American Quarter Horses

The American Quarter Horse: we've all seen them before, whether it was at a fair herding cows or in the country on a ranch. The Quarter Horse is our heritage and what we all know. They've been around as long as we can remember and have put out many great sires and mares in our time. Some of my favorites include No Guns Please, Metallic Cat, Peptoboonsmal and Lopin N My Blu Genes. All great sires famous for great things. Quarter Horses are stereotypically known for reining, cutting and other various ranch jobs. Cutting and reining are the two that have always drawn me in, and cutting and reining are the two that also intimidate me the most. But the other thing Quarter Horses are known for is racing. Quarter Horses are just as well known for racing as they are for herding cows. The Quarter Horse is a very versatile horse. It has been used for western events, dressage and jumping. All Quarter Horses have Thoroughbred blood in them, some more than others. Many people like the short, stout and well rounded Quarter Horses with big hips. Quarter Horses can be very willing to please and very loyal. I leased and cared for a Quarter Horse. He was a beautiful buckskin and looked a lot like Spirit. I used him for western riding, although he preferred jumping. I've loved horses ever since I can remember and ever since my Uncle put me on one his Quarter Horse mares I've known that horses are where I belong. While the Quarter Horse has never My favorite breed of horse, they are very good horses. At the stable I worked at there were three QHs. One in particular stands 16.3 hands and is a beautiful sorrel. His name is Sandman. He has issues with getting abscesses, thrush and had bad arthritis. When Sandman and I first met it was not always good times. He discouraged me from ever wanting to get back on a horse of size and face that fear. When I started working as a feeder at the stable nobody explained anything to me. I was told to use my horse experiences to "figure it out", a very frustrating thing to hear. Sandman is a Quarter Horse who took on more of his Thoroughbred ancestry. Tall, leggy and hard to keep weight on. So I was to give him sweet feed. I didn't know how aggressive he could be when it came to feeding time. I put him in a stall and came back with his grain. I entered the stall(which seemed small as he was so big) and proceeded to deposit his grain. I hadn't even lifted the bucket and he'd pinned his ears and savagely went after my arm. He bit hard and I reacted just as violently. He slammed his chest into me and pinned me against the stall wall. I couldn't move. The bucked was still in my hand as he thrust his head into it and began eating. Every time he moved his head the bucket would twist my arm further back. The pain was unbearable as I took my free arm and elbowed him hard in his neck. He jerked back and I quickly dumped the grain into his feed bin and left. This behavior continued. I told people about it and they blew me off. I found a riding crop which I carried with me whenever I interacted with him. After a month or so I was able to work with him and could freely enter his stall with or without food and be fine. My next issue with him was his territorial behavior in his paddocks. He would violently go after the horses he shared a paddock with. While I now know this was just normal herd behavior, A dominant horse asserting himself, it looked frightening to me. I decided I wanted to.get to know this giant so every Saturday I would stay after feeding and cleaning to grooming him. He wasn't sure about me and began to use his size and my apprehension against me. He'd slammed his jaw My head when I wouldn't indulge his desires, step on my feet and kick at me. My dislike for large horses grew and I began to start doubting myself all over again. Still, we worked through that behavior too and over time he went from my most dreaded horse to most favorite. Sandman is a sweetheart deep down, but if he thinks he can intimidate you he will. You need to assert yourself with him for him to respect you. The worse time I had with him was last summer. A horse got into a pasture he was not supposed to be in. This horse hates halters of any type and would not let.you near him without a violent reaction. I avoided him like a plague. That day I was.there.extra early and therefore alone. I tried everything I could think of to get him out, but he would not go. Finally, feeling desperate I took a bucket of grain out to him. Unfortunately I forgot how much Sandman loved grain. Needless to say the grain did not get the horse out. Instead I found myself ducking for cover as Sandman reared over me and came down hard. I just barely made it out of there. Sandman continued to circle the pine tree I was in. He'd try to come to me but the sharp needles poked his eyes and nose. Finally someone else arrived at the stable. I took off running to the arena....behind me I could Sandman coming. Somehow I got in the arena and away from him. That was probably the most terrifying thing Sandman ever did to me. I spent a month taking grain out to him, and a riding crop, and working on establishing manners with him. He learned eventually and became you favorite horse there. Every time he saw me he'd come nuzzle me and give me a hug. Sandman is a Quarter Horse. That particular breed has never been my favorite, because of that I didn't give him the benefit of the doubt. Sandman was very loyal to me, like most Quarter Horses are. He had a kind eye and gentle spirit. He aimed to please and tried hard to understand what we asked of him. Quarter Horses are like that though. That's why people like them so much. When you establish that trust and respect relationship with then they'll always have your back.

This was taken from Wikipedia as I am using my phone to right this and would love not to get cramps in my fingers haha.
The modern 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 hands (56 and 64 inches, 142 and 163 cm) high, although some Halter-type and English hunter-type horses may grow as tall as 17 hands (68 inches, 173 cm).

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.[citation needed]

Quarter Horses come in nearly all colors. The most common color is sorrel, a brownish red, part of the color group called chestnut by most other breed registries. Other recognized colors include bay, black, brown, buckskin, palomino, gray, dun, red dun, grullo (also occasionally referred to as blue dun), red roan, blue roan, bay roan, perlino, cremello, and white.[26] In the past, spotted color patterns were excluded, but now with the advent of DNA testing to verify parentage, the registry accepts all colors as long as both parents are registered.[27]

Stock type
See also: Stock horse
A stock horse is a horse of a type that is well suited for working with livestock, particularly cattle. Reining and cutting horses are smaller in stature, with quick, agile movements and very powerful hindquarters. Western pleasure show horses are often slightly taller, with slower movements, smoother gaits, and a somewhat more level topline – though still featuring the powerful hindquarters characteristic of the Quarter Horse.[citation needed]

Halter type
Horses shown in-hand in 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 (62 to 64 inches, 157 to 163 cm) and weighs in at over 1,200 pounds (540 kg) when fitted for halter competition. Not only are there concerns about the weight to frame ratio on the horse's skeletal system, but the massive build is also linked to HYPP.

Racing and hunter type

A Quarter Horse warming up for hunt seat competition.
Quarter Horse 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 USEF-rated horse show competition.

I y'all enjoyed my little article on the American Quarter Horse.
Horses change lives. They do. I worked at that stable for a year. During the summer I pulled 12 hour shifts five days a week. I fed and cleaned there twice a day on two of the days I worked there, and would feed for other people on the rest of the days I worked there. On top of cleaning over a 100pounds of manure multiple days a week, I also arrived early and stayed late to help with classes. I put a lot of literal blood, sweat and tears into that place, all of which went unnoticed by everyone but a select few. The stable is a therapeutic riding center, where we provide therapy to physically,mentally and emotionally disabled children and adults. There was something satisfying about seeing that shy little kid come out of his or her shell when around those horses. It was as though I was watching myself. I remember when I was that shy, quiet and distant kid until horses came into my life. There are days I wonder where would I be now if my Uncle had never introduced me to the love affair he has with horses. All I can say is I'd be a lot less confident, talkative and successful as I am today.