Quarter Horses are an American breed. They are strong, well-muscled, and fast. People use quarter horses for many different activites. In this website I am going to tell you more about the American Quarter Horse.
The American Quarter Horse Association or often know as AQHA is where quarter horses with the right bloodlines and physical features can be registered. Sometimes a horse may be double registered. Double registered is where a horse is qualified to be registered in two different associations. Like if a horse was registered in the AQHA (American Quarter Horse Association) and the APHA (American Paint Horse Association) it would be double registered. But there are many specifications for a horse to meet the standards to be double registered but it is possible and it does happen.
There are two types of registered quarter horses. There is Foundation and Appendix. You also have your stock, halter, and hunter/racing quarter horses which are derived from the foundation and appendix horses.
Foundation quarter horses are pure quarter horses. They have originated from the original horses of the AQHA registry. They are not crossed with another breed. They are shorter and thicker built than appendix quarter horses. This is where your stock quarter horses come from.
Appendix quarter horses are quarter horse and thoroughbred crosses. This cross is what makes them an appendix quarter horse. They are taller and slightly thinner built than foundation quarter horses. This is where your hunter/racing quarter horses come from.
Along with your stock and hunter/racing quarter horses which are derived from the foundation and appendix horses you also have halter quarter horses. These are derived from both the foundation and appendix horses instead of just one. They are used in halter class shows and western plessure shows. These are basically your stand there and look pretty kind of horses. Most of the time they are not used for work, only for showing.
Quarter horse are used for so many different jobs. They can do so many different things. People use them in both Western and English disiplines. They are even used in horses raceing, showing, and driving. They are also used as great family horses.
In the Western dicipline, quarter horses are used for many different things. They are most commonly used as ranch horses. They are also used in rodeos a lot for things like barrel racing, all forms of roping, pole bending, bull dogging, also known as steer wrestling, key hole, goat tying, and more. They are also used in reining, and cutting.
Quarter horses are also use for many different things in the English dicipline. Things like show jumping, dressage, and hunting are the most common.
Some other things that quarter horses are used for is driving, horse racing, family horses for trail-riding, and showing in western plessure and halter classes.
