Cutting Horse Training
Horse owners often prefer a good cutting horse. There are certain traits of a cutting horse that make them desirable. In order to determine when a horse would be good for cutting horse training you need to consider the following traits.
Temperament
While most horses are bothered or frightened by other animals such as cattle, there are some horse breeds that don’t scare as easily. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that the horse is right for cutting horse training. Often a good candidate for cutting horse training is the horse that reacts angrily to their first encounter with cattle and is able to dominate the cattle by keeping them at a secure distance.
Competition vs. Cutting Horses
If a certain horse breed does well as a cutting horse this doesn’t necessarily mean they will do well in competitions as well. Often a foundation-bred horse isn’t going to do as good as a bred cutting horse. Often times a horse that is trained for cutting will be too hard to train properly for contests since they are slow learners and tend to do things in their own way. In addition, cutting horses tend to lack the flair and athletic capability necessary to compete. Therefore, when choosing a horse for cutting horse training you should choose one that has a strong origin as a cutting horse.
Learning Ability
Lastly, keep in mind that all horses are different so they will have their own learning pace. While some horses learn fast, other will take a long while to learn a simple task. Therefore, the length of cutting horse training should be a critical deciding factor. Cutting horse training is often done until the horse reaches a specific level of training in order to be an efficient cutter. It is important that you start training immediately while the horse is young so that the horse can take in all it needs to recognize.
Exercise Tips for the Cutting Horse
Once you see a cutting horse in action you will see how high-energy the event really is. When cutting horses compete the horse and rider enter a herd of cows and the riders tell the judge which calf they are going to “cut” from the herd and drive into the arena. The rider then uses a loose set of reins and turns the job of stopping the calf from rejoining the herd to the horse. There is a lot of action within a short two-minute period.
In order for a cutting horse to be successful it takes more than basic cutting horse training. You also need to make sure you keep your cutting horse is top physical condition. In addition to a proper diet, exercise is the most important part of keeping your cutting horse in top shape. On a day that the horse is working cattle this is all the exercise they need, but an older horse that isn’t training, as much will need exercise on the days they aren’t working with cattle.
A good exercise regime for the cutting horse is to have a warm-up followed by some time bending, flexing and backing. After this the horse will be sufficiently flexible enough to be taken into the arena where you can walk, trot or lope them for forty-five minutes to an hour. After the workout make sure you immediately hose the horse down to cool them off, especially if the exercise is strenuous.
Throughout exercise and cutting horse training it is most important that you make sure the horses aren’t overworked. You want to make sure you keep your horse enthusiastic about what they are doing. This will help keep them in top form and make them want to win. Therefore, make sure you keep the work enjoyable for your horse and you will have success with your cutting horse training.