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 Photo by Tami Platt Originally derived from the American Quarter Horse, the Quarter Pony was first established (Read More...)
From Driving to Barrel Racing, Meet a Versatile Mount Whose Temperament, Size and Natural Talent Make Them the Ideal ChoiceOriginally derived from the American Quarter Horse, the Quarter Pony was first established to recognize Quarter Horses that didn’t reach the American Quarter Horse Association’s (AQHA) minimum height requirement of 14.2 hands. These height standards have since been phased out, but the Quarter Pony has continued to grow in popularity—becoming one of the largest and most popular ponies today. The Quarter Pony has grown to encompass a vast population that includes bloodlines from many different breeds. Quarter Horse bloodlines still exist in a portion of the population—but are not required to register a Quarter Pony. In fact, many are a combination of different breeds or have unknown heritage, but meet the physical requirements and are therefore eligible to register.
 One Man’s Vision
The American Quarter Pony Association (AQPA) is one such organization that recognizes any small horse or pony regardless of their heritage. Their mission, as told by Secretary Linda Grim, is to “give small horses and ponies a place to start a history.” The effort to recognize any horse or pony regardless of their ancestry was the vision of a horseman named Harold Wymore. In 1964, he established an association whose main goal was to recognize the talent, usefulness and versatility of horses and ponies with unknown ancestry—and thus the AQPA was born.
Harold had a knack for purchasing, developing, training and selling horses and ponies of all types. He recognized the fact that it was becoming harder and harder to show grade horses and ponies at shows because many shows required registration papers. The formation of the AQPA fulfilled this need. Finally, horses and ponies had a place to register and get the all-important papers that they needed to show regardless of their breeding or ancestry. Harold continued to bring his vision to life through his own breeding program, which he established with a small foundation stallion named Bobby Ace. From there, Harold and other small horse and pony advocates developed the guidelines for registration. They were quickly put into place and some 44 years later, there are approximately 20,000 horses and ponies registered with the AQPA. Harold’s vision continues to come to life as the number of registered Quarter Ponies grows steadily each year. Horses and ponies from every state, and all provinces of Canada as well as several foreign countries are registered with AQPA. Eligible candidates must be between 46" and 58" inches tall. They may be purebred, crossbred or of unknown heritage. Quarter Ponies registered with the AQPA cannot show any breed color characteristics common to the Appaloosa, albino, or pinto and cannot be gaited. Candidates must be well built and display western-type conformation. Horses and ponies can be registered with other registries—in fact, many are double registered with other breed associations. The International Quarter Pony Association (IQPA) has similar requirements for registration. However, the IQPA recently started to accept various colors and color patterns. Previously, only solid colored ponies were accepted for registration. This welcome change has opened the door for many breeders to breed for highly sought after color patterns like tobiano and overo paint patterns on the Quarter Pony type and build.
Built To Last
Common breed characteristics include a short, broad head, small ears and wide-set, kind eyes. A medium length neck and sloping shoulders are common characteristics, which, when combined with a broad chest and short back, make the Quarter Pony a suitable mount for many different disciplines. The hindquarters are generally deep, broad and appear heavily muscled. This solid muscle structure gives the Quarter Pony great power to drive off the hind end. Known for their collected gaits, the Quarter Pony can stop and turn quickly, displaying great natural balance. Common colors include sorrel, bay, black, brown, palomino, roan, grulla, dun, buckskin, and gray. Known for their gentle temperaments and compact size, Quarter Ponies are a good fit for children and small to average sized adults. Longtime Quarter Horse lover Linda Grim is now a devoted Quarter Pony owner—she cites basic horse keeping items like a shorter fence and a smaller trailer as selling points for her.
Linda also notes that their smaller size makes them just plain easier to handle in many situations, including shows. And as far as their versatility, she has enjoyed success with her Quarter Ponies in everything from halter and showmanship to western and English. “Quarter Ponies are far from ‘ponies’—the typical pony temperament does not apply,” explains Val Anderson of Hidden Image Farm. “Quarter Ponies are outstanding in respect to extreme versatility…it’s not unusual for the same pony to be exhibited in many or all aspects of competition and do well in any areas. Size, conformation and athleticism contribute to their versatility but heart and a willingness to do what is asked of them sets them apart,” she continues.
AQPA Regional Director Ann Collins also cites their trainability and “non intimidating” size as key factors. In addition to trail riding and showing in everything from halter to western and English, Ann participants in Civil War reenactments with her Quarter Ponies. Even though they are often thought of as a children’s mount, Ann notes that many are in fact large enough for average sized adults. In search of a good all-around driving pony, Tami Platt purchased Smokin Doubledutch sight unseen as a 7-month-old filly in 2003. The filly had not been handled, hadn’t worn a halter and at first refused to load into the trailer. Once they got her safely loaded and arrived back at home, Tami prepared for the challenge that lay ahead. She began by teaching the young filly the basics and had her sights set on Tami’s first love: driving. To Tami’s surprise, Smokin proved to be a quick study and was easy to work with from the start. Her training took off quickly from there. Now, five years later, they have a reserve World Championship under their belt (earned at last year’s Pinto World Show) and have earned numerous high point awards—having competed successfully in driving, western, English, hunter over fences, and competitive trail riding. To say that Smokin has exceeded Tami’s expectations in every way would be an understatement. Together, they have also enjoyed recreational activities like trail riding, participating in parades, beach riding and more.
“She is level headed, has an even temperament and is quick and smart,” explains Tami. She is also an easy keeper and her smaller size makes her ideal for a variety of disciplines. Next, this dynamic duo has their sights set on the eventing division. “She would be a natural on a cross-country course,” explains Tami. Her natural ability and quickness also has Tami thinking about doing some cow work with her as well.
Recognizing Winners
Similar to other associations, the AQPA has a recognition system in place to reward outstanding performers. Instead of focusing on breed shows, AQPA rewards participation in any judged show using a point system. The AQPA point system is designed to reward riders of all ages and skill levels.
From 4-H to rodeos, points can be earned at any type of show. There is no minimum number of entries required in a class to earn points. This system is popular among the members and allows riders of all ages to be recognized for their efforts. Certificates of Excellence can only be earned once per type of class—classes include everything from pole bending and barrel racing to costume and leadline. Points are earned based on the participants placing in a class. A first place win earns a participant five points. Second place is worth four points, third place is worth
three, and so on. A “Plaque of Supreme Excellence” is awarded to a pony that earns 50 points in four different events. The AQPA also offers the Superior Pony Award for any pony earning 1,000 on any combination of classes. The more versatile a pony is, the more points he or she can earn. The Quarter Pony is a versatile all around mount that is capable of excelling in many different disciplines for show and sport. Their kind disposition and trainability make them a good fit for everything from western to costume and endurance. Next time you are in search of the perfect all-around mount, consider a Quarter Pony—you will not be disappointed. For more information please visit the American Quarter Pony Association website at www.aqpa.com or the International Quarter Pony Association website at www.iqpa.com. |
