Posted on Thursday, 11th August 2011 by admin
The sport of equine cutting was developed during the cattle drives of the American West in the mid to late 1800s. The American Quarter Horse is the predominate breed used for cattle drives and are still well suited to task. Their stocky frame and ability to cover short distances quickly make them ideal at separating an individual from the herd. The Thoroughbred, on the other hand, is more commonly used in racing and dressage events. However, breeds of all sorts have been successful in the cutting discipline. Deciding if your Thoroughbred would make for a good cutting horse depends on a few things.
First off, consider the build of your horse. Are they a sprinter or a stayer? Sprinters are more muscular, stockier and tend to be a bit bigger all around. This gives them the athletic traits which makes sprinting and changing direction quickly easier. These are the attributes you want in a cutting horse. Stayers (long distance runners) tend to be slimmer and smaller. While these horses excel in events like polo, racing and fox hunting, they are not as well suited to the cutting arena.
Take a look at the abilities and build of your horse to determine if cutting would be a good idea for them. With the right build, Thoroughbreds can do very well!
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