Quarter Horse - An Ideal Cow Pony

Quarter Horse

The American Quarter Horse, sometimes described in more elaborate terms as the famous and celebrated Colonial Quarter Pather, was first bred during the early 1600s in Virginia. The first colonists crossed the imported English Thoroughbred with assorted native horses that descended from Spain and were brought to what is now the Southeastern United States by the Conquistadors. This new breed was small, tough and quick. They were recognized as a versatile work horse during the week and an explosive racehorse on the weekend.

The sports-crazy English settlers raced their horses over quarter-mile stretches run through the brush, plantations and villages. Local entrants often triumphed, with some sprinters being clocked at up to 55mph. For this reason the animal became known as the Quarter Horse. In the 19th century, pioneers heading west began crossbreeding the Colonial Quarter Horse with the wild mustangs of the Great Plains. The resulting new breed had an innate "cow sense", a natural instinct for working with cattle. Its speed, balance and agility made it the ideal cow pony.

The American Quarter Horse is still popular today as a race horse, show horse, reining and cutting horse, rodeo competitor, ranch horse and all-around family horse. When I return to my parents home, I often find myself back in the saddle again. I can assure you that Diamond, one of the quarter horses pictured above, is an excellent trail riding mount. There is nothing prettier than coming down out of the hills and gazing to the west at the dark silhouette of historic Chimney Rock set against a fiery-orange, Nebraska sunset.

Comments

  1. John WiswellApril 19, 2013 at 7:57 AM

    I wonder how the cow sense began. Had mustangs just interacted with cows that often that it was in their genome?

    John at The Bathroom Monologues

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dan MillerApril 20, 2013 at 5:32 PM

      It was in their genome because they are descended from Spanish cow horses. The Spanish imported horses and longhorn cattle into Mexico. The vaquero cowboys from Mexico were expert horsemen and cattlemen. Some of their horses escaped and formed herds that roamed across the great plains. When these mustangs were bred with the colonial quarter horse the result was a very compact, quick, agile horse with a natural instinct for herding longhorns.

      Delete
  2. Courtney - Maui JungalowApril 19, 2013 at 3:33 PM

    Works hard and plays hard, now I know where the name Quarter Horse came from.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dan MillerApril 20, 2013 at 5:33 PM

      They are a great all-around horse. Perfect for working cattle but also very enjoyable to trail ride.

      Delete
  3. UnknownApril 19, 2013 at 10:53 PM

    I didn't realise Quarter Horse was because they raced over the quarter mile. Beautiful horses. What is the name of the other one?

    Rinelle Grey

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dan MillerApril 20, 2013 at 5:45 PM

      They were not great distance runners but they were very fast for the quarter mile. The name of the white quarter horse in the picture is Sport.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Lair O' the Bear and Dunafon Castle

Image
The restored Dunafon Castle Lair O' the Bear Park is nestled in a steep canyon about six miles east of Evergreen, Colorado. John and Matilda Johnson emigrated from Sweden with their two young boys and purchased the narrow meadow in 1902. They named it Mountain Nook Ranch, built a four-bedroom house and raised Red Durham cattle. Their two sons, Finis and Francis, attended school in nearby Starbuck, now known as Idledale. It was originally named for John Starbuck who won the town property in a poker game. John Johnson was a master gardener and his popular, fresh produce was sold in Evergreen and Denver. They planted over 200 cherry and apple trees in the area. If you look closely many can still be found throughout the park today. The unruly Bear Creek sculpted the beautiful scenery and provided the needed irrigation for productive crops but it also wreaked plenty of havoc. There was a constant fear of extreme flooding. The Lariat Trail (Highway 74 today) crossed Bear Creek s...
Read more

Ibis - A Symbol for Danger and Optimism

Image
White Ibis The white ibis is a wading bird that is very common throughout Florida. Their traditional habitat has always been the Everglades but they've recently adapted to a more urban environment. During our visit there this past summer, we frequently saw ibises on freshly mowed lawns rooting for large bugs as well as stalking aquatic prey along the shoreline of ponds, lakes and marshes. These splendid, white birds have evolved a long, downward-curved bill. This distinctive feature has helped them develop into efficient hunters. Their legs are long enough to wade in shallow water but they are also perfectly at home on dry land where they can use their pink beak to probe for insects. The white ibis is a symbol for danger and optimism because Native American folklore held that the bird was the last to seek shelter before a hurricane and the first to emerge afterwards.
Read more

An Approaching Storm - Colored Pencil Drawing

Image
"An Approaching Storm" Colored Pencil In the midst of an already grievous winter, an approaching storm gradually extinguishes the landscape’s last sliver of light. The inclement weather rushes in aggressively as it envelopes the magnificent range of rugged peaks. Extending across the page, a strip of turquoise sky is still visible above the embattled scenery. It won’t be long, though, before a cloak of cool-gray smothers the valley in a shroud of deep snow. The high mountains assume a defiant posture as their sharp edges tear through the soft atmosphere, creating patches of bare rock. The kaleidoscope of broken terrain sparkles in blue-violet before the impending storm’s onset. The forested foothills are distinguished by three different, overlapping tiers of conifers. As the woodland ramparts recede into the distance, the wintery colors gradually become several shades bluer. The wide, white meadow sweeps across the foreground, its smooth surface decorated with elongated shado...
Read more