If your love for horses is rather new, you’ll want to stick to beginner-friendly horses to have a positive experience.
American Quarter Horses are beautiful and also one of the most famous horse breeds.
The question is, are American Quarter Horses good for beginners? The good news is, yes. These horses are very well-known for their calm temperament. They are one of the best options for people who are new to horse riding. Their dietary and grooming requirements are moderate. Bonding with a new American Quarter Horse requires you to spend a few minutes with it daily.
So:
What is it like keeping an American Quarter Horse?
Read on to find out more about their personality, dietary requirements, and much more!
The temperament of American Quarter Horses
A beginner will want to own a horse that is:
- Calm
- Easy to handle
- Safe to ride
American Quarter Horses tick off all these requirements and hence make for good beginner horses.
They are a very calm and cooperative horse breed.
As a beginner, what more could you ask for?
Their smartness makes them the perfect riding partner for people who’re afraid to try for the first time.
These horses sense the fear of their rider and ensure that he feels comfortable.
American Quarter Horses have a will to please their owners.
Also:
These horses are very versatile so they’ll easily adjust to the new environment with you.
Characteristics of American Quarter Horses and their grooming
You may also want to get familiar with their physical traits and grooming needs if you’re planning on buying an American Quarter Horse.
American Quarters are big horses. They are 57.2 to 68 inches in height on average.
A healthy horse of this breed weighs somewhere between 950 and 1200 lbs.
They come in a variety of hues which include shades of gray, brown, and black.
For the most part, their body is one solid color but their legs and face can have white marks.
Here’s the fun part:
A Beginner’s Guide to Grooming Quarter Horses
American Quarter Horses have beautiful, shiny fur.
But to maintain this beauty, you need to groom it regularly.
It isn’t anything that a beginner horse rider can’t get used to.
Simply purchase a horse grooming brush to make your life easier. I prefer buying a brush set for horses as a regular brush would probably not be able to clean your horse’s fur properly.
In that regard, it’s useful to have an assortment of brushes close at hand.
Brush through the horse’s hair regularly.
This will remove debris, dirt, and excessive oils from the hair.
Occasional baths using a horse shampoo will be ideal; nothing that the old Cowboy Magic Detangler can’t do.
American Quarter Horses have a quick hair growth rate.
It won’t be long before their manes grow thick and long.
Excessively long manes can lead to itchiness and fungi.
To prevent that, you must regularly trim their manes.
Other than their swift hair growth, American Quarter Horses are pretty swift themselves.
This is the main reason why these horses are such a popular choice in horse racing.
But:
You don’t need to panic if you’re a beginner.
They are actually super-friendly so you will have enough time to get the hang of horse riding.
These horses will only run fast when you’d want them to!
Dietary requirements for American Quarter Horses
Here’s the deal:
New horse owners need to learn the mandatory dietary requirements to keep their horses healthy.
American Quarter Horses aren’t very particular when it comes to food which makes them a perfect choice for beginners.
This table gives an overview of their feeding needs:
| Food | Amount | Specifics |
| Roughage | Equivalent to 1-2% of the horse’s body weight | Most horses feed on roughage alone |
| Grains | Very little, depends on the horse’s appetite | Feed grains in small amounts, no more than twice a day only to those horses who have excessive physical activity |
Generally, a 1000 lbs American Quarter Horse needs fifteen to twenty pounds of hay every day.
Plan your horse’s diet accordingly and stick to the planned feeding routine for best results.
Here’s our article on the Quarter Horse diet.
How to bond with your new American Quarter Horse?
Are Quarter Horses good for beginners? Well, that entirely depends on how good those beginners are for the horse.
If you’re a beginner rider, you’ll need some training before you can bond with your horse.
If you’ve watched enough Hollywood movies (these are our favorite horse movies of all time) you’ll know that getting close to any horse that isn’t familiar with you isn’t that smart of a choice.
The only thing is:
You need to make sure you don’t become the villain in the horse’s eyes.
For that, you’ll have to care for your American Quarter Horse.
You may have to face hostility from the horse at first, but it gets better.
Consistency will lead to a strong, unbreakable bond between you and your American Quarter Horse.
This means, you’ll need to give your horse a lot of time, and that too, regularly.
Don’t just show up when you want to ride.
Instead:
Take out time for the horse’s needs too.
Take it out for a walk or graze.
Spend time training the horse.
Feed it with love and be very patient.
When training the horse, keep in mind that this isn’t the easiest task.
You should use a lot of treats to develop a friendly vibe (we recommend you check these out). I’ve found most horses to love these German Horse Muffins so you might want to try those.
Never force your American Quarter to do things when it isn’t willing to.
Get familiar with the body language of the horse to understand it better.
If you notice an aggressive or hostile approach, it is best to maintain a distance.
Get close to the horse only when you feel welcome.
This should be specially taken care of in the first few days of interaction between you and your American Quarter Horse.
Show respect to your horse’s needs to gain its trust.
More importantly:
Never get too close to the horse unless a healthy relationship of trust has been developed.
Lastly, don’t forget to groom the horse.
Run your hand through its hair, brush it, and also massage it once in a while.
These actions will make the horse more comfortable around you.
Pro tip:
If every attempt to bond with your horse is failing, make it a habit to always fill the food and water buckets in front of the horse.
When the American Quarter Horse realizes that you’re the one looking after it, its attitude becomes much more welcoming than before.
History of American Quarter Horses
Let’s look into the history of this breed.
Their origin will make it easier for you to understand the horse’s true nature.
American Quarter Horses have English and Spanish backgrounds.
They also have some Arabian blood in them.
Here’s a fun fact:
These horses were popular in American colonies back in the 1600s.
After creating a fondness on the basis of their speed, they became a trustworthy option for travelers.
Cowboys, farmers, and anyone who needed a mode of transport for a rough terrain would go for American Quarter Horses.
By the 1940s, these horses became important enough to have an official registry called American Quarter Horse Registry.
There are 11 ancestral families of this breed.
Here’s our article on the origin of the Quarter Horse if you’re interested in the topic.
Related Questions
Are Tennessee walking horses good for beginners? Yes. Tennessee walking horses are another great example of a good beginner horse.
This is due to their calm and docile temperament along with their ease of riding.
Training a Tennessee horse is also quite an easy task and can be managed by beginners as well.
What are Quarter horses good at? American Quarter Horses aren’t just fast, they are great for domestic use as well as for rodeo events.
American Quarter Horses are named so because of their ability to win quarter-mile races. When it comes to short-distance running, no other breed can compete with the mighty Quarter! With that in mind, you can say that American Quarter horses are good for beginners.
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