quarter horse

noun

: any of a breed of compact muscular saddle horses developed in the U.S. and characterized by great endurance and by high speed for short distances

Illustration of quarter horse

Examples of quarter horse in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The five who were euthanized Wednesday also were quarter horses. —John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2024

Over the next 30 years, the steamboat captain, born the son of Irish immigrants in New York, built a ranching empire still known today for its beef cattle and quarter horses. —Pam Leblanc, Southern Living, 26 Jan. 2025

Ware’s uncle, Carlos Pedraza, said the horse is a quarter horse. —Tiffani Arnold, Chicago Tribune, 30 Nov. 2024

The death toll over a serious equine virus at Los Alamitos grew to 12, with five more horses euthanized after an outbreak of equine infectious anemia (EIA) in the barn of quarter horse hall of fame trainer Heath Taylor. —John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

from its high speed for distances up to a quarter of a mile

First Known Use

1822, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

quarter horse

noun

: any of a breed of stocky muscular horses capable of high speed for short distances

Word Origin

Quarter horse might seem like a strange name for an animal that is not only full-sized but quite sturdy and muscular. However, the breed gets its name not because it is a fraction of a horse but because it can run very fast for short distances. Unlike the slender, long-legged Thoroughbred horse, the compact quarter horse is built for quick bursts of speed. For about a quarter-mile the quarter horse probably can run faster than any other breed of horse. After that distance the quarter horse begins to slow down and can be beaten in a race with other horses.