The Quarter horse is amongst the finest breeds worldwide. Most people believe that their strength comes from their weight due to their muscular and large bodies. However, look to attain the excellent mass of your Quarter Horse and maintain it. American Horses have various weight levels, depending on horse type.
You might be wondering if the weight range of your American Quarter Horse is healthy. As such, you seek to know how much does an American Quarter Horse weighs. The American Quarter Horse’s average weight ranges from 431 to 544 kilograms (950 to 1,200 pounds). Smaller varieties of 14 hands tall weigh about 900 to 950 pounds.
An average riding or saddle horse weighs 1,000 to 1,200 pounds. Breeds with a similar average include Arabians, Thoroughbreds, Gaited horses, and Warmbloods. Having outliers at your barn is not a good starting point. The weight of a draft horse goes to 2000 pounds, and ponies weigh 1000 pounds or below.
A Quarter Horse’s average weight is culturally accepted. So why do they have higher average heights than other breeds? Only anatomy can answer this question. In general, American Quarter Horses are dense and thick horses. They are not that tall – traditionally, they can’t go beyond 15.3 hands. It leaves their width, which boosts their weight.
Quarter horses are famous for their extreme width. They have broad shoulders and barrels and are known for wide haunch. The more mass that nears the ground, the heavier the Quarter Horse gets. Another significant factor about the average weight of a Quarter Horse is muscle density. The dense and heavy muscling contributes to its muscling. Quarter Horses are swift and robust; two characteristics contribute to the massive muscle amounts.
Weight of Various American Quarter Horse Types
There are four types of Quarter Horse; the Bulldog, the Semi Bulldog, the Progressive Quarter Horses, and the Running Quarter Horse.
The Bulldog Quarter Horse
The Bulldog Quarter Horse is heavier and stockier, ranging from 13 to 14.2 hands. Also, the weight of the horses varies between 1150 to 1350 pounds. Their solid side requires more feed than other horses of similar size. Feed increase is to develop the muscle mass needed to achieve the purpose for their breed.
The Semi-Bulldog Quarter Horse
The Semi-Bulldog bred variety is less stocky and more athletic. However, the horse still has a power size and range between 14.1 to 15 hands tall, weighing about 1,050 to 1,250 pounds.
The Progressive Quarter Horse
The body type of the Progressive Quarter Horse is between the Running and the Semi-Bulldog American Quarter Horse types. These horses are usually 15 to 15.3 hands weighing over 1150 pounds.
The Running Quarter Horse
The primary purpose of breeding the Running Quarter Horse is for speed and smaller size. They are much similar in Thoroughbreds but taller. Though taller due to their breeding.
Benefits of the American Quarter Horse Build
Is there a benefit of the Quarter Horse build, considering its making is different from other breeds? Most breeders who deal with Quarter Horses produce Western disciplines like reining, cutting, western pleasure, and rodeo events. For instance, cutting needs a horse with good cow sense and quick movements. Naturally, Quarter Horses are close to the ground hence perfect motion for cutting horses.
Consider western pleasure, which displays the gaits of a pleasure horse. It is easy for Quarter Horses to move their muscular haunches to showcase these gaits. The Horse needs to be near the ground to turn the barrels effectively for a rodeo event. Quarter horses excel naturally due to their dense muscles. Therefore, the horses quickly pick up a high speed.
Though their original purpose isn’t for English disciplines, Quarter Horses still do well. They are surefooted and quick on their feet, hence excelling at timed jumping disciplines. The jumping disciplines consist of the jumper hunter ring and three-day eventing.
Healthy Birth Weight of an American Quarter Horse
The weight of a foal is ten percent of the weight of its mother. For instance, a mare weighing 1500 pounds will give birth to a foal weighing 150 pounds. Hence, if the mother horse’s average weight is 1000 pounds, most fowls will weigh 100 pounds.
A foal will take the weight of the mother even if the stallion bred to her is larger. It is essential to know the mass of your fowl to keep a record of their health and growth. Keeping track of the information allows you to provide proper medication and dewormer doses for your foal.
Calculating the Weight of an American Horse Foal
A scale is the most accurate in weighing a foal. The foal can get nervous getting on the scale, making it hard to read the correct readings. Most Quarter Horse barns have scales that track the weight of the foal regularly.
Your foal can refuse the scale. As such, you can carry it and weigh yourself. Afterward, subtract its weight from yours. However, you need to be cautious if you use this method. You may probably not carry the foal safely, hence risk injuring yourself and the colt.
If you have no scale for weighing your foal, you can opt for other methods of measuring weight. Various formulas measure weight at multiple stages. For 7 to 28 days old fillies, measure their heart girth by deducting 25 and divide it by 0.07. You can apply the same formula for 28 to 90 days old fowls, but you will have to add ten percent of the answer.
Though weight tapes are good in measuring the weight of an adult horse, it is not an accurate method for a fowl. Avoid the weight tapes not until your fowl is fully grown so that you can avoid inaccurate measurements.
Quick Growers
From birth to two years old, American Quarter Horse proliferates. During this period, they are likely to add three pounds in a day. They gain not only muscles but also muscle and weight. Also, environment and genetics boost the growth of the horse and determine the growth pattern and help you understand the nutrition your horse needs. When the Horse hits two years, its growth will be 90 percent of the adult size.
A Big Appetite
Foals grow fast and, therefore, need lots of food. When six to eight weeks old, the American Quarter Horse foals drink milk from their mothers. In a day, a mare produces an average of three gallons of milk. The milk seven days old foal consumes 25 percent of its weight. At ten days old, the foal starts craving solid food. When the foal hits eight to ten weeks, it will need a grain and forage diet to meet its nutritional needs.
Weanling
An American Quarter Horse foal starts weaning when five to six months old. At this period, it weighs 500 to 600 pounds. They eat 2.5 percent of their weight in forage and grain per day. After two to three weeks of weaning, increase the food rations to account for the lost nutrient.
Determining the Weight of An American Quarter Horse
Now you are aware of the average weight of an American Quarter Horse. So, how can you ensure it remains in the optimum range? The first thing is weighing your Horse. Here are some methods of considering your horse weight.
Eyeballing
It’s an unauthentic technique of measuring the weight of your Horse. In addition, it’s almost wrong despite the experience the vet or the farmer holds. Many ranchers believe they can get the exact weight by estimating using their eyes. However, it is not valid.
There is a possibility to determine a horse’s health through eyeballing, but weight isn’t possible. Study shows that weights measured through eyeballing method always ranged between 300 to 500 pounds.
Truck payloads
This method entails weighing the Horse in a trailer. You can opt for the public scales that weigh trucks. If necessary, take the empty trailer for later readings. The difference between the unfilled trailer and the loaded one will be your Horse’s weight.
Horse weight tape
A horse weight tape will save you the trouble of finding a measuring scale to determine your Horse’s weight. The horse weight tape isn’t exactly accurate but gives a hint on the possible mass of your Horse.
First, you have to get a quality horse weight tape. Use the weight tape from the withers to the barrel of your tape. The tape measurements are the approximate weight range of your Horse.
Measuring scale
It is the easiest method you can use to weigh your Horse. The most challenging task is getting a large scale that can fit your horse. However, if you don’t have a large scale enough to fit your horse, you can seek in large ranches or veterinary facilities. Contrarily, use the methods mentioned above.
Importance of Recording the Weight of Your American Quarter Horse
It is essential to keep a record of your Horse’s weight. It helps you evaluate:
- Prevailing medical conditions
- Growth pattern in young horses
- Overall health
- Calorie intake requirements
- Medicine effect on weight
- Seasonal weight changes
Recording the weights will let you know if your Horse is overweight. For a fat horse, incorporate more exercise in your Horse’s routine to prevent obesity. Another critical factor in keeping a record is to determine the medicine dosage of your Horse.
Regulating the Weight of an American Quarter Horse
Controlling the weight of American Quarter Horses requires nutrient-rich feed. Here are the necessary nutrients you need to feed your Horse:
- Carbohydrates – entails hay and dry fodder for fibrous carbohydrates and grains and seed for non-fibrous carbohydrates.
- Proteins – includes seeds, soya beans, and grains. They regulate hormones and enzymes in your Horse’s body.
- Minerals – these include calcium, chlorine, sulfur, magnesium, and potassium. They are suitable for bones, especially foals.
- Vitamins – grains, pasture, and grass. It is essential for your Horse since its body doesn’t make it.
- Water – dehydration can lead to illness or death more than lacking the above nutrients.
Conclusion
An adult American Horse weighs between 900 to 1,200 pounds. The American Quarter Horse’s average weight is more than the average weight of a normal horse. However, this characteristic helps them to be more effective and equipped at their daily tasks. Any weight ranging from the average weight depends on the type and gender of your Quarter Horse.
