Cutting horse
 Trained cutting horse being shown in cutting horse competition. The horse's job is to keep the separated cow from returning to the herd. | |
| 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 a Quarter Horse, trained for the purpose of separating a single cow from a herd of cattle, and preventing it from getting back to the herd. One of the desired qualities in a cutting horse is cow sense or an innate ability to read a cow, eye to eye, attentively with ears forward in wary anticipation of each move.[1]
History
Cattle ranching in the Southwestern US was first introduced by early settlers in the 17th century.[2] By late 19th century, cattle trading had become an industry; thereby making cutting horses an indispensable tool of the trade.[3] Large herds of cattle grazed freely on the open ranges, and any strays that wandered off would typically join the herds of other cattle ranchers. As a result, cattle roundups became an annual or semi-annual routine. Cowhands kept a remuda of horses whenever they traveled, each with their own string of horses to ensure they had the right horse for the job. Horses that showed a unique sensitivity to cattle, a kind of wariness with ears perked and eyes focused on the herd, were the elite members of the remuda. Horses with cow sense helped cowboys finish their work quicker, easier, and with a measure of fun added to the work.[1]
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 of the large farms and ranches were either sold to developers or divided into smaller farms and ranches. Mechanical devices, such as squeeze chutes, eliminated the need for cowboys on cutting horses to separate a single cow from the herd for routine maintenance such as worming, spraying and annual vaccinations. Motorized vehicles, such as ATVs, trucks[4] and in some cases, helicopters have replaced horses for overseeing and rounding up cattle because it is much quicker and requires fewer ranch hands.[5] Few large ranches in the 21st century depend on the old cowboy tradition of using horses for cattle roundups and routine livestock handling, but some do find a need for both, depending on the situation.[6]
Competition
Like other ranch disciplines, such as roping, reining and various other Western stock horse events, cutting evolved from being a ranch necessity in the 1800s to a sporting event that is held in horse show arenas.[7] The 1919 Southwestern Exposition and Fat Stock Show in Fort Worth, Texas marked a milestone as the first recorded cutting horse exhibition. Cutting was established as a competitive annual event the following year.[7]
In 1946, the National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) was founded by a group of cattle ranchers and Quarter Horse enthusiasts at the Southwestern Exposition and Fat Stock Show. The first NCHA sponsored cutting horse competition was held that same year in Dublin, Texas.[8]
References
- ^ a b c "History". National Cutting Horse Association. 2019-01-14. Retrieved 2019-04-03.
- ^ Love, Clara M. (1916). "History of the Cattle Industry in the Southwest". The Southwestern Historical Quarterly. 19 (4): 370–99. JSTOR 30234681.
- ^ Cowboy, American (2019-04-03). "Great Ranches of the Southwest". American Cowboy | Western Lifestyle - Travel - People. 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 ATVs 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.
- ^ NCHA History accessed on May 14, 2019