…and on the eighth day God created the horse in perfect image, to romp, graze, gallop, play, and make manure wherever it darn well pleases, in divine grace.
The art and practice of “cutting cattle” dates back to the American Old West when farmers and ranchers hired real cowboys to manage and herd cattle out on the wide, open ranges.
“Cutting” is the separating and sorting out of individual cows from the main body of the herd.
This was done for proper herd management so the cowboys could do health checks, branding, castration, and nowadays, vaccination and de-worming. (1)
The first cutting horse completion for sport was held in 1898 in Haskell, TX, about 54 miles north of Abilene and 98 miles south east of Wichita Falls. (2)
Cutting competitions are western-style equestrian heats where a rider and horse work together to show the horse’s ability and intelligence to work and separate cows from a herd.
The modern heats last 2 ½ minutes for a presentation before a judge or a panel of judges. The presentation is called a “run.” (3)
Each rider has four helpers, two of which are called “turnback riders,” and they help keep the herd in line and prevent them from running off or to the opposite end of the arena, away from the cutting horse.
The other two riders are called “herd holders,” and they keep the cattle all bunched up together, so strays don’t break loose and run into the area where the cutting horse and cowboy are working. (4)
The animals used for cutting are usually young Herefords or Angus heifers and steers. Heifers are young female cows and steers are young castrated male cattle. They come in at 400 pounds to 600 pounds.
Riders must make two cutting passes from the herd, with two (separate) animals.
One of the cuts must come from deep inside the herd bundle; one cow can be selected from the outside edge of the herd and one must come from deep within the herd itself. (5)
The rider and horse select their cow and separate it from the herd. Once the selected cow has been driven clear from the rest, the rider turns everything over to the horse by actually dropping the reins to allow slack and to give the horse its head.
The rider may use leg cues to guide the horse so the cow doesn’t return to the herd.
The horse understands its job and it pivots, leaps, and “cuts” the cow off at every turn as the cow tries to rejoin the herd. (6)
The best cutting horses do their jobs in style, grace, and know-how, and with lots of energy.
Some of them can be seen actually pinning their ears back at wayward cows intent on rejoining the herd; they take their jobs very seriously.
Judges will score a “run” from 60 points up to 80 points, with 70 being about average. (7)
Cutting horse competitions are overseen by the NCHA, the National Cutting Horse Association, in Forth Worth, TX., with affiliates in Europe and Australia.
The ACHA, the American Cutting Horse Association, operates under a different set of rules and neither organization sanctions the other’s events. (7)
Good cutting horses have the ability to read and anticipate the cow’s next move.
When a cutting horse is working, they come into the herd with minimal disruption, make a clean cut of an animal selected, and head that selected cow into the work area. They work the cow and keep it separated inside the work area, all on a loose rein.
An overall stylish performance is expected. Horses are clipped and groomed, sporting fancy show saddles and bridles. Cowboys can be seen almost relaxing in the saddle, sometimes holding onto the saddle horn for balance. Chaps are recommended.
Martingales and tie-downs are prohibited.
Horses who use the rail to turn a cow are penalized, as are horses who allow the cow to rejoin the herd. Switching cows while cutting results in a penalty.
The horse is also penalized if it independently quits on its own while working the cow.
The rider can be penalized if he or she quits working a cow while the cow is facing the horse and is still in motion. This is called a “hot quit.” (8)
Quarter horses and Quarter ponies are most often used in cutting competitions and there is a breed of horse in Canada known as the Canadian Cutting Horse. Grade horses have been seen competing, also, if sanctioned. (9)
Closing with the immortal words of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, “Happy Trails to You.”
1-4: Internet/ Wikipedia
5,6,7, 8: NCHA “How to Start”
9: “Cutting Basics,” by Bill Kirkwood, America’s Horse Daily, World Press