Cowgirl Galloping Across the Desert coloring page

About this coloring page

A galloping cowgirl on a Western ranch is very likely riding an American Quarter Horse, one of the most popular horse breeds in the world. The American Quarter Horse Association is often described as the largest breed registry anywhere.

The breed takes its name from colonial-era match races in Virginia and the Carolinas, sprints run down village streets and country lanes about a quarter mile long. Over that short distance, these compact horses could beat nearly anything, and they are still considered the fastest breed over a quarter mile.

Quarter Horses are muscular, with powerful hindquarters and a famously calm temperament. Ranchers prize their cow sense, a natural knack for reading cattle. A good cutting horse can anticipate a calf’s every move and block it from rejoining the herd almost on its own, which is why the breed shines in ranch work and in events such as cutting, reining and roping.

They are wonderfully versatile, too. Quarter Horses show up in rodeos, on trail rides, in therapeutic riding programs and in family backyards, and their steady nature suits riders of every level.

• cowgirl
• quarter horse
• horses
• wild west
• desert