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46 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, February 26, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend January 20, 2004 Since You Asked Improvised tracks led to quarter horse name Does anybody know why quarter horses are so called? — Bill and Sue T., Medford You bet. The Equestrian Arts division here at Since You Asked reports that the term, although now identified with the American West, actually comes from settlers in Virginia more than 200 years ago. Of course, people loved their horses in those days. But there were no racetracks in most areas. So horses were often raced on impromptu paths about a quarter-mile long. Obviously, horses that possessed remarkable speed for short dashes excelled in this kind of racing, which was all about quick acceleration. So they made good cow ponies and later came to be used on the ranches of the West as "cutting ponies." Cow ponies are simply those used by cowboys in working cattle. Cutting ponies were originally those good at cutting the herd and moving the cattle around. More recently "cutting" is an equestrian sport, much like jumping, roping, dressage, gymkhana, team penning, etc. Send questions to "Since You Asked," Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by e-mail to [email protected] . We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times