Cutting

Cutting is a discipline in which a horse and rider enter a herd of cattle, select a single animal, drive it away from the herd, and then — with the rider dropping the reins onto the horse's neck — allow the horse to independently prevent the cow from returning to the herd using its own athletic ability, instinct, and training. The judge scores the run based on the horse's degree of difficulty, control, cow sense, athleticism, and the smoothness of the overall performance. A great cutting horse requires both natural cow instinct — the desire to control and mirror a cow's movement — and the trained responses that allow the rider to direct the work during the herd phase and then trust the horse to work independently once the hand is dropped. Developing a cutting horse is a long process that begins with cattle introduction, builds the foundational stop and lateral quickness, and progresses through increasing difficulty in the cattle and the work. The answers below address every stage of cutting horse development, from selecting a prospect and introducing cattle to preparing for competition and solving the specific problems that arise in training and the show pen.