Cutting horse facts for kids
Trained cutting horse being shown in cutting horse competition. The horse's job is to keep the separated cow from returning to the herd.
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| Distinguishing features | Cow sense, athletic ability, strength, speed and endurance. |
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| Alternative names | Cow horse |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Horse (Equus ferus caballus) | |
A cutting horse is a special type of stock horse. These horses are usually American Quarter Horses. They are trained for a sport called cutting. In this sport, a horse and rider work together. Their goal is to separate one cow from a group of cattle. Then, they must stop that cow from going back to its friends.
One important skill for a cutting horse is "cow sense." This means the horse has a natural ability. It can understand what a cow will do next. It watches the cow closely and knows its moves. Cutting horses were first used on big cattle ranches. Cowboys needed horses with special skills to handle cattle.
How Cutting Horses Started
Cattle ranching began in the Southwestern United States a long time ago. This was in the 1600s. By the late 1800s, selling cattle was a big business. Cutting horses became very important for this work. Large groups of cattle often roamed freely. Sometimes, cows would wander off and join other herds.
So, cowboys had to gather the cattle. This was called a roundup. It happened once or twice a year. Cowboys always traveled with a group of horses. This group was called a remuda. Some horses in the remuda had special skills. This made sure they had the right horse for every job.
Horses that were good with cattle were very special. They would watch the herd carefully. Their ears would perk up, and their eyes would focus. These horses had "cow sense." They helped cowboys separate cows from the herd. This made the work faster and easier. Ranch hands even held fun competitions. They wanted to see who had the best cutting horse.
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.
Over time, many large ranches changed. Some were sold or divided into smaller farms. New machines also changed ranch work. For example, squeeze chutes are machines that hold a single cow. This made it easier to give cows medicine or shots. Cowboys didn't need cutting horses for these tasks anymore.
Also, new vehicles came along. Things like ATVs, trucks, and even helicopters helped with cattle. They could find and move cattle herds much faster. They also needed fewer ranch workers. Today, many large ranches use less horses for cattle work. But some ranches still use horses for different reasons.
Cutting Horse Competitions
Cutting started as a ranch job. But like other cowboy skills, it became a sport. Other ranch sports include roping and reining. These events are now held in horse show arenas.
The first cutting horse show happened in 1919. It was at the Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show in Fort Worth, Texas. This was a big moment for the sport. Cutting became an annual competition the next year.
In 1946, a group of 13 cutting horse owners met. They were at the Southwestern Exposition. They decided to create the National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA). This group made rules for cutting horse competitions. The first NCHA competition was held that same year. It took place in Dublin, Texas.
