What does it mean when a horse is foundation? Ive always heard that word with QHs but never got a definition.
There's a 'Foundation Quarter Horse' Association that's dedicated to preserving some of the older Quarter Horse bloodlines.
Their website - (actually covers 3 or 4 similar organizations)
The Foundation bred quarter horse is a distinct part of our American heritage, which can only be maintained by the careful selection and linebreeding of the legendary lines. Some of those lines are Joe Hancock, King P-234, Skipper W, Driftwood, Joe Reed II, Oklahoma star, Old Sorrel, Wimpy, Poco Bueno, and the legendary Three Bars.
The idea is to keep producing the 'Working Cow Horse' type.
I think what happened, is that when many Quarter Horse breeders started going for a different type than traditional in the breed - leggier, taller, slimmer, type, this group felt they had to preserve that older type. They identified specific sires and bloodlines that they felt really were of value in keeping this type going.
The Foundation horses are closer to the ground, of a more solid, thickset type, than the 'modern' type. They really look like Working Cow Horse types.
The other side of the coin is that ANOTHER bunch said, hey, we don't want this extreme type, which they called the 'bulldog' type - short front legs with a very low chest line, and a heavier rounder massive body overall.
So as in all horse breeds there are - well - different warring camps....LOL.....