1yQlmT0
Is a Tres Sangre part off the American Quarter horse? Cattle work on horseback came to America with the Spanisch so………..Ore was it that some TB crosses were faster on the quarter mile than full blood TB’s. More muscle. mmmm….Muscle comes from the colt blood middle age Knight horses from spain. Well if Mustang is 70% Spanisch and you cross it with a TB you get a……Quarter horse? Just guessing
December 14th, 2011 at 11:38 am
I would also love to get rid of the “baby-doll face” in our quarter horses. They just look like chunky Arabs to me. I like a pretty face as much as any horseman, but a quarter horse should not have an Arab head, period.
December 15th, 2011 at 4:30 pm
I agree with Mary, Quarter Horses dont need them “baby-doll faces”, Yeah the Arabs have pretty faces & all, but it dont look that great on a nice, strong, well built Quarter Horse; it just looks wrong. I got a lovely lil’ Quarter Horse out of the San Peppys, Badgers, Conole Freckles, Two Eyed Jack, & a bunch of other great Quarter Horse & she has the prettiest face I’ve ever seen on a Quarter Horse. This lil filly can really MOVE too! I’ll let her run full out through a pasture & my eye’s will start watering, ride her in a pasture with cattle & she’s all buisness, I’m only 14 & I trained her myself, along with my other lil’ filly thats a natural reining horse. Quarter Horses are so amazing & talented to work with.
December 28th, 2011 at 1:32 pm
On the subject of Three Bars, if you really look at him, he is just a little taller version of a quarter horse. Have you ever really studied Secretariat? I think he looks like one fine tall quarter horse. I am sure he could have done so many things and done them great. Just look at his hock heighth and how balanced his whole body is. Maybe if he had only grown to 14.2 or so, just think of the talent he might have had for cutting. Some times we need to add back what is already there to begin with to restrengthen some of the faults that have become a problem with-in our breed. You can only breed the same line of horse so many times before nothing but the bad comes out. In human terms it is called incest and we figured out years ago that it was not good for the human race, so why do we do it to our beloved horses. So if you will read my comment on 12-27-11 all these types of breeds where there to began with. So start reading your history on all the different breeds of horses around the world, and you will see a little bit of all these different breeds in the quarter horse. Not only that, there were no other horses in America, except what man-kind brought with them to the New World. I wonder how many types of horses that was, think about it?
January 23rd, 2012 at 12:37 pm
I guess you could say i owned cal’s cachickaboy its a blessing that i could google the old horses name see what a legend he was dad said power chick triple a i’m sure he double a , the one thing i can say bout the quarter horses it gives us lots of heritage , for the most part the horse is a true work of art its amazing what the have done for the human race over many years i know for me they are part of my soul hopefully over more time i’ll be able to communicate with the horse better and tell them i’m thankful they are my friend ,
February 20th, 2012 at 8:49 am
Last year I bought a Quarter Horse from a friend. She’s stands 14′ 2″ and has a ginourmous butt. Come to find out that her blood lines go all the way back to Wimpy. She’s only five and hadn’t been ridden much at all when I bought her. I want to do both halter and western pleasure with her. I could bulk her up if I wanted to for the halter classes, but then I wouldn’t really be able to compete in the riding classes. I want the best of both worlds for my horse. Enough bulk to do halter, yet not so “fat” that she couldn’t be worked under saddle or look like a giant slug in the area where horses that are loping look more like they are limping. She has a nice trot that would probably be too “fast” in a show, but it’s a good speed for her. I also own a 20 year old Quarter Horse with foundation blood lines that’s still going strong. He can still compete in shows, but his “new” job is helping kids of all ages learn how to ride, and what better to ride than an “old fashion” Quarter Horse.
May 12th, 2012 at 9:19 pm
is the best i have 2 Quarter horses they are so smart and lern fast everiting you tech them.
August 19th, 2012 at 10:48 am
Too bad none of this discussion will mean anything to bring back the TRUE versatile,all-around Quarter Horse of yesteryear unless AQHA judges stop awarding blue ribbons to the “specialy” bred horses in the ring. Wat wins this year, everyone is going to be breeding to to try to duplicate so they can win next year. The horses that are prqcticallloping and jogging backwards because they are so slow, are NOT what a QH should be. The hlater horses with hocks as straight as fenceposts and tiny feet, legs, necks, and heads, is NOT what a QH is supposed to be. A horse that is indistinguishable from a Thooughbred, that stands 17+ hands and a trotting stride a mile long, is NOT a QH. AQHA needs to set the standard and stick to it, and hold it’s judges accountable for the trends that are being awarded. There’s no way a cutting bred horse would get looked at twice in a western pleasure class, and a hunter bred QH isn’t going to know what the heck to do with a cow in front of them. That’s not how AQHA should be run, not what people should be given a pat on the back for, and not where I want to go to show my Quarter Horse. The current trends are hurting the breed as a whole and damaging the longevity of each horse as an individual, making it harder for people to aquire a good “winning” horse, or afford to show, as the winners of each discipline can monopolize the market for that discipline because if you don’t have a horse from those “hot” bloodlines you don’t stand a chance at competing well. A REAL QH should be a jack all trades, that can do anything any other horse can do, and do it better.