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		The Lawton Ranch has been breeding and training Quarter Horses for the past 60+ years.
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It is long held that the first horses in Louisiana had naturally migrated from Mexico by way of Texas, where they had been brought from Spain for the wealthy Hacienda owners and Spaniard captains. By the 1800’s, many more were brought from Nova Scotia by the Acadians who settled in Louisiana after being in exile. The Louisiana landscape was mostly prairie land and marshes and remained largely unfenced for generations. According to Bill Jones, author of Louisiana Cowboys, “it was from this group of wild horses that cattlemen, up until World War II, got their herds.”


By the time the American Quarter Horse Association was founded in 1940, the quarter horse’s value was clearly recognized. These horses are desired for their speed and agility, which makes them perfectly bred for cutting, herding, barrel racing and calf roping.

It was in 1944, that Pally bought Serafina, a 1934 chestnut mare (AQHA Registration Number 418) from the King Ranch and began his affection for this breed, and in 1946 he was one of the first to register with the American Quarter Horse Association. Since then over 5 million horses have been registered in the AQHA. The Lawton Ranch has been breeding and training Quarter Horses since the 1940's.


“Our father, Pally Lawton, was a big influence in teaching us how to handle horses and cattle. He taught us to be as easy and gentle with our animals as possible. ‘They are making you money, and the less stress on them the better,’ he said. ‘If you keep fresh water, keep good grass, good shade in the summer and good wind breaks in the winter, the better your cattle will do.’ –William B. Lawton, 2008
 

   

Information on this page has been quoted or excerpted from "The Lawton Ranch of Southwest Louisiana"  written by Nola Mae Ross and Susan McFillen