What body control does a cow horse need before seeing cattle?

A cow horse should have a specific set of independently confirmed body control responses before cattle are introduced, because each of those responses will be called on in the cattle work and the cattle environment is not where foundational gaps should be discovered and filled. The horse should move its hindquarters away from leg pressure independently — without the front end moving significantly — because hip control is what allows the rider to adjust position relative to the cow during fence work without disrupting the horse's overall direction of travel. The horse should move its shoulders independently from the hindquarters on a direct rein and leg cue, because shoulder control is what produces the front-end speed and correct mechanics of the fence turn. The horse should back from a light seat and rein cue with softness and straightness, because backing is occasionally required to reset position during cattle work. The horse should sidepass willingly in both directions, because lateral repositioning during boxing and circling phases requires lateral movement from leg pressure. The horse should collect and extend within the lope from the seat, because rate control from the seat is the primary tool for matching the cow's pace. And the horse should be mentally settled and responsive to the rider's guidance in new and slightly pressured situations — because the excitement of cattle is a level of environmental distraction that a horse without mental steadiness under pressure will find overwhelming rather than engaging. These body control prerequisites are not formalities that can be skipped; they are the physical vocabulary that cattle work is built on.