Restoring a bloodline

Quarter horses were originally bred to be small, powerful sprinters that excelled in quarter-mile races. Because the heavily muscled horses had low centers of gravity and an innate sense about cows, they also became popular for ranch work and rodeos. During the 1900s, though, more thoroughbred blood was bred into quarter horses, altering their characteristics. The horses became less versatile, according to breeders who are now breeding back to original quarter horse characteristics. Horses with at least 80 percent of the original bloodlines are called “foundation” quarter horses. “The look and attitude of the horse began to evolve, because the only new blood that was allowed was thoroughbred,” according to Carol Hassebroek. “So, the foundation quarter horse is about the original horse prior to the addition of all the modern thoroughbred blood.” The National Foundation Quarter Horse Association, based in Enterprise, formed in 1995 and now has some 36,000 members...BendBulletin