The versatile Quarter Horse

[Keket]

The all-around breed, the Quarter Horse. Level headed, calm, willing to work, quick to learn and good at just about everything.

So what western events does everyone do with their Quarter Horses?

Coquette, my 2002 QH mare does trails, pleasure/equitation, halter/showmanship and shows potential for reining, barrels/poles and cow work. She's only been on cattle once, but it's in her bloodlines and she's totally fearless! We took her to her first clinic last year and everyone commented on how laid back she was for only being a five year old and it being her first time out.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y20/darknepthys/DSCF0360.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y20/darknepthys/DSCF0368.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y20/darknepthys/Picture018.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y20/darknepthys/Picture156.jpg

AND she does English too!

How can anyone not love this breed? :D

[smaggi]

Keket that is one great looking Quarter Horse. I love the breed too. It's amazing how level headed and athletic most Quarter Horses are. Coquette is definitely one versatile QH.

We use our Quarter Horses for trail, cow work and versatility ranch classes.

[Keket]

My RI uses Quarter Horses too. Her newest Quarter Horse is named Matt. He's a great reiner. He'll turn on a dime and give you change back. She's training him now to ride bridleless/halterless. Plus he does trails and he's quiet enough to put little kids and total beginners on him. Quarter Horses are just so chilled that way.

[Kalypso]

Quarter Horses are my all-time favorite breed! My old horse (my first horse), Kalypso, was an extremely versatile Quarter Horse that did trail, western pleasure, hunter unders saddle, and jumping! She was also extremely calm and level-headed. Best temperament ever! :D

She wasn't nearly as pretty as Coquette, though
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v624/ChristyWC2005/IM000133a.jpg

[smaggi]

My RI uses Quarter Horses too. Her newest Quarter Horse is named Matt. He's a great reiner. He'll turn on a dime and give you change back. She's training him now to ride bridleless/halterless. Plus he does trails and he's quiet enough to put little kids and total beginners on him. Quarter Horses are just so chilled that way.


Quarter horses that are bred for reining are great. They go from a run to a sliding stop, then just stand quiet as can be with a low head.

[smaggi]

Quarter Horses are my all-time favorite breed! My old horse (my first horse), Kalypso, was an extremely versatile Quarter Horse that did trail, western pleasure, hunter unders saddle, and jumping! She was also extremely calm and level-headed. Best temperament ever! :D

That's great. I would love to see a picture of your Quarter Horse Kalypso.

[Keket]

Next time I'm at the barn I'll try to get a picture of RI's Quarter Horse Matt. He's such a handsome fellow. :)

[smaggi]

I would love to see a picture of Matt the Quarter Horse too.

[Kalypso]

Kalypso, my old Quarter Horse, used to do sliding stops, too...usually when I didn't want her to ;) :) Maybe she had some reining in her, too.

[KateWooten]

joePony is half barrel-racing QH on his dad's side. Even with the barrel racing lines being more hot-headed and reactive, he's still inherited that level QH character which makes him so very trainable. He's only just starting out on his career, but is already winning in the dressage and jumping shows here locally - against 'real' dressage and jumping horses :) (of the 'cost many times more than $500 variety, I mean).

Summer is also half QH - hence the big wide solid butt which gives her so much power over the bigger jumps. Fortunately for me, she's also inherited the tremendous spin and athleticism which enables us to tackle the trickier local jumping courses (and half way makes up for her inate inelegance inherited from her TWH daddy, which effectively bans us from the hunter ring - even though she's one of the best actual foxhunters I have ever met !)

[Kalypso]

You have two really versatile Quarter Horses there, Kate! :D

[KateWooten]

I think I can only claim one 'whole' QH there, out of the two halfs LOL ! But, yep - they're certainly versatile - it's that combination of very athletic, with incredibly easy to train that really works for me.

[smaggi]

Kate, don't even get me started talking about those big athletic Quarter Horse butts! :)

[Kalypso]

ah, yes, those big, powerful rear ends are the best part of a well bred and well-put-together Quarter Horse, aren't they?

[Keket]

Oh yes, those big powerful behinds! Rear-wheel drive as my RI calls it!

[palmerlover52]

I've heard they're a very intelligent breed, are they like the other intelligent ones (eg. Icelandics)....give a centimetre, they take a marathon?

I watched a video of one cutting a little while ago, it was amazing to watch him work! I'd never be able to sit a sliding stop though :eek:

Western tack is so beautiful, I love Coquette's browband!

[Kalypso]

Kalypso wasn't. She was smart, and learned easily, but unlike Mia (my old Arab/Appy mare) she wasn't "too smart for her own good".

[KateWooten]

are they like the other intelligent ones (eg. Icelandics)....give a centimetre, they take a marathon?

No ! That's the best thing about the QH (apart from his Butt !) is his generally affable easy nature. It's quite special, I think, and speaking as a forigner who only came across the breed 4 years ago - to combine trmendous athleticism with a seriously forgiving nature !

[Kalypso]

No ! That's the best thing about the QH (apart from his Butt !) is his generally affable easy nature. It's quite special, I think, and speaking as a forigner who only came across the breed 4 years ago - to combine trmendous athleticism with a seriously forgiving nature !


Yeah, that's what I was getting at :D Almost every Quarter Horse I've ever met has been a fantastic, intelligent, powerful, and forgiving creature...(and I've met a LOT of them!)

[Keket]

I've heard they're a very intelligent breed, are they like the other intelligent ones (eg. Icelandics)....give a centimetre, they take a marathon?

I watched a video of one cutting a little while ago, it was amazing to watch him work! I'd never be able to sit a sliding stop though :eek:

Western tack is so beautiful, I love Coquette's browband!

Like Kate said, they're really not that way. They really want to please their rider. I call Coquette my big puppy dog, cause that's how she is. :D

Sliding stops are tricky at first. You really have to brace your feet against the stirrups and lean back. I've nearly gone over Coquette's head a few times when I wasn't ready for a stop from that powerful QH bum!

And thanks! That's her working bridle, a little bit of silver. It's old, but it's made of really good, well oiled leather. I love the feel of it.

And don't say that Kalypso! I think your Quarter Horse is beautiful! She's got such a cute face.

[palmerlover52]

In that case, I'll clone a few of yours pretty please :D They sound lush! Any downsides to the breed (like poor feet or whatever?)

(Yes, I ask too many questions ;))

[Keket]

Well, Coquette's sire, Nimble Knight, lived to be 30 and was never lame a day in his life. A few halter class bloodlines tend to be known for bad feet, but every Quarter Horse I've known has been totally sound.

[evilgiraffe]

Not all Quarter Horses are made to be cow horses though - I know one who is actually terrified of cattle and runs away from them at high speed! :D:rolleyes:

Her mum fell in love with her in California, and brought her over when she moved back to England. Despite the fear of cows her Quarter Horse is just brilliant - super laid back and good natured. I'd certainly consider a Quarter Horse if I was to buy my own, although I suspect they're rather expensive to get hold of over here.

[Kalypso]

Well, Coquette's sire, Nimble Knight, lived to be 30 and was never lame a day in his life. A few halter class bloodlines tend to be known for bad feet, but every Quarter Horse I've known has been totally sound.

What she said! My Quarter Horse Kalypso had fantastic feet...except that her old owners decided they knew how to do the feet trimming themselves and ended up getting her feet unbalanced. Once fixed, though...they were great.

[smaggi]

Well, Coquette's sire, Nimble Knight, lived to be 30 and was never lame a day in his life. A few halter class bloodlines tend to be known for bad feet, but every Quarter Horse I've known has been totally sound.

They do breed some halter class Quarter Horses for small feet, but all of ours are ranch or cow bred Quarter Horses with big solid feet and thick walls.

[Kalypso]

Not all Quarter Horses are made to be cow horses though - I know one who is actually terrified of cattle and runs away from them at high speed! :D:rolleyes:

Her mum fell in love with her in California, and brought her over when she moved back to England. Despite the fear of cows her Quarter Horse is just brilliant - super laid back and good natured. I'd certainly consider a Quarter Horse if I was to buy my own, although I suspect they're rather expensive to get hold of over here.

Which is funny, 'cause right now you can find Quarter Horses for $400 or $500 or even less...and decent ones, too! :eek: Of course, the big time western pleasure and gaming horses are still big money!

[evilgiraffe]

So, I could buy my very own Quarter Horse for peanuts then?! Just got to save up the shipping fee now!

[Kalypso]

Pretty much. Of course, one that inexpensive won't be highly trained or anything. But 30-60 days professional training on them, and ready to be "finished"...yeah, save for the shipping! I've found quite a few already looking for my own! Even $1000-$1200 is really cheap and you can get some really fantastic ones (that's like, what, 500-600 pounds for you guys ;) )

[evilgiraffe]

Well, indeed. Looking for a half-decent horse you can easily pay £3000 or more, so a proper ready-to-go Quarter Horse for less than half that in DOLLARS is pretty impressive!

[Gruntfuttock]

We have some super Quarter Horses and part-bred Quarter Horses at the yard, although they are bred for polo and polocrosse rather than Western. Virtually all of them are Western-trained, though, so they neck-rein, and are ridden on the lightest of contacts (rein contact means go faster...that can be a hard thing to get for a newbie, especially a newbie being carted off across the polo pitch squeaking in terror, with everyone else shouting "drop your reins !" !!).

Joking aside, I rather like Quarter Horses in general. I think they have very pretty heads. Is there any Arab in the breed?

[Keket]

Well, indeed. Looking for a half-decent horse you can easily pay £3000 or more, so a proper ready-to-go Quarter Horse for less than half that in DOLLARS is pretty impressive!

Well just look at the Criollos! I've seen them sell for £5000! For less then that you could get a nicely trained Quarter Horse and ship it overseas. ;)

Nope, no Arab to my knowledge. The breed goes back to the Spanish horses but that was hundreds of years ago.

[Laura83]

If you buy a well bred QH in the UK you're looking at £5000 upwards for a youngster and £8000 upwards for a horse that's been backed and being ridden - that's what I was quoted at a top QH stud the other day, but these are from champion stallions I suppose.

Just a thing to think about for anyone looking to import a QH - watch out for HYPP, personally I would stay away from anything from Impressive lines. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HYPP

[campbh]

I must be one of the lucky ones, to have a talented and trainable QH born and bred in the UK and not sold to me at the prices mentioned earlier!! But yes, you're right - those do appear to be the going rates for part-trained QHs with good prospects over here...

To answer Keket's question - we've just started competing this year in AQHA and All Breed show novice amateur classes in Trail, Pleasure and Horsemanship; my gelding is just getting a lead change together so Western Riding and/or reining may be options for next year, he's a solid all-around prospect. Outside of the show pen we hack out lots, he's very cowy and, when left to his own devices, will try to climb into a field with cows and when bored in the paddocks, has been seen to cut horses/geese/chickens to keep himself amused! We've also taken part in several long distance pleasure rides. He's definitely my good hair day horse, love him to bits :D

[Keket]

If you buy a well bred QH in the UK you're looking at £5000 upwards for a youngster and £8000 upwards for a horse that's been backed and being ridden - that's what I was quoted at a top QH stud the other day, but these are from champion stallions I suppose.


Hence why I said you could buy a horse overseas and import it for less. And there's tons of good QH that don't have HYPP or Impressive bloodlines. Most ads will say "HYPP N/N" which means they don't carry it. It's really not hard to avoid.

[Kalypso]

Actually, there are plenty of Quarter Horses with Impressive breeding that are NOT positive for HYPP. All you have to do is make sure they are N/N.

You can get high-bred Quarter Horses for well over $10,000 here...I wouldn't personally touch one of those because I don't intend to do any high level showing ever! haha :)

(ETA cross-posted with keket)

[pedilia]

My old boy was half quarter horse, he spent most of his life as a polo pony ( at 16hh:rolleyes:) then I bought him, I did trailblazers with him and he really excelled at SJ.

I know someone that has just bought her QH over here from the states, a palomino mare and she is stunning:)

[Cochise]

Well bred, well trained quarterhorses are very expensive in New Zealand, too. I like the QH breed, and I've had a few rides on some lovely, responsive QHs. It's not only the QH that is versatile though, I've met some rather clever Appaloosas too! ;)

[Kalypso]

Well bred, well trained quarterhorses are very expensive in New Zealand, too. I like the QH breed, and I've had a few rides on some lovely, responsive QHs. It's not only the QH that is versatile though, I've met some rather clever Appaloosas too! ;)

Especially one named Cheeky :D

[LMS]

Well bred & trained QH can be very expensive here too.

Am I imagining things here Keket or isn't it here in Canada that Impressive line is not allowed to be bred to? Thought I read it in a provincial newspaper a few years back.

For years though, here in North America, the QH was the king of the most versatile breed.

I'll dig up photos of my boy. His name was Midnight Special, we bought him as a retired barrel racer; he was only 10yrs old.

When I got my grubby little hands on him, I retrained him as a pleasure/trail horse and then later on as a dressage horse.

Here's one the first summer we started training him for dressage. This was at the end of the session & we were cooling down. Sorry the photo is so dark.

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f256/LMS68/Ridingsummer21986maybe.jpg

[rianne21]

:eek: very beautiful horses :D i want 1!! i shall add to my list of wants! :o:rolleyes:

[Keket]

Am I imagining things here Keket or isn't it here in Canada that Impressive line is not allowed to be bred to? Thought I read it in a provincial newspaper a few years back.

That would be news to me. How would that be regulated?? Seems like it would be impossible to control.

[LMS]

Dunno... that's why I'm wondering if it was suggested or if it ever went ahead. I remember reading about genetic disorders and they pointed at the HYPP gene, and how some horses their skin litterally ripped. Gah *smacks head* wish I'd remember where I read that & what the conditions/regulations were.:confused:

Oh well... disregard... having an alzheimers moment with influx of info mushed up in brain:D

Now to get them other photos of MS... I know I have one somewhere of him in a conformation class all dolled up with a beautiful hunter braid, shown in his english bridle... and one of him in his first trail class...

[Styric]

Skin ripping isn't HYPP, it's HERDA which comes from Poco Bueno lines mostly.

[Laura83]

Hence why I said you could buy a horse overseas and import it for less. And there's tons of good QH that don't have HYPP or Impressive bloodlines. Most ads will say "HYPP N/N" which means they don't carry it. It's really not hard to avoid.

I have thought about importing, but considering the money you end up paying on the actual import (not the horse) for something that isn't as well bred, plus being able to see your horse before you bring it home is a definate bonus.

I didn't say there weren't plenty of good QHs that don't have HYPP or Impressive bloodlines, just that anyone wishing to import needs to be aware that it exists, needs to know what it is and how to avoid it.

When there are many many good alternatives available I personally would not by any horse from Impressive lines whether that be N/N or not. That is just my personal ethical stance on any line of domestic animal that has such a severe genetic disorder.

[PurpleUnicorn]

Beautiful Quarter Horse pics Keket! And I love your purple tack, Kalypso!;)

[LMS]

Skin ripping isn't HYPP, it's HERDA which comes from Poco Bueno lines mostly.

THANK YOU! I knew skin ripping wasn't HYPP but I didn't who's lines it was connected too. So it was probably PB's lines they are forbidding to breed to.

[ilovemyboys]

i have two quarter horses of my own and i work at a quarter horse ranch i work with mostly reiners but my babies are barrel racers anybody else out there who is a reiner:)

[LMS]

Here we go... this is back (1985) at our first 4-H comp.
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f256/LMS68/5.jpg

Here he is when I retired him at 20yrs old.
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f256/LMS68/13.jpg

[curlycal]

I have lessons on and will soon be part leasing a black quarter horse named Shadow.
He worked as a cattle horse for the first 10 years of his life, he wore a badly fitting saddle, he has a lot of white hair on his back, flanks and girth area as a result.
He also freaks out if you go near him with a rug or a saddle cloth, so has obviously had some bad experiences in the past.

My RI retrained him as an English lesson horse, and taught him that a saddle cloth would not eat him if placed on his back with the saddle.

He is a very intelligent and calm horse.

He is barefoot and haslovely strong healthy feet.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v51/calski/2008_01002_7x5groomed.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v51/calski/2008_01003_7x5headshot.jpg

[Shadowlark]

Naw, we still breed to Poco Bueno lines as well, Fly is out of him. (which is the line HERDA follows)

But I think what you are refering to is there was mass publicity to stop using Impressive lines until they could nail down the test for HYPP. Most people ignored it of course. ANd now there is a new registry down in the states that allows for HYPP positive horses to be shown and registered... which of course will lead to breeding more of them. Idiots. but anyway.

Lovie is of coures a Quarter horse, and Tripp is half. I always kind of think of them as the Lab's of the horse world. Athletic versatile solid citizens who aren't generally easily phazed. Course the variety in them is remarkable. anything from Pony sizes to 17 hand monsters - massive builds with dinner plates for feet to tiny and petite - and everything in between. No matter the job you can probably find the QH to suit it.

Their heritage includes many Tbred's, some arabs and some percheron's as well as a few other assorted horses of no particular breeding. They are a relatively new breed, and so have really been formed to meet the needs of americans :)

[Tuff_up]

well..she jumps, trail rides, does halter and showmanship, reining and western pleasure all well, plus she makes nice babies (but thats just a bonus). Its amazing she is dead calm(most of the time), and you give her a kiss and she pops into a slow lope, give her another kiss and she is a reiner, put more weight in your saddle and she slows right back into a western pleasure lope.

here she is...

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t230/Tuff_up/carolface2.jpg

and here is her daughter (which stands 16.2 hh) who sold for $6000.00 as a weanling, and won Reserve Champion Hunt seat 3yr olds at the Canadian Nationals.

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t230/Tuff_up/amelia-250.jpg

[K.T]

Great photos of your QHs - they are all beautiful and sound so talented.

It would be scarey importing something over here without viewing it first though. Thats why I bought a Criollo, as Criollo Farm import them then you get to pick one out in the safty of the UK - try before you buy - well worth the money.

[campbh]

I agree with you, K.T., I think it takes someone with a lot of gumption and a very clear steer on what they're after to import a horse unseen. I had some exasperating experiences in the UK trying to source a QH through private ads, and looked seriously at importing - but quickly realised that there was little point importing a western-trained horse when I myself wasn't a western-trained rider. It's not as simple as reading a few articles to convert your English way of riding to match the expectations of a highly trained western horse, whatever the discipline.

Happily, I found that there are a number of Western trainers in the UK, along with a growing band of breeders and websites such as www.aqha.uk.com to put those interested in the QH in touch with people locally who can help find what you're after. Agreed, QHs are not cheap over here and it's easy to get beguiled at the thought of importing a value horse from US or Europe, as I very nearly did - but I'd have made a grave mistake if I had done so as I would, over a period of a few years, probably have wrecked that horse as I wouldn't probably have invested in the rider training needed to make us a really solid partnership.

But back to the OP, I am wowed - now that I actually own a QH - not only by his versatility - competitive in trail, horsemanship, pleasure; willing to jump; brave as a lead horse on the trails; about to do his first TREC, completed some pleasure rides - but ultimately relieved that I found a horse with a Good Mind, because that, and that alone, is what makes everything so great. And you can't google horse adverts for that on the internet, or rely on any one breed to provide it!!