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The American Quarter Horse, also known as the Quarter Horse, has gained world-wide recognition and respect for being one of the best, if not the absolute standard-setting, short distance racing horses in the world. In the United States, this breed, which has been known to reach speeds in excess of 55 miles per hour, is the most popular and in great demand. Although the breed excels in racing and short distance speed runs, the American Quarter Horse is also a frequently used breed for rodeos, ranching and other physically demanding work. The American Quarter Horse was given its name based on the quarter mile run that the breed seemed to excel at during races when pitted against other breeds.
The body of the American Quarter Horse is compact and well-muscled; however one of the abilities it is best known for it agility in maneuvering and quick timing. For example, in events such as calf roping, western riding and cattle-related exercises, the Quarter Horse is especially agile and proves to be an intelligent and very sensory companion to its rider. Because of its many natural capabilities and skills, the Quarter horse has grown to become the animal that is bred it the largest number all over the world. Currently, there are over 3.2 million Quarter Horses registered as pure bred. The origins of the breed can be traced to Native American horses, such as the Mustang, bred with European horses brought over to the New World when the Americas were first being settled. Breeders soon noticed that the new breed of horse seemed to have a more innate sense of other animals, such as cattle, than other working breeds. Perhaps this was due to its wild roots from the feral breeds.
Because of this seemingly inborn sense, the Quarter Horse grew rapidly in popularity among ranchers and those settling the Western lands of the US. It was cattle ranchers who played the biggest role in spurning the breed on throughout the following centuries. The American Quarter Horse Association was eventually formed in the early 20th century by ranchers and cattlemen who had worked to continue the breeding lines. After the formation of the group in 1940, a standard was established by which to identify pure bred – being those who displayed the many characteristics of the breed in an exemplary manner. Because the American Quarter hose was often crossed with the Thoroughbred breed, the American Quarter Horse Association also makes an allowance for the inclusion of this breed in its registries. Although this allowance has been beneficial in some ways, there are those who believe that the most original characteristics of the first breeds of American Quarter Horse are slowing being phased out or watered down because of the frequent crossings with the Thoroughbred breed.
The American Quarter horse has a compact, muscular body, however it is not generally a small-sized horse. Some Quarter horses have grown to be as many as 17 hands high, although there is one strain of the breed, the stock horse, that is typically much shorter than the racing strain of the Quarter Horse breed.
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