It is the oldest of the North American breeds. The first horses that landed in the New World with the Spanish conquistadors were predominantly working subjects derived from crosses of Berbers, Arabians and Ponies from Northern Spain. During the conquest campaigns, many horses returned to the wild state by reorganizing into herds and were partly captured by Indian tribes, who even began to modify their lifestyles to suit them, becoming skilled horsemen and breeders, and were the first to begin the work of breed selection.
Over the years, the Quarter Horse, strong and skittish, proved to be the ideal horse for cowboys. Nimble, quick, sturdy, endowed with “cow sense”-that is, the sense and aptitude for working with livestock-quiet and trustworthy, he became the ideal collaborator in herd work.
With its scorching sprint, free and supple gallop and great agility in turning and stopping, it is now the ideal horse for the queen of American disciplines, Reining, as well as for stock competitions such as Cow Horse and Cutting.
