Cutting Horses

What is a cutting horse?

Cutting comes from cutting out cattle, usually by one cowboy on horseback. Today cutting is judged based on the technique and control of both horse and rider.

A cutting horse excels at cutting cattle in an enclosed arena. Typically two cowboys will ride toward a herd of cattle while attempting to cut out one or several animals that are singled out for special treatment. The horses must be trained not to panic or mingle with the cows when cutting them out of the herd, but rather plow through the herd while keeping their eye on the animal they want to cut.

Cutting horses for sale

Cutting prospect horses for sale

How are cutting horses trained?

The cutting process starts when a colt is about 8-10 months old; this is when they begin to learn the cutting basics

The cutting process can take up to 10 years, as cutting is very complicated and difficult to do.

Their training usually consists of cutting several different objects such as plastic bottles and tires and any other object that might resemble an animal in the arena. It takes around 3-4 months before cutting starts.

They start out easy with small circles and gradually move on to bigger circles. When cutting heifers (young cows) or steers (castrated bulls), it's suggested that the horse is started at about 18 months old, but can vary depending on how well they're doing during their training sessions; if they're progressing quickly then you can move them along faster.
 

Can any horse become a cutting horse?

No, cutting horses are specifically bred for cutting and have exceptional cow sense. Cutting horses must be fast and agile as well as having a high pain tolerance to deal with kicking, biting, and other antics from the cattle.

It is also very common for cutting horses to be rank (not broke) due to cutting being mainly performed by older and more experienced riders that don't mind a "wild" horse.

References: http://www.cuttinghorsecountry.com/cutting-horse.html https://www.equitrekkingtv.com/blog/teaching-horses-to-cut-cattle/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7saqLgY