American Quarter Horse

Known today as "The World's Most Versatile Horse," The American Quarter Horse was originally bred to be a sprint racer. The first Quarter Horses, which appeared in the early 17th Century, were a mixture of English, Arab Barb, and Turkish blood. They were compact, heavily muscled, and capable of fantastic bursts of speed across short distances. As America grew and expanded, the Quarter Horse's innate "cow sense" also earned it a role as a working horse, and today it is extremely popular on ranches and in rodeo events.