All About Retta

The History of the American Quarter Horse

Quarter Horses have been around in the U.S. since colonial times. Short distance races (usually a quarter mile) were popular in North Carolina and Virginia. Because the Quarter Horse existed for nearly 300 years prior to the establishment of a breed registry, much of their heritage is unclear.

It is believed that Quarter Horses are a mixture of Arabian, Barb and Turkish lines which was then crossed with the Thoroughbred. The most famous Quarter Horse sire was foaled in 1895; Peter McCue. In the West, they were found to be very well suited to ranch work.

The Quarter Horse is known for their broad chest, well-muscled hindquarters and heavy frame. Their short legs and heavy muscles may give them a low, short stride at the walk but they also allow a tremendous burst of speed from a complete standstill.

Artwork by: C. M. Russell

The Quarter Horse Today

Quarter Horses continue to outshine all other breeds when it comes to ranch work, short racing, trail riding for pleasure and rodeo. They are also becoming more popular among hunter jumpers due to their amiable dispositions. Unfortunately, selective breeding for the show ring has produced a horse with a much heavier body and increasingly smaller feet; predisposing the breed to navicular disease.

The breed registry, AQHA (American Quarter Horse Association), is based in Texas, and has well over 300,000 members.

Retta's Story

Retta had only lived with us for a few months when we found that a family with children that we knew wanted a horse. At the same time, it was determined that Max needed surgery (see his lens for that story). We ended up selling Retta to the family for a reasonable price, which allowed us to cover Max's procedure (I think we were $5 short).

Retta stayed with her new family for almost an entire year before returning to us. They had become interested in showing horses, so Retta no longer met their needs. She had a very sweet nature and was very friendly; always happy to have a bit of company.

Retta eventually lost her vision, although she managed to find her way around pretty well. She got plenty of attention from Max and Shadow, who took turns vying for her affections (she was the only girl in the pasture). She spent her days lying about in the sunshine, munching hay and eating grass. All in all, it was a pretty good deal for an old gal :o)