quarter horse

noun

|Updated on: 13 Aug 2018

Definition of quarter horse

: 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

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Recent Examples of quarter horse from the Web

Lewis, who works 40 hours a week for an electric company in addition to training quarter horses, might have to add financial tips to his busy schedule.

— hal lundgren, Houston Chronicle, "Eye N Capo wins Sam Houston Classic," 12 May 2018
That's been with Baffert, who first encountered quarter horses as a kid on his family's Nogales, Arizona ranch, his entire career.

— fletcher page, The Courier-Journal, "Bob Baffert knows it's all about the break for Justify in the Belmont," 6 June 2018
The following year, Gamble switched to all four games on a Saturday up at Nippert, and all of a sudden, the Showdown took off like a quarter horse down a fast track.

— adam baum, Cincinnati.com, "Why Cincinnati was and still is the perfect place for the Crosstown Showdown," 10 July 2018
Out the window, a weak December sun rose above a corral steaming with quarter horses, which Kretz raises and sells.

— New York Times, "Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf Scientist?," 5 July 2018
Baffert’s obsession with the break comes from his background working with quarter horses — the sprinters of the horse racing world — where the start is critical.

— nora princiotti, BostonGlobe.com, "Bob Baffert is hoping for a good break for Justify in the Belmont Stakes," 6 June 2018
When Bob Baffert switched from quarter horses to thoroughbreds in 1991, fellow trainer D. Wayne Lukas was in the middle of his record run of 14 Triple Crown race victories.

— jason frakes, The Courier-Journal, "With two Triple Crowns, is Bob Baffert now the greatest trainer of all time?," 9 June 2018
In San Antonio, Garcilazo alternates shows between Hollywood, a 14-year-old palomino quarter horse, and Volero, a 10-year-old Spanish Andalusian horse.

— carter karels, San Antonio Express-News, "Garcilazo, the ‘Elvis of Mexico,’ performs charro routine at San Antonio Rodeo," 15 Feb. 2018
Horseback rides are on good-old gentle quarter horses.

— kathryn o’shea-evans, WSJ, "An Insider’s Guide to Summertime Aspen," 5 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'quarter horse.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.