Can you answer the question in the title?

Some fashion magazines, writers and movies will tell you that diamonds are a girl’s best friend – but not in my case and here is why…

Hi, my name is Linda Shute from New Jersey, and here is why riding horses is one of my greatest passions in life…

As a child I think I was born with horses on my brain, they’ve always been in my life and very close to me in many ways.

Before I was old enough to drive I was very mobile because of my horses.

My uncle gave me my first pony Trotter, his color was chocolate palomino, he had no pedigree to speak of just your above average pony.

Trotter was very dear to me until I out grew him. He would perform under saddle or in harness. I started out riding western because it was the most popular where I live.

Sometimes I would ride bareback and jump over small obstacles in the yard.

Self made fences like two columns of a few baskets or boxes piled up with a broom across the top. Not much to look at, but creative enough for an eight year old kid and it served my purpose besides Trotter didn’t care what it looked like.

Mom wasn’t to happy a few times when we miscalculated and broke the broom handle then she had to go buy new broom to sweep the floor.

Trotter took me all over, sometimes I would ride him and we would go out roaming around for four or five hours we would travel ten or fifteen miles from home.

I would cut through farmers’ fields always careful to stay on the edge as not to harm their crops that were growing. My favorite ride in the summer was towards the small town of Swedesboro through the peach and apple orchards.

A diamond can’t take me to the orchards or share a piece of fruit with me.

As a small girl of eight or ten nothing was sweeter than a fresh apple or peach eaten on top of my pony. I would take a bite and give the rest to him, then pick another. I felt like the world was at my finger tips.

Trotter gave me freedom to explore the world he fed my sense of adventure.

Sometimes I didn’t feel like riding or a friend would go with me, since I didn’t want him carrying two us for that long I would hook him up to the cart and harness and drive him.

The only way a diamond can provide freedom is if you sell it for a high price and use the money to escape from something.

How can a diamond feed your sense of adventure? Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying I don’t like diamonds. They do have a big sparkle and look nice. They can also be very expensive

As I got older I out grew Trotter and sadly had to sell him for a bigger horse.

I still remember the person that bought Trotter coming to the house to pick him up. We loaded him into the back of his pick-up truck and Trotter was screaming (whinnying) and kicking he didn’t want to leave, my heart was being ripped out, yet I couldn’t keep two animals and I needed a bigger mount.

It was a hard lesson learned.

Horses also taught me responsibility because they needed to be fed and cared for everyday morning and night. Equipment and stables had to be taken care of and cleaned daily. Horses eat hay and we had farm land to raise hay. This meant harvesting. When I was in my teens sometimes I could be found driving the tractor raking the hay fields or using the baler, other times I may be on the wagon behind the baler stacking the hay for my horses. Then it would have to be transferred from the hay wagon into the barn.

Since then I have bought, sold and raised about fifteen horses. One of my favorites was Friday’s Anthem. As a girl of sixteen I won the “Rookie of the Year” award for the “Girls Rodeo Association” Eastern Chapter. One of my prizes was a free stud fee to a quarter horse stallion. I bred my mare and the colt was born on Good Friday. I named him Fridays’ Anthem. I trained him for English and Western riding and showed him at local quarter horse shows I eventually sold him for 00.

The horse shows taught me to strive to achieve more. Observe the competition and see what they are doing, what does the judge like, who is being pinned higher than we are. Train your horse different get him to perform different or better.

A diamond can’t teach you that.

I lived in the country and our nearest neighbor was about 3/4 of a mile away.

My relationship to my Horses was the same like that of a close friend.

They each have their own personalities and temperaments just like people.

They show their feelings in their eyes and ears. If they’re having a bad day when you go to the stable you may find a tail in the doorway instead of a face. When you enter the stall you may find ears laid back on the neck instead of pricked forward you learn to read their body language.

They have dreams just like we do. I remember this Standard bred race horse I was taking care of, a trotter named Noble Tryst. He was good enough to race in The Hamiltonian. He would take a nap every afternoon he would stretch out in his stall and sometimes have dreams. He looked like a big dog he would kick his feet and make noises. You don’t see this very often in horses. I never saw a diamond with a personality.

One day when I was working on the race track I was standing in front of this filly and yawned. Then the filly yawned, the one in the next stall yawned, and so it went down the length of the barn – just like people do.

When you’re riding or working a horse and ask for more they will give you their best and then some. How do you ask a diamond for more and receive it?

If you’re having a bad day you can wrap your arms around your horse’s neck and hang on to something and they can turn their head toward you and wrap you into their neck like a hug. I’d like to see a diamond do that!

They’ll listen until you’re tired of talking or crying which ever the case may be.

Horses can be expensive, the initial cash outlay for the purchase and the ongoing upkeep. Now you can go out and buy a grade horse, buy that I mean your average run of the mill un-registered horse for around 0- 00. But, if you want high quality pure bred stock with a pedigree you can be talking big bucks just like in diamonds

Warmly with a big smile,

Linda Shute

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The earliest horses to occupy the Northern Plains were Indian horses that were also known as buffalo horses. The Nokota Mustang is the last remaining strain of these Northern Prairie horses and the last known strain of war horses from General CusterТs battle at Little Big Horn and once ran wild in the Little Missouri Badlands of southwestern North Dakota. These horses were also known as Montana horses, Northern Plains Ranch horses, and Cayuses.

The Dakotah and Lakota tribes of the Northern Plains of the United States traditionally believe that the North American horse did not become extinct after the last ice age but that there have always been horses (Sunkakan) here, and that they were not brought by the Spanish conquistadors. It is a controversial theory but the Dakotah Indians believe that the Nokota Horse is a descendent of the original pre-ice age Dakotah horses. In Dakotah tribal culture, lightning or “wakinyan tonwairjpi”, is a very powerful, mythical and spiritual force and in their legends, the horse originated when lightning struck a large whirlpool in the Missouri River. It is said that when their horses run fast and hard in a thunderstorm, lines of sparks trace and fly off of the horses ears.

The less romantic origins of the Nokota Horse have been traced back to the horses that were confiscated in 1881 by the United States government from Chief Sitting Bull when the Sioux Indians surrendered at Fort Buford, North Dakota. Approximately 350 of their horses were sold to local trading posts who then sold 250 horses, including all the mares, to the French Marquis DeMores, founder of the town of Medora. Many of these were war horses that had been through the battle of Little Big Horn with scars from the rifles of General Custer’s troops. The Marquis had intended to do large scale breeding with these Sioux mares as the foundation stock.

In 1884, A.C. Huidekoper of the HT Ranch bought 60 of the Marquis’ mares and he also purchased Percheron and racing Thoroughbred stallions from Kentucky, including the famous Thoroughbred sire, Lexington. Huidekoper Ranch horses were crossed with these stallions since this was the common practice to produce larger, long-winded, fast and strong saddle horse that were preferred on the Northern Plains. They stood 15-17 hands and this mix was called the American Horse. Now they are referred to as the Ranch Type Nokota and dressage riders jokingly call them Nokota Warmbloods. They are generally larger and heavier boned than the Traditional Nokota Horse and possibly have larger Iberian strains such as Andalusian in their heritage. They share the same colors, temperament and some conformation points of the Traditional Nokota. Ranch Nokota Horses are currently being used as dressage horses, fox hunters, show jumpers, and as pack and trail horses.

When the Marquis DeMores died in 1896, some of his herd was rounded up and sold and the remaining horses were left to roam in what is now Theodore Roosevelt National Park. This area became known as wild horse country and these wild horses are the foundation for the Traditional Nokota Horse. Charles Russell and Frederic Remington, frontier artists of the early American West, both rode and painted many ranch and Indian horses that looked like today’s Nokota Horses and Remington once noted that horses of the Northern Plains such as the Cayuse had developed a distinctive phenotype.

Frank and Leo Kuntz from Linton, North Dakota are primarily responsible for saving the Nokota when these brothers bought a few horses from a 1978 U.S. Park Service roundup in Medora and immediately recognized that the horses were a unique breed. Through their efforts and determination to preserve this historic Indian horse, including blood typing and research, the Nokota was recognized as a registered breed in 1991. In 1993, the North Dakota legislature declared the Nokota Horse as the State Honorary Equine for its role in the history of the state. The Kuntz family also privately developed a line of pony crosses for driving, riding, barrel and pole racing, and these make outstanding children’s ponies. This variety ranges from 12-14 hands but the Nokota Pony Registry is inactive with less than 35 ponies registered.

In 1999, the Nokota Horse Conservancy was established as a non-profit organization to preserve the Traditional foundation-bred Nokota Mustang. Out-cross horses can be recognized in the Nokota registry but they cannot be part of the conservation effort.

In 2000, the last Traditional Nokota Mustang was removed from the National Park during a roundup, leaving what is known as the Nokota Park Cross. These Park Cross horses must be at least 50% foundation-bred and all non-Nokota influence must have come from the original Kuntz breeding stock used in the first few generations when the gene pool was small. Kuntz breeding stock horses included a Quarter Horse stallion, a champion American Paint Horse mare, and several grade mares from Standing Rock reservation. Some Park Cross horses are more than 95% foundation bred and some of the foundation Nokota lines are only represented in Park Cross descendants, but no longer found in the Traditional Nokota lines.

The traditional Nokota stands 14.2 to 15.3 hands and resembles the Andalusian. The head has a straight or slightly concave profile, large kind eyes, broad forehead, thick mane and low-set thick tails. Their ears are often slightly hooked at the tips. They are more square on the quarters than most breeds and this gives them an uncanny jumping ability. Many have feathered fetlocks. They are large boned and have feet with thick hoof walls that rarely need to be shod. The Nokota has unusual strength and endurance that makes it an ideal mountain trail horse and some individuals exhibit an ambling gait.

The most common colors of the Nokota Horses are blue roan, red roan, gray and black which are the colors originally described in the 1800′s. Blue roan is a relatively rare color in most breeds, but so many Nokota Horses carry it that it has become a hallmark of the breed. Blood bay and overo are also part of the color patterns with some having blue eyes and bald faces. Some Nokota lines produce dun and gruella offspring that have pronounced tiger stripes on their legs and withers and sometimes even a dorsal stripe along their backs. Some horses change colors over their lifetimes and roans may be born dun or black and then turn gray as they age.

The Nokota Horse is extremely hardy and could starve through the winter, but as soon as the grass returned, the horse filled out and was ready for any ride, even covering great distances in a short time. The Nokota has a natural instinct when it comes to cattle and tends to remain calm, studying the cow. The breed possesses a keen intelligence and a calm, quiet but curious, disposition. They are very well behaved and tend to mature slowly.

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Article by Diamond Cross Ranch

Diamond Cross Ranch, located in Texas, breed Foundation Quarter horses that are line bred with Gooseberry, Joe Hancock, Leo, Redman, Waggoner, Joe Reed, Baldy, Three Bars, Texas Blue Bonnet and the Old Great-Peter McCue.

As Texas horse ranch breeders, Diamond Cross Ranch (DCR) provides horses that are bred for heavy bone and muscle, conformation and durability, athletic and versatile and lovable and a true blue roan.Diamond Cross Quarter Ranch is located in the hills with plenty of rock, canyons and water. This is how they develop the Foundation Quarter horse that has plenty of bone and good hard feet; so that the horses last all day. Most horse breeding comes from their Joe Hancock stallion and their Blue Valentine blood line on the Texas ranch.Texas colts are raised in the pasture with their mothers and stay under the eyes of the complete herd. The leader of the Texas Colts, Hancock Blue Leo is a gentle sire that lives, year round, with the herd and is never separated unless he is being used in competition or daily ranch work. The Texas Colts is the heart of the breeding program.The Texas mares are the back bone at the Diamond Cross Ranch, like any other good ranch with Texas Mares. The Mares have all of the great qualities we expect and are passing them on to their babies. The foals are imprinted at birth and are handled daily. Being able to produce the blue and red roans, duns, and black quarter horses for sale is just an added benefit of breeding the great bloodlines of these athletes.Diamond Cross Ranch is designed for pasture breeding but if you prefer to select breed like a Blue Roan Horse or a Red Roan – Diamond Cross Ranch has a very small breeding pasture to keep the visiting mare separate from the regular herd. All of our mare breeding is chosen by pedigree and conformation. Line mare breeding is the main part of the successful mare breeding program and one of the main reasons Diamond Cross horses are often sold before they are even born. Two well-known Texas horse breeders have been very successful in their efforts-H.J. Wiescamp and the King Ranch. Hank Wiescamp used line breeding with his Quarter Horse and Appaloosa breeding programs. The King Ranch used line breeding to establish their family of Quarter Horses through the foundation sire Old Sorrel. Diamond Cross Ranch has recently launched a new website where horse lovers can find information on horses for sale at the sale barn and photos of select horses. For more information go to http://www.diamondcrosstx.com and contact them through the contact form.

About the Author

If you are looking to buy a roan colt, breed to a Foundation Quarter Horse True Blue Stallion or Restock your brood mare stock, then you are at the right place! Why Buy a Foundation Quater Horse? Diamond Cross Ranch, Texas Horse ranch breeders.

Article by Phil Wiskell

Ask someone what they see when they picture horses in Florida and you’re likely to hear about an imagines scene that places the rider and horse on a Gulf Coast beach with the sun setting in the background over crisp blue water. While that is, admittedly, an idyllic scene that is fairly common, horses in Florida are also likely to be scene carrying their riders along state and national park trails, at racetracks and in both dressage and jumping rings.

Jumping and hunting horses are so common in Florida that many horses for sale throughout the state are described as jumpers and hunters. Because great hunters are less easy to come by than jumpers, listings for these horses in Florida and elsewhere tend to carry a higher price tag, but that doesn’t mean that everyone who makes an investment in horses in Florida is going to buy a jumper – it’s often a matter of preference, not just availability.

Beginners and seasoned riders alike have a variety of preferences when it comes to the horses that they buy and ride. To some extent, the preference that they have is going to be influenced by the style of riding that they are going to do. Those who are looking for a great all-around horse will be more likely to look at Paint horses or an American Quarter Horse.

Not only are Paints and American Quarter Horses both capable workers that are still common on farms in Florida, but they are also great horses for families, who want to be sure that their kids are brought up around horses – who have an even temperament and responsive disposition. American Quarter Horses are great for Florida rides in areas like Amelia Island State Park in the Northeast corner of the state where riders can watch marine life from the coastal shore. Just as the sea cow, or manatee, can be seen in great numbers near Crystal River, Florida, one could also rent horses for a day trip near the same location, north of Tampa Bay and two hours west of Orlando.

Of course, those who crave speed while on horses are likely to turn to Arabian horses and Thoroughbred horses. Likewise, when looking for horses for sale that can be groomed for the race track, plenty choose Thoroughbreds from stables around Florida.

As is the case in most places, when buying horses in Florida, the best guidance to choosing a horse is going to be what purpose the buyer has in mind. Those who wish to build a stable of racing horses will be looking at different animals than those who are casual riders. Those who are looking for a horse that will more or less be a family pet will be looking for different horses than those who need horses in Florida that will assist them with working their farms.

The motivation for buying a horse will, therefore, impact the breed of horse that is chosen. Once that decision is made, the next important considerations will be in regards to the health of the horse. A healthy horse will have the build that is best associated with the breed – for example, an American Quarter Horse will have well-muscled, strong hind quarters that enable it to reach sprinting speed quickly, thanks to the concentration of power. Likewise, its hooves, back, teeth and eyes will be healthy, and the horse will have good hearing and eyesight.

While a visual check of horses will help you to identify major health issues such as leg problems – evidenced by scarring or bumps and bulges in the horse’s legs – having a veterinarian perform a more thorough examination is always a good idea. Whether you are looking for racing horses in Florida or a work horse, you want to be able to be sure that you are going to have an animal that will be in good health when you bring it to the stable.

Whether you are able to stable your horse at home or you rent a stall from someone who has a stable and pasture, know that owning horses in Florida will take some effort on your part and can be pretty expensive, depending on where in the state you reside. Still, many find that once they have had a horse, worked with it and experienced the thrill of riding, they cannot simply go back and not have horses as a part of their lives. Perhaps this is why horses remain an integral part of the American psyche, a century after the introduction of the “horseless carriage”.

About the Author

Phil Wiskell is a writer for HorseClicks.com, popular classifieds of horses for sale, used horse trailers and land for sale.

Article by Eric Smith

<b >Quarter Horse Racing

If you know anything about the American Quarter Horse, it is the first breed of horses native to the United States. This breed is evolved and is when the bloodlines of a horse was brought to the New World and became mixed.

The foundation American Quarter Horse comes from Arab, the Turk and Bard breeds. The selection of stallions and Mares were crossed with horses and were brought to Colonial America from England. They were also brought from Ireland in the 1600′s.

The collage of races developed from heavily muscled horses. These evolved to fill up the colonist’s true love for short distancing races. The most incredible power behind the “>quarter horse was to enable this amazing animal to run in short distance races and over a straight away, which was faster than any other horse with even the fastest being named the Celebrated American Running Horse.

The naming of these horses and their breeds was and has been changed so many times since the year of 1940. This is when there was a registry and was made to preserve the breed which officially became the American Quarter Horse Association.

In Enrico County of Virginia, in 1674, the first American Quarter Horse race was held. This race was one on one and was held in the villages and streets. The county lanes and level pastures were other places the races were held. There was a lot of fighting and disagreeing going on. Many people were getting into fights which generated the heavy betting of people in large numbers. This rose by the early 1690′s.

Since the American Quarter Horse was claiming disposition and quick response time, the horses were becoming known as the “cow sense,” which means to not become able to outmaneuver cattle. In the middle 1800′s many pioneer folks were moving westward. As well as the American Quarter Horse did. A lot of cattle ranches stretched and moved across the plains. This made breeding well suited for the cattle ranchers.

The “>American Quarter Horse today still remains a good sprinter known for their heavy and large muscles. They also have made a lot more cattle for horses since times past. These interesting horses will compete in all of almost every discipline that’s available for them. They will perform in rodeo events; these will include barrel racing and the calf roping. This is English discipline, including dressage and show jumping. So, many pleasurable riders will still look to the American Quarter horse.

They look to them for recreational riding, they also make a nice and respectable, pleasurable horse. There are many guidelines you can follow for the American Quarter Horses to see which one is which. Some include limited white marking on there face and below their knees. Others are by knowing the thirteen colors that are recognized from the AQHA, they include black, brown, sorrel, bay, buckskin, gray, grullo, palomino, red roan, chestnut, dun, red dun, and blue roan. There is also a gray color that most people will call white. One thing you should know is that there are no “white” American Quarter Horses.

About the Author

It my fun time to make interesting article that could give me extra strength.

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Article by Crystal A. Eikanger

The Quarter Horse is known as the All-American horse and as the world’s most versatile horse. Not only is it the most popular breed in the United States, but it is possibly the oldest horse breed in the US. Named for its amazing speed during a short one quarter mile sprint, the fastest galloping speed by any horse has been achieved by the American Quarter Horse which has been clocked at speeds near 55 mph (88 km/h) in a quarter mile or less. Their immensely powerful hindquarters can propel the horse into a gallop almost from a standing start, and Quarter Horse racing is becoming more popular. The average Quarter Horse usually lives 20 years, but 35 years is not uncommon when properly cared for.

It has been called by many names over the years: American Quarter Horse, Foundation Quarter, Standard Quarter, Racing Quarter, Running Quarter, Quarter Miler, Short Horse and the cowboy’s Cutting Horse.

While the breed originated in the United States and is now distributed worldwide, its ancestry dates back to the Arabian, Barb and Turk horses that were imported to America by early Spanish explorers, conquistadors and traders. These were combined into the Chickaswas breed by Native Americans to form one side of the bloodline, with English horses and Thoroughbreds on the other. Morgan and Standardbred horses have also been used in the breed’s development. But it is difficult to give the exact origins because the blending of bloodlines to produce a short-distance horse started in colonial regions prior to the Revolutionary War. The true beginnings are believed to have been in the Carolinas and Virginia but the principle development was in the southwestern part of the United States, in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, eastern Colorado, and Kansas when in the early 1600s, settlers began importing English horses and breeding them to the native Spanish-based Chickaswas stock to create a tough all-purpose horse.

Of course, naming horses after people was common practice back then and when the horses were sold their names were often changed. This led to confusion when attempting to verify pedigrees. Nowadays a horse’s name must be acceptable to the American Quarter Horse Association and must not exceed 20 characters. Quarter Horse names may be reused only if certain criteria are met as per AQHA rules.

And no particular attention was made to keep them as a distinct breed, either.  Fast horses were raced in any suitable open space with many races being run as “match races” after a private wager between owners or riders. Any of these fast horses that also made good cow horses were crossed to existing mares.  Many of these mares had Spanish, Arabian, Morgan, or Standardbred backgrounds. 

In 1889, Traveler, a horse of unknown pedigree, was shipped to Texas in a carload of horses but it is believed that he originated in Kentucky.  Traveler was apparently not considered valuable and at least once changed hands in a craps game.  He and his descendants were mated to some excellent mares, and many Quarter Horses today can trace back to him along the paternal side.

Currently there are two basic varieties of the breed. The Foundation Quarter, Standard Quarter or old-fashioned “Bulldog” type is the smallest, shortest, stockiest, most muscular variety, yet extremely agile and sure-footed. Used for ranch work, trail and pleasure riding, they average 14 to15 hands and weigh 900 to 1,100 lbs. The Racing Quarter, Running Quarter is taller, leaner and looks more like a well-muscled Thoroughbred due to the added Thoroughbred genes. These average between 15 to 16 hands, weigh 1,000 to 1,250 pounds and tend to be in solid colors with limited white markings.

American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA), the largest equine breed registry in the world, and founded in 1940, has registered more than 5 million American Quarter Horses with the current population estimated at 3.2 million animals.

The breed is usually recognized by a short muzzle, broad forehead with a straight profile and large jaws. It has small fox-like ears and large, wide-set eyes. The neck has a slight crest. Their backs are short with good withers and a sloping croup.  The barrel is deep with well-sprung ribs and the hooves are well-rounded, with deep open heels. The following 13 colors are accepted by the AQHA: brown, chestnut, gray, dun, red dun, bay, buckskin, black, grullo, red roan, blue roan, and palomino, with sorrel being the most common and limited white markings.

The walk, trot, canter, and gallop are the Quarter Horse’s natural gaits. Some individuals have long, leggy movements with a lot of knee action, while others take shorter steps.

As for disposition and personality, this horse is the most willing, laid-back, quiet and even-tempered of all the breeds, and has a gentle nature. They are quick and agile, level-headed and sensible, sure-footed and steady with good stamina. Their unflappable nature has made them suitable for mounted police units in cities. Intelligence, reliability, adaptability and willingness to please their owners make the Quarter Horse very easy to train in all ways. The breed seems to have an innate “cow sense” and can anticipate the moves made by cattle which makes them indispensable for herding and cutting.

There is one downside to the breed however, a genetic oddity known as Hyperkalemic Periodic Paralysis (HYPP). This is listed as a genetic defect in AQHA’s rules, along with Parrot Mouth and Cryptorchidism. HYPP is inherited as a dominant trait and is characterized by intermittent episodes of uncontrolled muscle tremors (shaking, trembling or twitching) or profound muscle weakness, and in severe cases, may lead to collapse and/or death. To date, HYPP has been traced only to descendants of a horse named IMPRESSIVE, #0767246.

They are indeed an all-purpose horse with uses ranging from racing, herding, and rodeo, to show jumping, dressage, carriage and pleasure riding.

About the Author

Crystal Eikanger writes for www.HorseClicks.com, classifieds of Quarter Horse and other breeds, horse property, saddles and horse tack.

this was so much fun, we wanted to see how high he could go, so hopefully we will keep moving up from 3’3″ jumpers. He’s such a good horse

Bringing a horse into your family unit, especially if there are kids involved, is not a small thing.  You must think about all the things you will be needing to be prepared, like feed, all of the grooming tools, tack, blankets, and a shelter are just a few of the things you will be needing.  More than that, what about the animal itself.  What must you look at to be sure that this is the right horse, for there are so many out there.

A horse who has in his past been abused can be a nice thing to for the horse, but what about the safety of your kids?  Can an abused horse be dangerous?  The answer to this question is a great big yes.  The animal would not hurt anybody intentionally, but out of a simple reflex because he thinks he is going to be hit up the side of his head, can be a threat to little people and big ones alike.  The horse ducks, and you end up with a huge head in your face or where ever.  Some of the other backgrounds you might want to be looking for are these:

an ex racehorse
an ex rodeo horse
a horse who has been used on a cattle ranch
a horse who has been used in a school
a horse who has been only owned by adults
a horse who has been handled be children
a horse who has been involved in an accident of any kind
a horse who shies from certain things because of some kind of an accident

This may look like an extensive list of things to ask or find out about, but it is absolutely mandatory if you are going to be handling him, and especially if you intend to let your kids be around him or her.

Here are some of the things to either look for or ask about–horses who have been a working horse, say with cattle are usually a very easy ride  for the average rider.  I had a cattle horse once, and the only habit he had that I would suggest watching out for is that every time we came within eye shot of a cow, he would take off and want to do his old job, herding.  If the cow is within reach you may find yourself eye to eye with a good sized piece of beef.  If the cow is behind a fence you may find yourself running up and down a fence line until you get him back under control.

The chances of coming into contact with a once race horse are not much, but a lot of Thouroughbreds have been bred for or have been race horses.  These horses have a propensity to want to run full out or race another horse on a trail ride or on the street or where ever.  Just be careful to keep this horse behind the rest, and not to run him hard and confuse him with his old training.

A horse who has been trained in English arena jumping or in that type of a school loves to jump.  This horse may want to take a flying leap over anything that looks like a jump to him.  A gate, logs, a ditch, are all things to watch for.  In a manner of speaking, you must be careful on any new horse, that you have not had experience on for there are many things that he or she may do that you may not be aware of.

I had another horse who was a very gentle giant.  He was half quarter horse and half Belgium, and was very large, but although his height was bigger than average, any five year old child was safe on his back.  He was always very careful and walked slowly with the children, but again if encouraged would lope or gallop with any adult.

One day I let a friend of mine barrow him, which is something I would encourage nobody to do.  This woman went out for about one hour, and returned him thanking me for the ride.  He was always the horse I would let friends barrow because of his good nature.  About a week later, while I was out riding him, a large pepsi delivery truck went past us, and he took off in a wild and frantic run home.  I had never seen him act like this, and later found out that when my friend had borrowed him last week, they had had an accident with a similar truck, which she did not think was anything to worry about for he seemed uninjured.  I took him to the vet, and he examined him to find that he had a deep muscle bruise on his hind quarters, and the collision with the pepsi truck was one that he never forgot.  Every time he saw one after that he had the same reaction, and I can say that in my opinion the horse was ruined.  He was no longer the gentle giant I once had, and was not trustable like he was before.

When something like this happens sometimes nobody is aware, or those who are aware don’t say anything unless asked about a horses quirks.  Be aware, and be careful to ask all the questions you can think of, and be sure that you ride the animal in all the situations possible before you buy.  Be sure to ask if he spooks, has any habits or quirks.  Be sure to get the name of the vet that has been caring for him and give him a call.  This is sort of like talking to a mechanic who has been caring for a car.

Think about the size of the horse in relation to the size and weight of your child.  A horse can weigh up to 2000 pounds, and a child somewhere around 50 to 100 pounds in comparison.  Introduce them, and always watch them for the first few rides, making sure that neither has bad habits with the other.  We do want this to be a good experience for both of them do we not?

Related Quarter Horses Running Articles

It is thought, by some, that the foundation American Quarter Horse stock has at its roots Arabian, Turk, and Barb breeds.  Others believe that the breed began with the acquisition of Chickasaw horses which were likely of Spanish extraction.  Their history seems to begin around 1690, when horses exported from England were bred with native horses in America.  The result of this cross was a small, stocky horse which was extremely fast in the quarter-mile sprint which the colonists loved to participate in during their off-time.  Even when pitted against Thoroughbreds, this little horse came in first more often than not.  Thus, the horse became known as the Quarter Horse.  

In the 1800s, when the pioneers began to move west, they wanted a horse that could endure the rigors and was always willing to work.  Their horse of choice was the Quarter Horse.  They quickly found that the breed was excellent to use when working with cattle.  Cattlemen soon preferred this animal because it seemed to know ahead of time what the cattle would do, and naturally moved to direct the herd where the cowboys wanted them to go.  Even after the automobile was invented, Quarter Horses were still used almost exclusively on many ranches.  

In 1940, the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) was formed.  From that year until the present, Quarter Horse breeders have worked diligently to perfect the bloodlines.  The Association has set forth strict guidelines with regard to registration of American Quarter Horses.  AQHs are allowed to have limited white markings on their faces, and below their knees.  If there are white patches or spots anywhere else on the horse, it is considered to not be a true Quarter Horse.  

The AQHA recognizes 13 colors as acceptable for the breed.  The most dominant color is sorrel, which is a reddish-brown.  The other colors are bay, black, brown, buckskin, dun, gray, grullo, palomino, red roan, and blue roan.  What is called a gray is what most of us perceive as white.  But, there are no “white” Quarter Horses.  

There are two main body types which are acceptable for registration as Quarter Horses.  The “stock” type, which is shorter, more compact, stockier, and well-muscled, yet agile.  The “running” type is lighter and is bred and trained for sprinting.  

Because this breed is very versatile, bloodlines are built with specific tasks in mind when producing the offspring.  For AQH’s shown “at halter”, the line is bred to have a heavier body appearance, because these horses are incredibly muscled.  For horses used as “reiners” and “cutters”, the build is usually smaller and the horses possess cat-like, quicker movement and powerful hindquarters.  Those bred for Western pleasure riding have a level “topline” and smoother gaits.  Those which will be used for racing have longer legs and a leaner body build and those bred as show hunters have a similar build to the runners, but their bloodlines will include traits which are suited to horses used for hunting purposes.  The whole Quarter Horse breed possesses speed, stamina, power, and an inherent willingness to please.  

This horse is usually 14 to 16 hands (56 to 64 inches, or 142.24 to 162.56 centimeters) at the shoulder.  The weight can vary drastically, depending on the purpose for which the horse was bred.  

The American Quarter Horse is the most popular breed in the United States.  And there are approximately 3.7 million registered American Quarter Horses worldwide, making it one of the most populous breeds in modern history.

The Quarter Horse is known as the All-American horse and as the world’s most versatile horse. Not only is it the most popular breed in the United States, but it is possibly the oldest horse breed in the US. Named for its amazing speed during a short one quarter mile sprint, the fastest galloping speed by any horse has been achieved by the American Quarter Horse which has been clocked at speeds near 55 mph (88 km/h) in a quarter mile or less. Their immensely powerful hindquarters can propel the horse into a gallop almost from a standing start, and Quarter Horse racing is becoming more popular. The average Quarter Horse usually lives 20 years, but 35 years is not uncommon when properly cared for.

It has been called by many names over the years: American Quarter Horse, Foundation Quarter, Standard Quarter, Racing Quarter, Running Quarter, Quarter Miler, Short Horse and the cowboy’s Cutting Horse.

While the breed originated in the United States and is now distributed worldwide, its ancestry dates back to the Arabian, Barb and Turk horses that were imported to America by early Spanish explorers, conquistadors and traders. These were combined into the Chickaswas breed by Native Americans to form one side of the bloodline, with English horses and Thoroughbreds on the other. Morgan and Standardbred horses have also been used in the breed’s development. But it is difficult to give the exact origins because the blending of bloodlines to produce a short-distance horse started in colonial regions prior to the Revolutionary War. The true beginnings are believed to have been in the Carolinas and Virginia but the principle development was in the southwestern part of the United States, in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, eastern Colorado, and Kansas when in the early 1600s, settlers began importing English horses and breeding them to the native Spanish-based Chickaswas stock to create a tough all-purpose horse.

Of course, naming horses after people was common practice back then and when the horses were sold their names were often changed. This led to confusion when attempting to verify pedigrees. Nowadays a horse’s name must be acceptable to the American Quarter Horse Association and must not exceed 20 characters. Quarter Horse names may be reused only if certain criteria are met as per AQHA rules.

And no particular attention was made to keep them as a distinct breed, either.  Fast horses were raced in any suitable open space with many races being run as “match races” after a private wager between owners or riders. Any of these fast horses that also made good cow horses were crossed to existing mares.  Many of these mares had Spanish, Arabian, Morgan, or Standardbred backgrounds. 

In 1889, Traveler, a horse of unknown pedigree, was shipped to Texas in a carload of horses but it is believed that he originated in Kentucky.  Traveler was apparently not considered valuable and at least once changed hands in a craps game.  He and his descendants were mated to some excellent mares, and many Quarter Horses today can trace back to him along the paternal side.

Currently there are two basic varieties of the breed. The Foundation Quarter, Standard Quarter or old-fashioned “Bulldog” type is the smallest, shortest, stockiest, most muscular variety, yet extremely agile and sure-footed. Used for ranch work, trail and pleasure riding, they average 14 to15 hands and weigh 900 to 1,100 lbs. The Racing Quarter, Running Quarter is taller, leaner and looks more like a well-muscled Thoroughbred due to the added Thoroughbred genes. These average between 15 to 16 hands, weigh 1,000 to 1,250 pounds and tend to be in solid colors with limited white markings.

American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA), the largest equine breed registry in the world, and founded in 1940, has registered more than 5 million American Quarter Horses with the current population estimated at 3.2 million animals.

The breed is usually recognized by a short muzzle, broad forehead with a straight profile and large jaws. It has small fox-like ears and large, wide-set eyes. The neck has a slight crest. Their backs are short with good withers and a sloping croup.  The barrel is deep with well-sprung ribs and the hooves are well-rounded, with deep open heels. The following 13 colors are accepted by the AQHA: brown, chestnut, gray, dun, red dun, bay, buckskin, black, grullo, red roan, blue roan, and palomino, with sorrel being the most common and limited white markings.

The walk, trot, canter, and gallop are the Quarter Horse’s natural gaits. Some individuals have long, leggy movements with a lot of knee action, while others take shorter steps.

As for disposition and personality, this horse is the most willing, laid-back, quiet and even-tempered of all the breeds, and has a gentle nature. They are quick and agile, level-headed and sensible, sure-footed and steady with good stamina. Their unflappable nature has made them suitable for mounted police units in cities. Intelligence, reliability, adaptability and willingness to please their owners make the Quarter Horse very easy to train in all ways. The breed seems to have an innate “cow sense” and can anticipate the moves made by cattle which makes them indispensable for herding and cutting.

There is one downside to the breed however, a genetic oddity known as Hyperkalemic Periodic Paralysis (HYPP). This is listed as a genetic defect in AQHA’s rules, along with Parrot Mouth and Cryptorchidism. HYPP is inherited as a dominant trait and is characterized by intermittent episodes of uncontrolled muscle tremors (shaking, trembling or twitching) or profound muscle weakness, and in severe cases, may lead to collapse and/or death. To date, HYPP has been traced only to descendants of a horse named IMPRESSIVE, #0767246.

They are indeed an all-purpose horse with uses ranging from racing, herding, and rodeo, to show jumping, dressage, carriage and pleasure riding.

My sister’s Quarter Horse Jepsey having fun running around QH April in the field. This was filmed at Stone Valley Farm in Kentucky.

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The American Quarter Horse is the first breed of horse native to the United States.  The breed evolved when the bloodlines of horses brought to the New World were mixed.  Foundation American Quarter Horse stock originated from Arab, Turk and Barb breeds.  Selected Stallions and Mares were crossed with horses brought to Colonial America from England and Ireland in the 1600′s.  This combination resulted in a compact, heavily muscled horse that evolved to fill the colonists passion for short distance racing.

The amazing power behind a quarter horse enabled this great animal to run short distances over a straightaway faster than any other horse with the fastest being named Celebrated American Running Horse.  The names for this breed has changed many times over the years until 1940 when a registry was formed to preserve the breed which officially became the American Quarter Horse Association.  

In the year 1674 in Enrico County, Virginia the first American Quarter Horse Race was held.  They were one-on-one match races down village streets, county lanes and level pastures.  Many disagreements and fights were generated from heavy betting of large purse races by 1690.

The American Quarter Horse, due to their calm disposition and quick response time, the horse became known for its “cow sense”, being able to outmaneuver cattle.  During the 1800′s as many pioneer folk moved westward, so did the American Quarter Horse.  An abundant amount of cattle ranches stretched across the plains.  Making this breed well suited for the cattle ranchers.

In today’s world, the American Quarter Horse still remains a great sprinter known for their heavy muscling, but they have exceeded way past the cattle horse.  These amazing horses compete in almost every discipline available, from rodeo events, such as barrel racing and calf roping to English disciplines such as dressage and show jumping.  The make a nice little children’s hunter as well, with the ability to jump a wide range of heights.  They are one of the most versatile breeds in the world.  

Many pleasure riders still look to the American Quarter horse for recreational riding, as they make a nice pleasure horse as well.

Breeders, since the creation of the breed over fifty years ago, have diligently been trying to perfect the bloodlines to produce a high quality versatile animal..  Strict guidelines have been set by the American Quarter Horse Association regarding registration of the American Quarter Horses.  Some of these guidelines include:
1.    Limited white markings on the face and below the knee
2.    Only thirteen accepted colors recognized by the AQHA.  These are sorrel (reddish brown), bay, black, brown, buckskin, chestnut, dun, red dun, gray, grullo, palomino, red roan and blue roan.  The official gray color is what most people call white, but there are no “white” American Quarter Horses.
3.    A quarter horse foal must be the product of a numbered American Quarter Horse dam and a numbered American Quarter Horse sire.  There is an appendiz registry for foals with one numbered American Quarter Horse parent and one Throughbred parent registered with The Jockey Club.

Some other notable characteristics of the American Quarter Horse is their speed, versatility, gentle nature, heavy muscling and keen cow sense.

If you own an American Quarter Horse, no matter what discipline you choose to ride, your horse will excel.  This breed is one of the most enjoyable horse breeds around today and one of the most popular.

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