American Quarter Horses 4 Blue Wildebeest 6 Brown Hares 8 Cheetahs 10 Dragonflies 12 Leatherback Sea Turtles 14 Mites 16 Peregrine Falcons 18 Pronghorn Antelope 20 Sailfish 22 Shortfin Mako Sharks 24 Wind Scorpions 26 Fact Sheet 28 Glossary 30 For More Information 31 Index 32 About the Author 32 TABLE OF CONTENTS
People race horses for a reason These large creatures are amazingly fast Some are faster than others however The American quarter horse is the fastest breed for short distances It can run 0 25 miles 0 4 km in less than 21 seconds In addition to track races people also use quarter horses in rodeos A fast horse makes easy work of racing around the barrels It also helps a rider catch a calf before tying its legs with rope Quarter horses are also a popular choice for leisurely riding Some quarter horses even appear in movies about the Old West There are 17 recognized coat colors of the American quarter horse AMERICAN QUARTER HORSES RACE DOWN THE TRACK 1 4
The first quarter horses date back to the 1660s Great Britain shipped tame horses to the British colonies in North America Colonists then bred these horses with Spanish horses The result was the animal we know today In 1940 fans of these horses formed a registry This list included many details about the new breed Owners use it to make sure they breed horses with the best possible traits A DIFFERENT KIND OF RACE Quarter horses used on ranches must be fast in many ways Life on a ranch does not involve track racing But these horses must be able to run turn and stop quickly All of these skills are important for separating a single cow from a herd 2 5 million Number of quarter horses registered by the late 1900s The quarter horse is one of the oldest horse breeds in the United States Quarter horses are known for their calm nature A quarter horse weighs 950 to 1,200 pounds 431 to 544 kg A woman competes with her American quarter horse in a pole bending competition 5
