Cutting horse
Other names | Cow horse |
---|---|
Country of origin | United States |
Traits | |
Distinguishing features | Cow sense, athletic ability, strength, speed and endurance. |
A cutting horse is a stock horse, typically an American Quarter Horse, bred and trained for cutting, a modern equestrian competition requiring a horse and rider to separate a single cow from a herd of cattle and prevent it from getting back to the herd. One of the desired qualities in a cutting horse is "cow sense," described as an innate ability to read a cow, eye to eye, in anticipation of each move.[1] The cutting horse has its roots in the historic cattle ranching industry, where horses with specialized cattle-handling skills were crucial for the work of the cowboy.
History
Cattle
It was worth the trip to brush country just to sit above Ol' Gotch and feel his shoulders roll, watch his ears work and his head drop low when he looked an old steer in the eye.
Will Rogers (1920s), In the beginning, there was the horse . . . NCHA History[1]
Over time, many large cattle operations were either sold to developers or divided into smaller farms and ranches. Mechanical devices, such as
Competition
Like other ranch disciplines, such as
In 1946, the National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) was founded by a group of 13 cutting horse owners who were attending the Southwestern Exposition and Fat Stock Show. They determined that cutting horse competition should have an established set of rules and procedures to follow. The first NCHA sponsored cutting horse competition was held that same year in Dublin, Texas.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d "History". National Cutting Horse Association. 2019-01-14. Retrieved 2019-04-03.
- JSTOR 30234681.
- ^ "Great Ranches of the Southwest". American Cowboy. 2019-04-03. Retrieved 2019-04-04.
- ^ "2018 ATV-UTV roundup - 11 new options to consider". Beef Magazine. 2018-03-26. Retrieved 2019-05-10.
- ^ Canales, Jesse (2017-11-23). "Helicopters help farmers and ranchers survey land". Retrieved 2019-05-10.
- ^ "Horses and ATV's Face Off on the Ranch". AgWeb - The Home Page of Agriculture. 2009-12-09. Retrieved 2019-05-10.
- ^ a b "Focus on Discipline: Cutting Horses – The Horse". The Horse. 2001-10-01. Retrieved 2019-05-11.