Selective breeding led to slight differences between the Quarter horses used for racing and those used for cutting, although they all share a similar appearance and temperament.
These horses are bred to sprint over short distances and are characterized by long legs and an overall lean yet muscular body. The stance often resembles that of Thoroughbred horses, which are classically used in English equestrian disciplines.
They can grow as tall as 17 hands. Well-suited for working with livestock, cutting horses have a smaller stature, but they are still capable of quick and agile movements. The powerful hindquarters allow them to achieve great speeds over shorter distances while also maintaining a good speed when running in random patterns. Most cutting horses stand between 14 and 16 hands tall, and have a general muscular appearance.
The head is small and refined, with a straight profile and resting on a muscular neck. The body is also muscular with powerful, rounded hindquarters and a broad chest.
All coat colors are accepted; the most common is sorrel, a brownish-red similar to chestnut. Other common colors include bay , black, palomino , chestnut, grey, dun, red roan, grey roan, blue roan, perlino, cremello, and white. The AQHA recognizes solid-color and pinto cutting horses — all pinto variations are accepted. Most cutting horses are American Quarter horses. However, the competition also allows the use of other horses with American Quarter ancestry, such as American Paint horses.
Other breeds of stock horses are also used, mainly in breed-specific competitions. However, elite horses that have a good competition record are much more expensive. How long it will take to train a cutting horse depends on a number of factors. The first thing to consider is whether the horse has been trained before. It is often easier to work with untrained horses, especially if the filly or colt was not originally trained for cutting. Though she would probably stick to about the same height as Tres, Blessing is a good deal sturdier in bone and body and much better conformed.
And then we have Benson, who is actually almost freakishly tall as far as our western barn goes and yet still looks normal-sized next to me…sigh. Benson did do the all-around in his active showing days, having the size and the stride for hunter under saddle as well as western pleasure.
I might— might —be able to get away with showing this horse and not looking totally out of place. In the more superficial world of hunter under saddle and western pleasure, suitability is emphasized more than in the performance disciplines of reining and cow horse.
Kristen coaches the varsity western team, teaches classes in western riding and draft horse driving, and keeps several of her own horses in training on the side. She shows reined cow horse and also shows western pleasure and horsemanship for fun. Cutting pits a horse against a cow in a battle of wills. The horse is scored on its ability to keep the cow from returning to the herd, cow sense, attentiveness and courage.
The ideal picture of a cutting horse is one of polished concentration and split-second response to the action of the cow. In reality, that illusion comes from a harmony of movement and a blending of responses between horse and rider.
Many professional horse trainers offer horses that beginners can use for lessons to test the waters in a new event. The www. As a buyer, you want somebody you have confidence in and who can guide you in the right direction. You might have to look at a lot of horses before you find the right one, but if you have someone helping you, they can help spot the right one when it shows up. Step 4: Ask these questions when considering a cutting horse for purchase.
Older is Better: You want is a seasoned horse that is so solid and disciplined in his job that he can almost teach you as much as a trainer can. You want a horse that knows his job, day in and day out, and takes you to the right spot every day. This type of horse will be about 7 years or older. It is better to find an older horse that has experience rather than trying to get a younger horse and growing together.
This is a very difficult task. A beginner needs to learn how to show a horse first, before trying to understand how a young horse thinks. That means showing older horses before climbing on a baby. The advantage of a gelding is the temperament: Geldings typically are even-tempered and easy-going. Of course, the cattle can have a big bearing on that, also.
Typically, if someone is trying to sell a horse, they are going to have some cattle that are fairly easy to show the horse on. They want you to see what the horse feels like with a pretty good cow.
Health and Soundness: If you decide this is the right horse for you, you are strongly encouraged to run him through a thorough veterinarian exam for health and soundness issues.
This will be an expense that is the your responsibility. The guide walks you through evaluating conformation, prepurchase exams and how to transfer the horse's registration certificate into your ownership.
Tip 1: Be realistic. Beginners make a lot of mistakes learning how to ride. That first horse is the one that is going to consequently be at the blunt end of those mistakes. Tip 2: Remember, your beginner horse is a saint. However, most horses will. The sooner a beginning rider learns the real fundamentals of cutting, the sooner that individual will be able to help his own horse do a better job of showing. When it comes to working a flag — to simulate a cow — or actual cow work, remember this advice:.
As you put it all together with a herd of cattle, a cutting run will look like:. As an alliance partner of the National Cutting Horse Association, AQHA works to maintain cutting-class rules that are similar from one association to the next. But before any competition, make sure you are familiar with that organization's rules. For more resources to help you excel in cutting, go to www. Cutting Horses: How to Get Started. Home cutting horses: how to get started. Cutting Horses: How to Get Started This beginner's guide to cutting explains what to look for when purchasing your first cutting horse.
In this article, we will cover: Four steps of trying and buying cutting horses. What a beginner should consider in a cutting horse. You own your own cutting horse — now what?
0コメント