In 1941, the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) was formed, and this breed of horse became known as the Quarter Horse. (Prior to this, any horse that could run the quarter mile in quick time was called a quarter horse.) Quarter Horses are also known as "Stock Horses" because of their ability to work stock, or cattle. Today, the Quarter Horse is a versatile breed that can compete in almost any event from racing and roping to pleasure and trail.Today's Quarter Horse has its origins in colonial America. Horse racing was a popular form of entertainment, and horses that won these races were those that could run down main street the fastest. Horses running in these races were called "quarter horses" because the straightest stretch of road (main street) was usually about a quarter of a mile long.
The colonists discovered that by crossing their horses (European Thoroughbred stock) with the Chickasaw Indian horses (Spanish stock), they could produce horses with great speed over short distances. As settlers moved west, they brought these horses with them and crossed them with mustangs to produce horses prized for their endurance in the rough terrain.
STRAWBERRY FIELDS
The horse at the top right of this page is a chestnut Quarter Horse stallion resin made by Black Horse Ranch. He qualified for the North American Nationals at his first live show.
CANDY KISSES
This model Quarter Horse is an original finish Breyer #227 sorrel Stock Horse Mare. She was the first horse that I started photo showing in 1983 when I joined Marney Walerius' "American Model Quarter Horse Association." Candy Kisses is now retired from the showring, but she won many championships in her day. Some of her offspring include: Kisses' Lord of Time, Strawberry Kisses, Waiting for Kisses, and Chocolate Candy Bar.
ZIK ZAK
I painted this model in the mid/late '80's and named him after a phrase from the T.V. series, Max Headroom. He is a repainted and rehaired Breyer #229 Stock Horse Stallion. Before I painted him, I had to sand down his mane and cut off his tail so I could add acrylic "hair" later on. Zik Zak was one of my first attempts at using oil paints. Imagine my surprise when he took a Reserve Champ in Halter at his first live model horse show!
TWIST AND SHOUT
This dapple gray Quarter Horse mare is a "Power Steering" resin that was sculpted by Carol Williams and Chris Nandel. Sandi Bendel-Gaertner painted this resin for me. Twist and Shout also qualified for the Nationals at her first live show by placing first in Cutting, Western Games, and Other Western Performance. She took Custom Quarter Horse Champ at that show, too.
POCO'S RISING STAR
One of the newest members of my herd is this bay roan Quarter Horse manufactured by the Peter Stone Company. This model is a special run of the Western Pleasure mold.
Photos and text Copyright 1998-2003 by Keri Krause. Please do not use this material without my permission. Thank you.
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