American_Quarter

{{Infobox Horse
|name= American Quarter Horse
|image=Quarter Horse(REFON).jpg
|image_caption= A palomino American Quarter Horse shown at halter.
|features =Great sprinting speed over short distances; short, refined head; strong, well-muscled body, featuring a broad chest and powerful, rounded hindquarters
|altname=Quarter Horse
|nickname="America's Horse"<br>"World's Fastest Athlete"
|country= [[United States]]
|group1=[[American Quarter Horse Association]]
|std1=http://www.aqha.com/
|group2=
|std2=
|status=
|note=
|}}


The '''American Quarter Horse''' is an American [[Horse breeds|breed]] of [[horse]] that excels at sprinting short distances. Its name came from its ability to outdistance other breeds of horse in races of a quarter mile or less, where some individuals have been clocked at speeds up to 55 mph.<ref>[http://www.iqhra.com/ Iowa Quarter Horse Racing Association]</ref> The American Quarter Horse is the most popular breed in the [[United States]] today, and the [[American Quarter Horse Association]] is the largest breed registry in the world, with nearly 5 million American Quarter Horses registered worldwide.<ref>[http://www.aqha.com/bin/q/z/annualreport_horsestats.pdf AQHA Horse Statistics]</ref>

The American Quarter Horse is well known both as a race horse and for its performance in [[rodeo]]s, [[horse show]]s and as a working [[ranch]] horse. The compact body of the American Quarter Horse is well-suited to the intricate and speedy maneuvers required in [[reining]], [[cutting (sport)|cutting]], working cow horse, [[barrel racing]], [[calf roping]], and other [[western riding]] events, especially those involving live cattle. The American Quarter Horse is also shown in [[English riding|English]] disciplines, [[Driving (horse)|driving]], and many other [[Equestrianism|equestrian]] activities.

==Breed History==
===Colonial Era===

In the 1600s, colonists on the eastern seaboard of what today is the [[United States]] began to cross imported English [[Thoroughbred]] horses with assorted "native" horses such as the [[Chickasaw|Chickasaw horse]] (a breed developed by [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] people from horses descended from Spain, developed from [[Iberian horse|Iberian]], [[Arabian horse|Arabian]] and [[Barb (horse)|Barb]] stock brought to what is now the Southeastern United States by the [[Conquistadors]]).

One of the most famous of these early imports was Janus, a [[Thoroughbred]] who was the grandson of the [[Godolphin Arabian]]. He was foaled in 1746, and imported to colonial Virginia in 1756. The influence of Thoroughbreds like Janus contributed genes crucial to the development of the colonial "Quarter Miler," or "Quarter Mile Horse." This was a speedy working man's racer, sometimes referred to as the "Celebrated American Quarter Running Horse." The resulting horse was small, hardy, and quick, and was used as a work horse during the week and a race horse on the weekends.<ref name="Handbook"> [http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/QQ/tcq1.html "Quarter Horses."] Handbook of Texas Online, referenced May 30, 2006</ref>

As flat racing became popular with the colonists, the Quarter Miler gained even more popularity as a sprinter over courses that, by necessity, were shorter than the classic racecourses of England, and were often no more than a straight stretch of road or flat piece of open land. When matched against a [[Thoroughbred]], local sprinters often won. As the Thoroughbred breed became established in America, many colonial Quarter Mile mares were included in the original American stud books, starting a long association between the Thoroughbred breed and what would later become officially known as the "Quarter Horse," named after the distance at which it excelled.

===Westward Expansion===
In the 1800s, pioneers heading West needed a hardy, willing horse. On the [[Great Plains]], settlers encountered horses that descended from the Spanish stock [[Hernán Cortés]] and other Conquistadors had introduced into the viceroyalty of [[New Spain]], which today includes the Southwestern United States and [[Mexico]]. These horses of the west included herds of [[feral]] animals known as [[Mustang (horse)|Mustangs]], as well as horses domesticated by [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native Americans]], including the [[Comanche]], [[Shoshoni]] and [[Nez Perce]] tribes. As the colonial Quarter Mile Horse was crossed with these western horses, the pioneers found that the new crossbred had innate "cow sense," a natural instinct for working with cattle, making it popular with cattlemen on [[ranch|ranches]].

===Development as a distinct breed===
{{seealso|American Quarter Horse Association|American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame}}
Early foundation sires of Quarter horse type included Steel Dust, foaled 1843; Shiloh (or Old Shiloh), foaled 1844; Old Cold Deck (1862); Lock's Rondo, one of many "Rondo" horses, foaled in 1880; Old Billy -- again, one of many "Billy" horses -- foaled circa 1880; [[Traveler (horse)|Traveler]], a stallion of unknown breeding, known to have been in Texas by 1889<ref name="Legends 2">Close, Pat ed. ''Legends 2: Outstanding Quarter Horse Stallions and Mares.'' Colorado Springs:Western Horseman books 1994 ISBN 0-911647-30-9</ref>; and [[Peter McCue (horse)|Peter McCue]], foaled 1895, registered as a [[Thoroughbred]] but of disputed pedigree.<ref> [http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/horses/quarter/ "Quarter Horse"]</ref> <ref name="Handbook"/><ref name="Legends 2"/>

The main duty of the ranch horse in the American West was working cattle. Even after the invention of the automobile, horses were still irreplacable for handling livestock on the range. Thus, major Texas cattle [[ranch]]es, such as the [[King Ranch]], the 6666 (Four Sixes) Ranch, and the [[Waggoner Ranch]] played a significant role in the development of the modern American Quarter Horse.

The skills needed by ranch hands and their horses became the foundation of the [[rodeo]], a contest which began with informal competition between [[cowboys]] and expanded to become a major competitive event throughout the west. To this day, the Quarter Horse dominates the sport both in speed events and in competition that emphasizes the handling of live cattle.

However, sprint races were also popular weekend entertainment and racing became a source of economic gain for breeders as well. As a result, more Thoroughbred blood was added back into the developing American Quarter Horse breed. The American Quarter Horse also benefitted from the addition of [[Arabian Horse|Arabian]], [[Morgan horse|Morgan]] and even [[Standardbred horse|Standardbred]] bloodlines.

In 1940, the [[American Quarter Horse Association]] (AQHA) was formed by a group of horsemen and ranchers from the southwestern United States dedicated to preserving the pedigrees of their ranch horses.<ref>[http://www.aqha.com American Quarter Horse Association]</ref> The horse honored with the first registration number, P-1, was [[Wimpy]],<ref>[http://www.kyhorsepark.com/imh/bw/quar.html International Museum of the Horse: "American Quarter Horse"]</ref> a descendant of the [[King Ranch]] foundation sire [[Old Sorrel (horse)|Old Sorrel]]. Other foundation sires alive at the founding of the AQHA and given the earliest registration numbers included [[King (horse)|King P-234]], Peppy, [[Leo (horse)|Leo P-1335]], [[Joe Reed (horse)|Joe Reed P-3]], [[Poco Bueno]], and [[Joe Hancock (horse)|Joe Hancock P-455]].<ref>[http://www.foundationhorses.com/pedigrees.htm Foundation Quarter Horse Pedigrees]</ref> The [[Thoroughbred]] race horse [[Three Bars (horse)|Three Bars]], alive in the early years of the AQHA, is recognized by the [[American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame]] as one of the significant foundation sires for the Quarter Horse breed. Other significant Thoroughbred sires seen in early AQHA pedigrees include King Plaudit, Blob, [[Top Deck (horse)|Top Deck]], Vandy and Truckle Feature.

=="Appendix" and "Foundation" horses==
Since the American Quarter Horse formally established itself as a breed, the AQHA stud book has remained open to additional [[Thoroughbred]] blood via a performance standard. An "Appendix" American Quarter Horse is a first generation cross between a registered Thoroughbred and an American Quarter Horse or a cross between a "numbered" American Quarter Horse and an "appendix" American Quarter Horse. The resulting offspring is registered in the "appendix" of the American Quarter Horse Association's studbook, hence the nickname. Horses listed in the appendix may be entered in competition, but offspring are not initially eligible for full AQHA registration. If the Appendix horse meets certain conformational criteria and is shown or raced successfully in sanctioned AQHA events, the horse can earn its way from the appendix into the permanent studbook, making its offspring eligible for AQHA registration.

Since American Quarter Horse/Thoroughbred crosses continue to enter the official registry of the American Quarter Horse breed, this creates a continual gene flow from the Thoroughbred breed into the American Quarter Horse breed, which has altered many of the characteristics that typified the breed in the early years of its formation. Some breeders, who argue that the continued infusion of Thoroughbred bloodlines is beginning to compromise the integrity of the breed standard, favor the earlier style of horse, have created several separate organizations to promote and register "Foundation" Quarter Horses.<ref>[http://www.fqha.com/ Foundation Quarter Horse Association.] Web site, accessed April 2, 2007</ref><ref>[http://www.foundationhorses.com/ Foundation Quarter Horses.] Web site accessed April 2, 2007</ref><ref>[http://www.nfqha.com/ National Foundation Quarter Horse Association.] Web site accessed April 2, 2007</ref>

Open stud books are not uncommon: many [[Warmblood]] breeds admit horses of various bloodlines if they meet a conformational or performance standard; the [[Appaloosa]] has had an open registry to the [[Thoroughbred]], [[Arabian Horse|Arabian]] and American Quarter Horse; the [[American Paint Horse]] has had an open registry to the American Quarter Horse and the [[Thoroughbred]], and the [[Criollo]] has had an open registry to the [[Chilean Horse]]. A newer breed, the [[Azteca]], is a cross between the American Quarter Horse and [[Andalusian horse|Andalusian]] breeds, and still allows infusions from these sources.

==Quarter Horses today==
[[Image:Barrel racing.jpg|right|thumb|The Quarter Horse is well-suited for the western disciplines.]]
The American Quarter Horse is best-known today as a [[horse show|show horse]], [[horse racing|race horse]], [[reining]] and [[cutting (sport)|cutting]] horse, [[rodeo]] competitor, [[ranch]] horse, and all-around family horse. Quarter horses dominate rodeo events such as [[barrel racing]], [[calf roping]] and [[team roping]]; and [[Gymkhana (Equestrian)|gymkhana]] or O-Mok-See. <ref>[http://www.omoksee.com/ National Saddle Clubs Association]</ref> Other stock horse events such as [[Cutting (sport)|cutting]] and [[reining]] are open to all breeds but also dominated by American Quarter Horse. Large purses allow top competitors to earn over a million dollars in some of these events.

The breed is not only well-suited for [[western riding]] and [[cattle]] work. Many race tracks offer Quarter Horses a wide assortment of pari-mutuel [[horse racing]] with purses in the millions. Quarter Horses have also been trained to compete in [[dressage]] and can be good [[show jumping|jumpers]]. They are also used for recreational [[trail riding]] and in [[mounted police]] units.

The American Quarter Horse has also been exported worldwide. European nations such as [[Germany]] and [[Italy]] have imported large numbers of Quarter Horses. Next to the [[American Quarter Horse Association]] (which also encompasses Quarter Horses from Canada), the second largest registry of Quarter Horses is in [[Brazil]], followed by [[Australia]]. <ref> [http://www.cqha.ca/ The Canadian Quarter Horse Association] </ref> With the internationalization of the discipline of [[reining]] and its acceptance as one of the official seven events of the [[World Equestrian Games]], there is a growing international interest in Quarter Horses. Countries like [[Japan]], [[Switzerland]] and [[Israel]] that did not have traditional stock horse industries have begun to compete with American Quarter Horses in their own nations and internationally.

==Breed Characteristics==
[[Image:Brauner.JPG|thumb|A stock-type Quarter Horse]]
The modern American Quarter Horse has a small, short, refined head with a straight profile, and a strong, well-muscled body, featuring a broad chest and powerful, rounded hindquarters. They usually stand between 14 and 16 [[hand (unit)|hands]] high, although some [[Halter (horse show)|Halter-type]] and English hunter-type horses may grow as tall as 17 hands.

There are two main body types: the stock type and the hunter or racing type. The stock horse type is shorter, more compact, stocky and well muscled, yet agile. The racing and hunter type Quarter Horses are somewhat taller and smoother muscled than the stock type, more closely resembling the [[Thoroughbred]].

===Stock type===
[[Reining]] and [[cutting (sport)|cutting]] horses are on the small side, with quick, agile movement and very powerful hindquarters. [[Western pleasure]] show horses are often slightly taller, with smooth gaits, and a somewhat more level topline - though still featuring the powerful hindquarters characteristic of the Quarter Horse.

===Halter type===
Horses shown in-hand in [[halter (horse show)|Halter]] competition are larger yet, with a very heavily muscled appearance, while retaining small heads with wide jowls and refined muzzles. There is controversy amongst owners, breeder and veterinarians regarding the health effects of the extreme muscle mass that is currently fashionable in the specialized halter horse, which typically is 15.2 to 16 hands and weighs in at over 1200 pounds when fitted for halter competition. Not only are there concerns about the weight to frame ratio on the horse's [[Horse anatomy|skeletal system]], but the massive build is also linked to [[HYPP]]. (See ''Genetic diseases'' below)

===Racing and hunter type===
[[Image:Quarter_Horse_Hunter.jpg|right|thumb|250px|A quarter horse competing in an open hunter show.]]
Quarter Horse [[Horse racing|race horses]] are bred to sprint short distances ranging from 220 to 870 yards. Thus, they have long legs and are leaner than their stock type counterparts, but are still characterized by muscular hindquarters and powerful legs. Quarter horses race primarily against other Quarter horses, and their sprinting ability has earned them the nickname, "the world's fastest athlete." The [[show hunter]] type is slimmer, even more closely resembling a [[Thoroughbred]], usually reflecting a higher percentage of appendix breeding. They are shown in hunter/jumper classes at both breed shows and in open [[United States Equestrian Federation|USEF]]-rated [[horse show]] competition.

===Colors===
{{Main|Equine coat color}}
Quarter Horses come in nearly all colors. The most common color is [[sorrel (horse)|sorrel]], a brownish red, part of the color group called [[chestnut (coat)|chestnut]] by most other breed registries. Other recognized colors include [[bay (color)|bay]], [[black (horse)|black]], "brown" (genetically a variation on bay), [[buckskin (color)|buckskin]], [[palomino]], [[gray (horse)|gray]], [[dun gene|dun]], red dun, [[grullo]] (also occasionally referred to as blue dun), red [[roan (color)|roan]], blue roan, bay roan, [[perlino]], and [[cremello]].<ref>[http://www.aqha.com/association/registration/generalglossary.html AQHA General Glossary, defines all recognized coat colors]</ref> In the past, spotted or [[Pinto horse|pinto]] colors were excluded, but now with the advent of [[DNA]] testing to verify parentage, the registry accepts all colors as long as parents are registered.

==Genetic Diseases==
There are genetic diseases of concern to Quarter Horse breeders:
*[[Hyperkalemic periodic paralysis]] (HYPP), which is caused by an [[autosomal]] [[dominant gene]] linked to the stallion [[Impressive]]. It is characterized by uncontrollable muscle twitching and substantial muscle weakness or paralysis among affected horses. Because it is a dominant gene, only one parent has to have the gene for it to be transmitted to offspring. There is a DNA test for HYPP, the [[AQHA]] requires testing and since 2006 limits registration of horses who possess the homozygous form (H/H) of the gene.<ref>[http://www.bringinglighttohypp.org/ Bringing light to HYPP]</ref> Due to HYPP, the halter classes are undergoing significant changes. [[Halter (horse show)|Halter]] classes are dominated by the [[Impressive]] bloodline. Impressive, a very prolific halter horse, brought to the stock breeds the muscle mass that is popular in halter competition today. This muscle mass is linked to HYPP, and as the condition is reduced within the breed, the style of horse in halter classes is also likely to change. Already there have been rule changes, including the creation of a "Performance Halter class" in which a horse must possess a Register of Merit in performance before it can compete.

*[[Hereditary Equine Regional Dermal Asthenia]] (HERDA), also known as hyperelastosis cutis (HC). This is caused by an [[autosome|autosomal]] [[recessive gene]], and thus, unlike HYPP, HERDA can only be transmitted if both parents carry the gene. When a horse has this disease, there is a collagen defect that results in the layers of skin not being held firmly together. Thus, when the horse is ridden under saddle or suffers trauma to the skin, the outer layer often splits or separates from the deeper layer, or it can tear off completely. It rarely heals without disfiguring scars. Sunburn can also be a concern. In dramatic cases, the skin can split along the back and even roll down the sides, with the horse literally being skinned alive. Most horses with HERDA are euthanized for humane reasons between the age of two and four years. The very hotly debated and controversial theory, put forth by researchers at [[Cornell University]] and [[Mississippi State University]] is that the sire line of the great foundation stallion [[Poco Bueno]] is implicated as the origin of the disease. As of May 9, 2007, Researchers working independently at Cornell University and at the [[University of California, Davis]] announced that a DNA test for HERDA has been developed. Over 1,500 horses were tested during the development phase of the test, which is now available to the general public through both institutions.<ref>http://www.thehorse.com/viewarticle.aspx?ID=9687 Sellnow, Les. "HERDA: DNA Tests Available for Disfiguring Skin Disease." ''The Horse'' Online News, accessed May 31, 2007</ref>
*[[Glycogen Branching Enzyme Deficiency]] (GBED) is a genetic disease where the horse is lacking an enzyme necessary for storing [[glycogen]], the horse's heart muscle and skeletal muscles cannot function, leading to rapid death. The disease occurs in foals who are [[homozygous]] for the lethal GBED allele, meaning both parents carry one copy of the gene. There is a [[DNA]] blood test for this gene.

*[[Equine polysaccharide storage myopathy]], also called EPSM or PSSM, is a metabolic muscular condition in horses that causes [[Equine Exertional Rhabdomyolysis|tying up]], and is also related to a to a [[glycogen]] storage disorder.<ref>[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10659313&dopt=AbstractPlus Valberg SJ, Mickelson JR, Gallant EM, MacLeay JM, Lentz L, de la Corte F. "Exertional rhabdomyolysis in quarter horses and thoroughbreds: one syndrome, multiple aetiologies." ''Equine Vet J Suppl.'' 1999 Jul;30:533-8.]</ref> While also seen in some [[draft horse]] breeds, PSSM has been traced to three specific but undisclosed bloodlines in Quarter Horses, with an [[autosome|autosomal]] [[recessive]] inheritance pattern.<ref>[http://www.addl.purdue.edu/newsletters/2000/summer/eer.shtml 'Equine Exertional Rhabdomyolysis" Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, Purdue University, Summer, 2000 Newsletter.]</ref> 48% of Quarter Horses with symptoms of neuromuscular disease have PSSM. To some extent it can be diet controlled with specialized low-starch diets, but genetic testing is advised before breeding, as the condition exists at a subclinical level in approximately 6% of the general Quarter Horse population.<ref>[http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=7628 Church, Stephanie L., "ACVIM 2006: Prevalence of PSSM in Quarter Horses" ''The Horse,'' Online edition, September 14 2006, Article # 7628]</ref>

*[[Lethal White Syndrome]]. Although "crop-out" Quarter Horses with Paint markings were not allowed to be registered for many years, the gene for such markings is a recessive and continued to periodically appear in Quarter Horse foals. Thus, it is believed that some Quarter Horses may also carry the gene for [[Lethal White Syndrome]]. There is a DNA test for this condition.

==References==
<References/>
* Denhardt, Robert Moorman. ''Foundation Sires of the American Quarter Horse,'' University of Oklahoma Press, 1997. ISBN 0-8061-2947-6
* Close, Pat ed. ''Legends 2: Outstanding Quarter Horse Stallions and Mares'' Colorado Springs:Western Horseman 1994 ISBN 0-911647-30-9

==See also==
*[[American Quarter Horse Association]]
*[[American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame]]
*[[Thoroughbred]]
*[[American Paint Horse]]
*[[Azteca]]
*[[Quarab]]

==External links==
{{commons|American quarter horse|American Quarter Horse}}
*[http://www.aqha.com American Quarter Horse Association]
*[http://www.quarter-horse-europe.net/ Information about Quarter Horses in Europe]

[[Category:Horse breeds]]
[[Category:Animal breeds originating in the United States]]
[[Category:Quarter Horses]]

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