7/27/14

Suzie's Blog Hop - Favorite Breed






 I've been meaning to do one of these bloghops  for awhile but never got around to do it! What better time to sit down and do a blog-hop after hiding from very scary tornadoes? ;) (Thanks for scaring the pee out of me, Tennessee. It's been great.)


 This weeks installment of Suzie's Slow Sunday Bloghop has her (and her owner!) asking: "What is your favorite breed of horse, and why?"

I'm going to have to agree with Cathryn! I absolutely LOVE Quarter Horses. Red is probably to blame for 50% of this, but I've always adored the breed and I've had experience with a lot of different breeds and no other breed has managed to capture my heart so much as a Quarter Horse. They are so versatile, smart, willing and wonderful creatures. Of course, there are always bad horses in every breed but Quarter Horses are known for being sweet, hard-working animals with lovely personalities, good for beginners like me or professionals who need a good, steady horse. Someone compared Quarter Horses to the Golden Retrievers of the horse world and I couldn't agree more - I couldn't ask for a breed better suited for my life!

Quarter Horse owners should be familiar with this expression.




 (Info Found here.)

Unique Characteristics:
Quarter Horses are quick over short distances, sure footed and agile. They make comfortable mounts for trail riding and are dependable for all day farm work. The compact muscular silhouette of the foundation type Quarter Horse is unmistakable. With its calm, gentle and steady demeanor they are the ideal family horse or horse for the beginner rider. Because they have a steady temperament does not mean they are slow to learn however. Many Quarter Horses have natural ‘cow sense’, that makes them easy to train for ranch work, or competition such as roping and cutting. Once trained, they need very little guidance from their rider. They tend to be ‘easy keepers’ living well off of good pasture or hay.





Champion and Celebrity American Quarter Horses:
  • Wimpy was the first stallion listed in the AQHA registry.
  • Racing Quarter Horse Easy Jet proved indefatigable as a two year old winning 22 out of 26 starts. Even after having raced extensively, he remained strong and sound. (This is Red's great grandfather!)
 
Body Type:
These hardy horses are medium boned. Their heads are finely chiselled, with a wide forehead and a flat profile. Their legs are sturdy without being coarse, and their shoulders and haunches are heavy and muscular. There are a few distinct types of Quarter Horses, such as the more leggy racing stock, or the more compact reining types. Foundation Quarter Horses are bred to remain true to the original Quarter Horse type, used for cattle work on the open range.




 I know most of my blogging friends are rather keen on their Thoroughbreds (particularly OTTB's) and the like, but for myself, I definitely prefer these big-boned sweethearts. :)

 They are definitely a jack-of-all-trades and most of them excel in any discipline with the right amount of training, they are sturdy, typically easy keepers, almost always friendly and lovers of everyone, and Quarter Horses are known for being mellow and the same horse whether you leave them for months in the pasture or ride every day! They use their brains, keep you on your toes with their antics and a lot of times, they are a lot smarter than people think!

And come on, who doesn't love a Quarter Horse butt?

 




2 comments:

  1. I like to think I get the best of both of my favorites in O, half quarter, half thoroughbred. The QH's are a wonderful breed! Plus I agree-love that QH booty. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh my goodness, I am so familiar with that first photo face! LOL. Suzie does that a lot!!

    Thank you for participating in the blog hop :)

    ReplyDelete