tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317822193674196694.post8783662897630777850..comments2024-03-01T06:49:59.106-05:00Comments on Behind the Bit: Dressage horses and cutting horses: AmazingStacey Kimmel-Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08498926535389535263noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317822193674196694.post-5894833703112847222012-02-23T14:33:40.867-05:002012-02-23T14:33:40.867-05:00The long reins are a part of the training. The hor...The long reins are a part of the training. The horses are taught to work the cows themselves. <br /><br />The rider isn't necessarily holding onto the horn to stay on, but sometimes it comes to that. <br /><br />They actually do cue the horse with their legs. Keeping a cow slow and controlled is what they go for, not so much the bouncing back and forth usually associated with cutting.<br /><Cut-N-Jumphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10355349642284506192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317822193674196694.post-50434035814096887442012-02-21T02:36:10.277-05:002012-02-21T02:36:10.277-05:00Mares ARE smart. Until I owned one, I only knew th...Mares ARE smart. Until I owned one, I only knew that in passing. A lead mare's job in a herd is to lead the herd to safety. The stallion just pushes from behind. It is the woman up front making all the critical decisions.<br /><br />A lot of these cutting horses are lead mares. They have to be. You don't want a wussy gelding backing off a cow. You don't want a shy mare that doesn'Friesianwelshxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11559821379568055421noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317822193674196694.post-90184249680982156172012-02-21T02:34:53.464-05:002012-02-21T02:34:53.464-05:00Mares ARE smart. Until I owned one, I only knew th...Mares ARE smart. Until I owned one, I only knew that in passing. A lead mare's job in a herd is to lead the herd to safety. The stallion just pushes from behind. It is the woman up front making all the critical decisions.<br /><br />A lot of these cutting horses are lead mares. They have to be. You don't want a wussy gelding backing off a cow. You don't want a shy mare that doesn'Friesianwelshxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11559821379568055421noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317822193674196694.post-35640065197837744712012-02-20T14:57:54.217-05:002012-02-20T14:57:54.217-05:00Andrea, this is OTS, but my grand parents started ...Andrea, this is OTS, but my grand parents started Stuart Nursery, although my grand mother (now deceased) sold it years ago. There is a vet clinic now where they used to live, down the highway from Stuart Nursery. My grand father helped organize some of the first rodeos out in the Strawn area. There is definitely a horse gene in our family.Kitty Bohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02030621211779302151noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317822193674196694.post-65345166779029090452012-02-19T17:40:12.582-05:002012-02-19T17:40:12.582-05:00I live in Weatherford TX, and it truly is the cutt...I live in Weatherford TX, and it truly is the cutting horse capital of the world. Even our McDonald's has a statue out front of Ronald McDonald in chaps and a cowboy hat riding a Paint who is cutting a calf! Swear on my life!<br />The flip side to this is that most of the big money owners are just riders who let the trainer lope their horse down for an hour or two, then get on and sit there Andreahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15902291220984883182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317822193674196694.post-50606055181569949542012-02-19T11:59:43.751-05:002012-02-19T11:59:43.751-05:00Yup, they are amazing! Seriously, the rider is sim...Yup, they are amazing! Seriously, the rider is simply a passenger - notice the looped reins. I'll tell you, one of those big "dodges" and I'm sure I'D be unloaded in a hurry! :-) <br /><br />Did anyone else notice the really deep arena footing? Seems to me like that would be hard on the horses, trying to work in that (their hocks have already GOT to be taking a beating). AnyRiderWriterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05679157278313699794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317822193674196694.post-30427920245166028112012-02-19T08:48:50.579-05:002012-02-19T08:48:50.579-05:00My neighbor had a "cow horse" and she wa...My neighbor had a "cow horse" and she was awesome. Even though she rode her to run barrels, she would get very excited (literally vibrating from head to hoof) every time she saw a cow. Most of them seem to relish the challenge.<br />One of the best moving horses I've ever seen is "Merlin" (I think that's right). He is a drop dead gorgeous Lusitano and is ridden by a Jenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17608579972739041880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317822193674196694.post-61756338896664365212012-02-18T22:47:54.410-05:002012-02-18T22:47:54.410-05:00For these horses, it's an instinct bred into t...For these horses, it's an instinct bred into them. When I was in college, I was on a project where we started 2 years under saddle for this purpose (or reining). The first time my horse saw a cow she reached out to bite it. Ok, so they aren't suppose to do that but she was really "cowy". She got sold before we took the horses to the Snaffle Bit Futurity to sell.Desireahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11018161744879155411noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317822193674196694.post-40872030928937617102012-02-18T22:30:24.411-05:002012-02-18T22:30:24.411-05:00North Texas, especially around Weatherford, has be...North Texas, especially around Weatherford, has become the cutting horse mecca--vets, trainers, and all it takes is lots and lots of money. I do love a good cutting horse.Kitty Bohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02030621211779302151noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317822193674196694.post-15961562480576306242012-02-18T22:20:45.066-05:002012-02-18T22:20:45.066-05:00Talking about sitting behind! Those horses are li...Talking about sitting behind! Those horses are literally pivoting off their hocks in the turns. Unreal. And the movements are too fast for cues from the rider. The horse has a large responsibility and knows her job. Really interesting video!Valhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07335385366138424092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317822193674196694.post-55323288919741320832012-02-18T21:44:18.184-05:002012-02-18T21:44:18.184-05:00I've never ridden a GP horse (yet! :-) but cut...I've never ridden a GP horse (yet! :-) but cutting is an incredibly addictive feeling. It's not the dressage partnership...it's more you're along for the ride. Those horses want to work that cow more than they want to do anything else, and the ride is incredibly cool.<br /><br />If you're looking for other good video to kill time, don't miss these two great horses that areAndreanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317822193674196694.post-44664267526259685362012-02-18T16:17:27.858-05:002012-02-18T16:17:27.858-05:00I don’t really like seeing this sort of stuff, but...I don’t really like seeing this sort of stuff, but yes there agility is truly amazing and they are all beautiful horses.<br />Regards<br />EdwardEdwardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01147322172866367128noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317822193674196694.post-4221892403220029662012-02-18T14:04:26.809-05:002012-02-18T14:04:26.809-05:00I'm lucky enough to have seen this in person i...I'm lucky enough to have seen this in person in 2009. My sister lives five minutes away and admission is FREE!Heidihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03483559349502554111noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317822193674196694.post-51503245176725819912012-02-18T13:41:52.684-05:002012-02-18T13:41:52.684-05:00It proves why you need a western saddle for that w...It proves why you need a western saddle for that work--to hold on!<br /><br />We had a little donkey at the barn where my first TB was boarded, and one day I went out to ride and the donkey was out. I decided to see if my horse and I could herd him back where he belonged. <br /><br />Once my horse figured out what I wanted, that was it. He played cutting horse like you wouldn't believe. All IJeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10029423500476995817noreply@blogger.com