Cats may be America's most popular pet, and dogs may be man's best friend but Amarillo has fallen head over heels for horses. More than 100 of them! "Hoof Prints of the American Quarter Horse- America's Horse," is a city-wide public art display featuring more than 100 fiberglass replicas of an American Quarter Horse. Each horse is a work of art, prepared by a local artist and displayed as an eye-catching tribute to an animal so vital to Amarillo's past, present and future. This city-wide effort is a project of Center City of Amarillo and the title sponsor of the project is the American Quarter Horse Association.

Amarillo has been linked to the horse throughout its history. Before 1880, the horse was needed for transportation; nothing moved in and out of the area without riding on a horse's back or being pulled behind a horse. After the railroad and automobile came to town in the late 1800s and early 1900s, the horse remained a vital part of the local ranching economy because under every good cowboy was a good horse. Ranching is still important to Amarillo, but horses now are part of the city's recreation.

The AQHA, headquartered in Amarillo, is the world's largest equine association with more than 330,000 members and more than 4 million registered horses worldwide. The American Quarter Horse Heritage Center and Museum, located along Interstate 40 in Amarillo, is a world-class museum about this important equine breed. Open year round, the museum has nearly 20,000 square feet of displays on the development and history of the American Quarter Horse. Everyday in the summer and many days throughout the year, horsemanship demonstrations are conducted in the museum's outdoor arena.

For Amarillo, the horse is it!















For a complete listing of the location over 100 of these beautiful works of art please go to www.TheLocalsGoHere.com.
Occasionally one or two are in the barn for repair, but usually they are on display if not privately owned.