5 Fast Facts About The American Quarter Horse

The American Quarter Horse is the breed that legends are made of! Perhaps you’ve ridden horses that belong to this breed since you were a child, competing in rodeos or working as a ranch hand. Maybe you have only dreamed about these horses after seeing them in old western films, or reading about them in famous novels.

Regardless of your association with the American Quarter Horse, it is a universal fact that they are one of the most popular breeds of all time, and currently boast the largest breed registry in the world.

Check out these informative facts about American Quarter Horses! Comment below after reading this article if you learned something new about this fascinating breed.

1) American Quarter Horses are famed for their natural cow sense:

It should be no surprise to anyone that this breed is known for their phenomenal intuition when it comes to working with cows. Their natural talent comes in handy not only for ranch work, but for horse-shows.

2) Thoroughbreds could have inadvertently helped this breed become the ultimate cowboy horse:

When Thoroughbreds became popular, American Quarter Horses took a step back from the limelight. The breed was ultimately pushed out West, much to the delight of cowboys who wholeheartedly embraced these hardworking horses.

3) Peter McCue should ring a bell among fans of the American Quarter Horse:

If you have owned American Quarter Horses all of your life, there’s a huge chance that you’ve owned a horse connected to the stallion, Peter McCue. As stated on the website of the American Quarter Horse Association, “Almost all Quarter Horses today carry his blood (diluted, of course, by many generations). Today, there are 5.3 million Quarter Horses. Of those, 5.1 million trace to Peter McCue.”

4) Texas boasts the largest population of American Quarter Horses in the world:

Most people could probably have guessed that Texas has the largest population of Quarter Horses in the world. Over 420,000 American Quarter Horses currently reside in Texas!

5) Breeders often break these horses down into three categories:

American Quarter Horses can be categorized as Bulldog, Thoroughbred, or Progressive. There can be combinations within these categories, resulting in horses that could be considered semi-bulldogs or runners.

For more information about American Quarter Horses, please click here.