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People who do not live in North America do not often
realize that cattle ranching is a major business in Canada and that Canada,
although it has no indigenous horse breeds, has long been breeding excellent
horses of many types, one of which is a recognized Canadian type - the Canadian
Cutting Horse. The breed is based largely on the American Quarter Horse, which
they resemble in appearance, temperament, and aptitude. They have been
selectively bred over the years to be extremely quick, athletic, and agile as
well as being intelligent, calm, and willing. These are all qualities that they
need to carry out their principal job, the working of cows on the ranch. The
Canadian Cutting Horse can match the Quarter Horse's speeds at short distances.
They are very trainable and have good tempers.
The breed is largely based on the Spanish Horse, which are
renowned for their cow sense. This is a very vital element of both the Canadian
Cutting Horse and the American Quarter Horse. Basically, the horse naturally
out-thinks and out-maneuvers the cows. They are widely used, as is the American
Quarter Horse, for all kinds of ranch and cow work, as will as being often used
in cutting competitions. These competitions involve the horse having to separate
a marked cow from a herd with speed and grace. Once the vow had been separated,
the horse then has to keep the cow from returning to the herd by mirroring its
movements. Once the cow has been cut from the herd, the hider holds onto the
saddle horn, and the horse is left to mark the cow by itself. These competitions
demonstrate the agility of the horse and also its intelligence and training.
Often the prize money is quite large in contests such as these.
The Canadian Cutting Horse has a well-proportioned head
with a straight or convex profile, which is a throwback to its Spanish ancestry.
Their eyes are intelligent and kind, and their ears are mobile and alert. The
neck should be nicely sloped and set well on the shoulders, which are nicely
sloping and powerful. The chest should be broad and deep, the back straight, and
the quarters immensely powerful and muscular. The legs are short and very strong
with hard tendons and excellent feet. The overall appearance is of a
well-proportioned, powerful animal, that appears close to the ground, due to its
shortness in the legs. They can be chestnut, bay, gray, or brown, and stand
between 15 and 16 hh.
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