Cuttin' Tips

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This article appeared in the April, 2011 issue of Western Horseman magazine.
It appears here courtesy of Western Horseman magazine.
 

1. Tired of hearing, “Stop leaning?” Get in line!
   Try this: First, let the cow (or flag) move; Second, feel your horse start to move with the cow (or flag), THEN THIRD (Now its your time), make your adjustment to the cow's movement.
   1st Cow, 2nd Horse, 3rd YOU. Stay in line, do not cut line in front of your horse!
    

2. Trouble cutting a cow??
   Try this, get all the way behind the cow you want to cut. Aim toward the cow's shoulder nearest to you. Push on the shoulder, if you can not get the cow to move up top, choose a different cow. When the cow you want moves near the top of the herd (opposite the back fence and nearer the judges stand) change your target to the neck of the cow. When you are ready to stop the cow, slide your target forward to the eye of the cow.
    

3. Why does my horse come untrained so quickly?
   Cutting is a contest that requires your horse to hold his ground against the pressure of the cow. Because horses are animals of flight and naturally yield to pressure, any mistake you make while working or showing them weakens their resolve to hold pressure against the cow being worked.
    

4. You Must Disappear
   When I see a great cutting run, I don’t even notice the rider. As a matter of fact, when I do notice the rider during a run, it always means that a mistake has been made. If a rider is almost unseated, the horse probably stopped on its front end. If a rider is leaning, the horse probably turned around late. If the rider is leaning forward going across the pen, the horse is probably trailing the cow.
   
   Disappear by sitting down with your back relaxed and your chin above the saddle horn. Allow your horse to take you across the arena and stop the cow. Do not move your body with the cow. Let your horse move you. Ref. Teaching Tip #1 “Stop Leaning.”
    

5. Go – Stop
   To Go forward, grip your horse with the calves of your legs. If he does not respond, roll your spurs against his sides (do not kick him).
   To Stop, relax the calves of your legs releasing the pressure against your horses sides. If he does not stop, pull on the bridle reins (do not jerk the reins).