Cutting Horses

Cutting horses can be any breed, but more often than not are Quarter Horses. Some breeds lack “cow-sense” and would rather run than face a cow head on. In addition to Quarter Horses, Appaloosas, Morgans, and Arabians, are also often seen in cutting horse competitions. There even is a breed that evolved from this sport, the Canadian Cutting Horse.

What happens in any cutting competition is that a group of older calves are in the arena, other riders hold the herd at one end, while one horse and rider team walk into the bunch and separate one calf from the herd. This is usually the riders decision, unless event organizers have selected certain cattle to be “cut”. Once the rider has made their selection and brought the cow away from the herd it is pretty much up to the horse to do the rest. In an experienced team the rider makes it clear they are no longer controlling the horse by relaxing their hands on the reins.

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Cows, being prey animals, have a strong desire to return to their herd for safety. When separated they dart back and forth in an effort to return to their herd. The cutting horse keeps its position between the calf and the herd, facing the calf and anticipating its move. The horses job is to remain in control of the calf, keeping it away from its companions, so that, normally, another cowboy would rope it for branding, or whatever was being done. In competition the goal is to keep the cow separate to demonstrate the horses talent and then to let it return to its herd in a way to show that it did not escape back to the herd on its own, but was allowed to return. These are timed events in which the cowboy will want to separate a few calves, each one at a time, to show his, or her, horses skill and talent, over the course of the time allowed. Most cutting events are two and a half minutes long, and offer an ideal chance for a rider and horse to separate three calves, one after another.

If a rider feels his calf is not actively trying to get back to the herd, and therefore is not testing the horses ability, he can pick another calf at any time, and allow that one to return to the herd.

A judge then awards points for the pair and the next team takes its turn. The pair with the most points wins.

There are specialty western saddles used for cutting events. As the horse moves very quickly from side to side, which would easily dislodge a rider in a typical western saddle, cutting saddles offer a deeper seat. Any kind of bridle may be used, but curbs and bosals are common. Extra protection to the horses legs is generally always offered. The horses put tremendous pressure on their legs and joints, and an injury to an unprotected leg could easily occur as a horse knocks itself when stopping fast and turning.

Cutting events often occur on their own or as part of a larger rodeo. In terms of cruelty they are generally considered less cruel to the calves involved. The calves are older than those used in most roping events, and the stress is mainly mental as they are separated from their herds for less than a minute.

These competitions are fun to watch and are a true show of intelligence in horses as the horse out-thinks a cow. The thrills are different than watching show jumping, but the competition is just as tough.