Cutting Horses for sale in Southern Alberta
We have several cutting horses for sale here at Baxcana Ranch, located just 10 minutes south of Claresholm. Our sale horses are at various training levels and ages. View our Sale Horses page for pictures, pedigrees and video.
https://www.albertaranchforsale.com/
Call 403-336-1313 to view the property.
About the Cutting Horse
The cutting horse, working a cow, is a spectacular thing to see! Whether you are watching a cutting horse in action at an event or see it at work, as ranchers have to cut a cow from the herd, it’s worth your time!
A trained cutting horse is a powerhouse of athleticism!
These horses are bred to cut, just like a border collie is bred to herd. It’s in them. It’s the horse’s trainers job to hone it and in the end, it’s the cutting horse that does the work, the rider is just, well, along for the ride!
Before this became an event where trained cutting horses can go to be shown, scored and paid for their efforts, it was and still is, a daily practice for ranchers. There is often a need when you have a herd of cattle, for horse and rider to go into the herd and ‘cut out a cow’ that is in need of vet work, or branding, or what ever the case may be. The cow has to be removed from the herd, and it’s the horse’s job working in unison with the rider, to cut that cow, and isolate it from the rest of the herd. As long as there are cattle drives and working ranches, a cutting horse is a necessity!
The actual showing of cutting horses in events started in the mid 1800’s when cowboys would gather to see who had the best cutting horse. It became a sport in the 1900’s, and today, thanks to many associations, including the National Cutting Horse Association, or NCHA, cutting competitions are nation wide.
The NCHA was formed in 1946, after that the Canadian Cutting Horse Association was formed. With these associations, came guild-lines and rules for the event of cutting.
Every rider has two and a half minutes to show their cutting horse.
The rider walks quietly towards the herd of settled cattle. Once they cross the timing mark, they have two and a half minutes on the clock to get their horse shown. Once they are in the herd the process of separating the yearling from the herd begin.
Judges want to see quiet, clean, deep, controlled cuts. The horse and rider will move several cattle from the herd, focused on one cow, the horse allows the rest of the cattle to return to the herd, and remains locked on the one cow it will cut. It’s now the horse’s job to keep that cow from going back to the herd. The rider then drops his hand, and allows the horse to take control of the cow. When the cow stops, or looks away disinterested, the rider can lift the reins, and ‘quit the cow’. The rider can then enter the herd again, make their cut, and get their horse shown.
Years of training go into every horse, and a great cutting horse knows his job, at the show or on the range, they truly love what they do. Once you throw your leg over a cutting horse, there’s no looking back. You’re hooked!
