freely in U.S. western plains today. At different times of the year and in different parts of the country, the Adopt-a-Horse-or-Burro Program allows horse lovers to take a Mustang or burro home for a year and train it to be a reliable mount. After the year, the eligible family can receive a permanent ownership title from the government. As of October 2007, more than 218,000 wild horses and burros have been placed into private care since the adoption program began in 1973.
If you’d like a “different” kind of horse that sometimes has a scrubby look but performs with the fire of the Arab-barb blood, then go shopping for a Mustang. You’ll find him in any black, brown, or white combination and with the determination and stamina to become your best equine friend.
The Quarter Horse
There’s no horse lover anywhere in the world who hasn’t heard of the American Quarter Horse. In fact, the Quarter Horse is probably the most popular breed in the United States today.
But what exactly is a Quarter Horse? Is he only a quarter of a horse in size, therefore, just a pony? No, this fantastic breed isn’t a quarter of anything!
The Quarter Horse originated in American colonial times in Virginia when European settlers bred their stout English workhorses with the Native Americans’ Mustangs. The result? A short-legged but muscular equine with a broad head and little “fox” ears, a horse that has great strength and speed.
It didn’t take long for the colonists and Native Americans to discover that their new crossbreed was the fastest piece of horseflesh in the world for a quarter of a mile. Thus, the breed was christened the American Quarter Horse and began to flourish. Besides running quick races, it also pulled wagons, canal boats, and plows. When the American West opened up, cowpokes discovered that the Quarter Horse was perfect for herding cattle and to help rope steers. Although it remained a distinct breed for over three hundred years in the U.S., the Quarter Horse was only recognized with its own studbook in 1941.
If you are looking for a reliable mount that has a comfortable trot and smooth gallop, you might want to look at some seasoned Quarter Horses. (That means they have been trained properly and are at least five or six years old.) They come in any color or combination of colors. Their temperament is generally friendly, yet determined to get the job done that you ask them to do.
The Shetland Pony
Many beginning riders incorrectly believe that the smaller the horse, the easier it is to control him. You might be thinking, “I’m tiny, so I need a tiny horse!” But many beginners have found out the hard way that a Shetland Pony is sometimes no piece of cake.
Shetland Ponies originated as far back as the Bronze Age in the Shetland Isles, northeast of mainland Scotland.Research has found that they are related to the ancient Scandinavian ponies. Shetland Ponies were first used for pulling carts, carrying peat and other items, and plowing farmland. Thousands of Shetlands also worked as “pit ponies,” pulling coal carts in British mines in the mid-nineteenth century. The Shetland found its way at the same time to the United States when they were imported to also work in mines.
The American Shetland Pony Club was founded in 1888 as a registry to keep the pedigrees for all the Shetlands that were being imported from Europe at that time.
Shetlands are usually only 10.2 hands or shorter. They have a small head, sometimes with a dished face, big Bambi eyes, and small ears. The original breed has a short, muscular neck, stocky bodies, and short, strong legs. Shetlands can give you a bouncy ride because of their short broad backs and deep girths. These ponies have long thick manes and tails, and in winter climates their coats of any color can grow long and fuzzy.
If you decide you’d like to own a Shetland, spend a great deal of time looking for one that is mild mannered. Because of past years of hard labor, the
If you’d like a “different” kind of horse that sometimes has a scrubby look but performs with the fire of the Arab-barb blood, then go shopping for a Mustang. You’ll find him in any black, brown, or white combination and with the determination and stamina to become your best equine friend.
The Quarter Horse
There’s no horse lover anywhere in the world who hasn’t heard of the American Quarter Horse. In fact, the Quarter Horse is probably the most popular breed in the United States today.
But what exactly is a Quarter Horse? Is he only a quarter of a horse in size, therefore, just a pony? No, this fantastic breed isn’t a quarter of anything!
The Quarter Horse originated in American colonial times in Virginia when European settlers bred their stout English workhorses with the Native Americans’ Mustangs. The result? A short-legged but muscular equine with a broad head and little “fox” ears, a horse that has great strength and speed.
It didn’t take long for the colonists and Native Americans to discover that their new crossbreed was the fastest piece of horseflesh in the world for a quarter of a mile. Thus, the breed was christened the American Quarter Horse and began to flourish. Besides running quick races, it also pulled wagons, canal boats, and plows. When the American West opened up, cowpokes discovered that the Quarter Horse was perfect for herding cattle and to help rope steers. Although it remained a distinct breed for over three hundred years in the U.S., the Quarter Horse was only recognized with its own studbook in 1941.
If you are looking for a reliable mount that has a comfortable trot and smooth gallop, you might want to look at some seasoned Quarter Horses. (That means they have been trained properly and are at least five or six years old.) They come in any color or combination of colors. Their temperament is generally friendly, yet determined to get the job done that you ask them to do.
The Shetland Pony
Many beginning riders incorrectly believe that the smaller the horse, the easier it is to control him. You might be thinking, “I’m tiny, so I need a tiny horse!” But many beginners have found out the hard way that a Shetland Pony is sometimes no piece of cake.
Shetland Ponies originated as far back as the Bronze Age in the Shetland Isles, northeast of mainland Scotland.Research has found that they are related to the ancient Scandinavian ponies. Shetland Ponies were first used for pulling carts, carrying peat and other items, and plowing farmland. Thousands of Shetlands also worked as “pit ponies,” pulling coal carts in British mines in the mid-nineteenth century. The Shetland found its way at the same time to the United States when they were imported to also work in mines.
The American Shetland Pony Club was founded in 1888 as a registry to keep the pedigrees for all the Shetlands that were being imported from Europe at that time.
Shetlands are usually only 10.2 hands or shorter. They have a small head, sometimes with a dished face, big Bambi eyes, and small ears. The original breed has a short, muscular neck, stocky bodies, and short, strong legs. Shetlands can give you a bouncy ride because of their short broad backs and deep girths. These ponies have long thick manes and tails, and in winter climates their coats of any color can grow long and fuzzy.
If you decide you’d like to own a Shetland, spend a great deal of time looking for one that is mild mannered. Because of past years of hard labor, the
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