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Breed profile · FDA CVM July 2026 extract

Quarter Horse adverse-event record

Adverse-event filings for Quarter Horse (Horse) in the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine openFDA extract. Browse horse breeds, reactions, and outcomes below.

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#72 of 510
by report volume (all breeds)
2,526
FDA CVM reports on file
11.1%
death-coded share of reports
#42 of 275
by death-coded share (≥50 reports)

How the 2,526 reports break down

By recorded gender -- every report on file for Quarter Horse, no filtering.

Annual report volume

Annual adverse-event report trend Yearly FDA CVM adverse-event report counts for this breed. 226 169.5 113 56.5 0 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 Reports filed Death-coded reports
Annual report volume for Quarter Horse drawn from FDA CVM filings.

Data updated September 2026

The verdict

According to the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine openFDA adverse-event extract, Quarter Horse ranks #72 of 510 by total reports (2,526) and #42 of 275 by death-coded share (11.1%). National dual: Retriever - Labrador is #1 of 510 by total adverse-event reports (93,675) at death-coded-share rank 195 of 275 breeds with at least 50 reports (3.7%); separately, Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) is #1 highest death-coded share at 99.0% (report rank #233).

93,675
Retriever - Labrador reports (#1)
99.0%
Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) death share (#1)
#72
This breed, reports of 510
#42
This breed, death share of 275

Report volume reflects how common a breed or drug is and how often owners and vets file — not actual risk. Death-coded share ranks are limited to entries with enough reports to be meaningful. The two maps do not agree at #1.

Release-over-release change

What changed in the latest FDA data snapshot

PlainBreed reconstructed the prior snapshot from dated openFDA partitions through 2025 Q4, then compared it with the 2026-07-27 openFDA export. Quarter Horse has 2,526 reports now versus 2,474 in that prior snapshot: 52 more (2.1%).

Report change
+52
Death-coded reports
+4
Death-coded share
−0.1 pts

This compares reported-event counts in two source snapshots. It does not establish a change in real-world risk, product safety, or disease incidence.

Subscribe to Quarter Horse changes

Total Reports

2,526

High report volume

Deaths Reported

280

of 2,526 reports

Death-coded share of reports

11.1%

High death-coded share

Avg Age at Report

12.6 yr

436.8 kg avg weight

Breed Safety Scorecard

F (28/100)

A weighted composite across 4 of 4 dimensions, each benchmarked against every tracked breed with at least 200 reports (n=185). Dimensions with insufficient data drop out and their weight redistributes to the rest, so a missing input never silently deflates the score.

Death rate F
11.1%

Share of reports coded as a fatality

Euthanasia rate F
4.3%

Share of reports resulting in euthanasia

Full recovery rate B+
35.8%

Share of reports coded "Recovered/Normal"

5-year trend F
+41%

Change in annual report volume over the last 5 complete years

Death-Coded Outcome Share

Quarter Horse death-coded reports 11.1%
Cross-breed median

11.1% of 2,526 quarter horse reports involved a death outcome.

How to read this number

Read alongside breed popularity, veterinary access, and owner awareness, these shape how many events ever reach the FDA. The comparison line marks the cross-breed median death-coded share (4.8%) among breeds with 50 or more reports; values above it suggest higher reporting bias toward severe outcomes, not necessarily higher true mortality.

Where Quarter Horse's death-coded share sits among indexed breeds

Death-coded share of FDA CVM reports, breeds with ≥50 reports (July 2026 extract)

11% 85th percentile Higher share than 85% of 275 indexed breeds

5%–10%: 1 indexed breeds (0%). Below this entry. 20%–25%: 2 indexed breeds (1%). Below this entry. 25%–30%: 3 indexed breeds (1%). Below this entry. 30%–35%: 4 indexed breeds (1%). Below this entry. 35%–40%: 5 indexed breeds (2%). Below this entry. 40%–45%: 6 indexed breeds (2%). Below this entry. 45%–50%: 3 indexed breeds (1%). Below this entry. 50%–55%: 7 indexed breeds (3%). Below this entry. 55%–60%: 7 indexed breeds (3%). Below this entry. 60%–65%: 21 indexed breeds (8%). Below this entry. 65%–70%: 11 indexed breeds (4%). Below this entry. 70%–75%: 15 indexed breeds (5%). Below this entry. 75%–80%: 13 indexed breeds (5%). Below this entry. 80%–85%: 11 indexed breeds (4%). Below this entry. 85%–90%: 12 indexed breeds (4%). Below this entry. 90%–95%: 12 indexed breeds (4%). Below this entry. 95%–100%: 142 indexed breeds (52%). This entry sits in this band. Quarter Horse 5% 100% every breed with ≥50 FDA reports, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more indexed breeds. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine, openFDA adverse event extract (PlainBreed) · July 2026 extract

This histogram uses the same ≥50-report cohort as the highest death-coded share ranking. A higher share means more of this breed's reported events were death-coded, not a mortality rate for living animals.

Average weight at time of report: 436.8 kg (963.1 lbs)

Top Reported Reactions

Lack of efficacy - NOS 308
Injection site swelling 250
Colic 184
INEFFECTIVE, GASTRIC ULCER(S) 140
Death 137
Anorexia 122
Fever 119
Death by euthanasia 117
Diarrhoea 110
Injection site pain 108
Ataxia 107
Behavioural disorder NOS 104
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 99
Depression 85
Application site swelling 79

Most Referenced Drugs

Omeprazole 332
Ceftiofur Crystalline Free Acid 289
Pergolide Mesylate 183
Detomidine Hydrochloride 162
Clodronate Disodium 149
Ivermectin(1.55%)/Praziquantel(7.75%) Paste 135
Firocoxib 99
Ivermectin + Praziquantel 91
Polysulfated Glycosaminoglycan 90
Sucralfate 87
Ketamine Hydrochloride 65
Ceftiofur 56
Hyaluronate Sodium 56
Pentosan Polysulfate Sodium 56
Flunixin Meglumine 55

Outcome Breakdown

Recovered/Normal
905 (39.2%)
Outcome Unknown
692 (30.0%)
Ongoing
405 (17.6%)
Died
175 (7.6%)
Euthanized
108 (4.7%)
Recovered with Sequela
21 (0.9%)

Gender Distribution

Male 1,409 (55.8%)
Female 945 (37.4%)
Mixed 97 (3.8%)
Unknown 75 (3.0%)

Reports by Year

Year Reports Trend
2010 124
2011 118
2012 145
2013 149
2014 118
2015 165
2016 155
2017 163
2018 141
2019 136
2020 161
2021 160
2022 171
2023 152
2024 203
2025 226
2026 39

Quarter Horse: high death-coded share in the FDA CVM extract

Signature read: 2,526 reports place Quarter Horse in the upper third of breed filing volume (#72 of 510). According to FDA CVM filings indexed on PlainBreed as of July 2026 extract, Quarter Horse sits at #72 of 510 by report volume among all breeds and #1 of 55 among horse breeds, with 2,526 reports and 280 (11.1%) death-coded. On death-coded share among breeds with ≥50 reports, it ranks #42 of 275. Mean age at report: 12.6 years, average weight 436.8 kg (963.1 lbs).

Top reported signs: Lack of efficacy - NOS (308), Injection site swelling (250), Colic (184). Most-referenced drug: Omeprazole (332 reports), followed by Ceftiofur Crystalline Free Acid (289) and Pergolide Mesylate (183).

Outcome coding on 2,306 status-recorded reports is dominated by Recovered/Normal (39.2%). Annual submissions ranged 39-2,026 across 17 years on file.

Horse Breeds With a Similar Report Volume

Showing 6 of 54 horse breeds in our dataset, ranked by closest report volume.

Horse (unknown)
2,370 reports · 10.0% death-coded
Thoroughbred
1,222 reports · 8.2% death-coded
Warmblood (unspecified)
541 reports · 7.0% death-coded
Arab
467 reports · 9.6% death-coded
Paint
386 reports · 13.7% death-coded
Horse (other)
296 reports · 9.8% death-coded

Nationwide breeds with similar profiles

High-volume peer sets for Quarter Horse drawn from openFDA outside the Horse family so the neighborhoods are not species containment (the similar-volume list above stays within species).

Similar death-coded share

Nearest other-species breeds with ≥50 reports (11.1% death-coded here).

Collie - Smooth-haired 11.3% · Dog Manx 11.3% · Cat Burmese 11.4% · Cat Mixed (Cat) 10.7% · Cat

What to do with this horse

A report does not prove a drug caused the reaction, and popular breeds simply generate more reports.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many FDA adverse event reports involve Quarter Horse? ▼
There are 2,526 adverse event reports involving Quarter Horse in the FDA database, of which 280 were death-coded (11.1% of those reports). That is a share of REPORTED events, not a mortality rate for the breed: adverse events reach the FDA when something goes wrong, so the denominator is reports, never the population of animals. According to the same FDA CVM extract, Quarter Horse ranks #72 of 510 by report volume among all breeds PlainBreed indexes (#1 of 55 among horse breeds).
Where does Quarter Horse sit among other breeds in PlainBreed's corpus? ▼
According to FDA CVM report volume, Quarter Horse is #72 of 510 breeds indexed on PlainBreed (same ordering as the most-reported-breeds ranking). Inside Horse, it is #1 of 55. Among breeds with at least 50 reports, its death-coded share ranks #42 of 275 (same cohort as highest-death-rate). These are placement ranks in the reporting corpus, not clinical risk scores.
What are the most common adverse reactions reported for Quarter Horse? ▼
The most commonly reported adverse reactions for Quarter Horse are Lack of efficacy - NOS (308 reports), Injection site swelling (250 reports), Colic (184 reports), INEFFECTIVE, GASTRIC ULCER(S) (140 reports), Death (137 reports).
What drugs are most frequently associated with Quarter Horse adverse events? ▼
The drugs most frequently referenced in Quarter Horse adverse event reports are Omeprazole (332 reports), Ceftiofur Crystalline Free Acid (289 reports), Pergolide Mesylate (183 reports), Detomidine Hydrochloride (162 reports), Clodronate Disodium (149 reports).
What is the average age of Quarter Horse in adverse event reports? ▼
The average age of Quarter Horse at the time of adverse event reports is 12.6 years, with an average weight of 436.8 kg (963.1 lbs).

Compare a breed's report volume against how common the breed is before drawing conclusions. See our methodology for how the death-coded share and rankings are computed, or read breed-specific reporting patterns and FDA CVM reporting.

Source: FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine openFDA Animal & Veterinary Adverse Events (CVM AER) · 2025

openFDA Animal & Veterinary Adverse Events (FDA CVM) for Quarter Horse (Horse), extract as of July 2026 extract. 2,526 reports · 280 death-coded (11.1% of reports, not a mortality rate) · #72 of 510 by volume.

Informational only. FDA adverse-event reports are voluntary and do not prove causation; consult a veterinarian before acting on them. Verify with FDA CVM →