Texas State Horse – American Quarter Horse

The American Quarter Horse was adopted as the Texas state horse on June 19, 2009. The horse was adopted when 10-year-old Logan Head realized that there was no state horse after studying Texas History. The American quarter horse can trace its roots back to the early colonies in America. The Galloway and hobby breeds from England were mated with Spanish Barb horses. Later, thoroughbred stallions and hardy mustangs were added to the bloodline. The result was a horse that excelled at short-distance races, hence the name the quarter horse. The animal likely arrived in Texas soon after the colonization of Texas in the 1820s. The legislature said, “The America quarter horse first caught the attention of many during the cattle drives of the late 1800s; strong, smart, fast, and tough, the animal was perfectly suited to the task of carrying cowboys on the long journey from Texas to the railheads of Missouri and Kansas.”