We are dedicating this page to offer our tips and insight on the training and the purchasing of cutting horses. Each month we will present a selected topic that portrays our views and insight into the “Horse Industry”. We will be discussing training, breeding, purchasing and directions the industry is taking.

Introducing the Two Year Old to Cattle

All trainers have different timetables as to when they introduce their two year olds to cattle.  Some introduce them within the first few rides, while others wait several months to put them on cattle. This all depends on each trainer’s program and what they have found works best for them. I will try to explain to you my program and what I have found to work best for me over the last 15 years of starting colts and why.

I feel that the sooner I can get my colts on cattle, the better it is for them.  By following a cow, it gives the colts a reason to speed up, slow down and to be pulled right or left. They seem to catch on much faster and with less resistance if they are given a reason to turn along with the cue. Their attention gets split between reacting to what the cow is doing and to being guided by the rider. This keeps the colt’s mind fresh and makes them more willing to give in to the rider.

Each colt starts differently, but generally, I will introduce them to a cow after about 7 to 15 rides. I usually have a little bit of direction and a little stop on them. You don’t usually have to worry too much about this because by the time the colt is finished trailing the cow, he is tired and ready to stop.  

Once I feel my horse is ready, the first thing I will do is put one cow in the round arena and turn the horse loose in there with it. I like to let the horse get a chance to see the cow and chase it around for a while. The way the horse reacts to the cow gives me an idea as to how he will react when I get on him and ride him to the cow. After he has chased the cow for a few minutes, it is then time for me to get on him and follow the cow around or “trail” the cow. Once I get on the colt, I will walk him into the cow. When the cow takes off, I will speed my colt up to keep up with the cow. I will let him chase the cow around and just try to guide him in the general direction the cow is going. I do not force him to stay with the cow. If the cow turns and the colt doesn’t, I just circle him around and head him back towards the cow. Don’t make a big deal out of him not staying with a cow. The whole idea is to build their confidence, not to scare them. 

After a few days of trailing a cow, the colt will lock onto the cow and at the same time get an idea of what I want as far as cueing him to go left, right, and stop. They really do catch on fast with this method and with minimal resistance. I continue this pattern until the horse gets more and more confidence. Then I gradually push the colt up further along side the cow until he eventually is parallel. Once again, I don’t force this on the colts and we progress at their pace. By this time, I have a pretty good handle on the colts and they are beginning to stop with the cow. I always let the cow draw the colts into their turn and then you can offer them some guidance once they have started their turn. This is much further down the road and I will continue this in another article. 

I feel that early on a colt only needs to see a cow 3 to 4 times a week. I will spend the off days just riding them around in the arena or taking them out in open country. I will also work a person slowly through a fence to begin to teach the colt a pattern and to teach him to fade his ribs off of the cow then to break back over his hocks. This is apposed to letting that rib cage get stiff with no arc and allowing them to shoulder in which puts them out of position for the next turn. 

This is an overview of my program. Remember, each colt is different and has to be handled in a manner that suits him, not you. I hope this was of some help for those of you that would like to start their own colts on cattle. I strongly recommend that if you are new to this that you keep under the watchful eye of a professional.

Steve Kovacs