What is a Cow Horse?

There are several components to a reined cow horse competition. Herd work, rein work and cow work. Futurities and Derbys will always contain all three elements. Most weekend shows will just do the rein work and cow work, with the competitor asking for the cow directly following the rein work.

The Herd Work
Entry should calmly separate a number of cattle from the herd without unsettling the rest of the group. One steer should be cut out and the rest of the group allowed to return to the main body of the herd. The horse should keep his head low and go about his work quietly. Horses should seem to be working on its own, on a loose rein. Fluid, cat-like movements that anticipate where the steer will turn next are desirable. Rider should avoid excessive spurring or reining of the horse. The steer should not be able to get past the horse and return to the herd until the entry "quits" that steer and goes to choose another cow from the herd. 2-3 steers should be worked in the 2 1/2 minutes time period.

The Rein Work
The horse should guide with little or no resistance, his movement balanced and rhythmic. There should be a noticeable change in speed from the large, fast cirlces to the small, slow ones. Flying lead changes should be clean, smooth and quiet. The horse should spin smoothly, keeping his head and body relatively low to the ground. One of the hind feet should remain planted as the "pivot foot". For the stops, the horse should travel straight and fast, without undue variations in speed. The sliding stop should be smooth and straight, with the horse's topline rounded from head to tail. The horse's head should not be flung up, nor his mouth gaping open. The rider's use of the reins to stop the horse should be subtle.

The Cow Work
The first phase of the cow work is "boxing". The horse should be alert and attuned to every movement of the steer and should appear to almost be working on its own. The steer should remain "boxed" at the and of the arena until the competitor obviously allows it to escape down the long side of the arena - this starts the fence run phase. During the fence run, the horse should appear to control every movement of the steer, rather than simply galloping in pursuit of it. The competitor should make at least one turn in each direction on the fence. Ideally the horse "holds" the steer on the fence during the turn, keeping it from running to the center of the arena. The final phase of the cow work is "circling up". The horse moves in position to efficiently drive the steer in a full circle in one direction and then a full circle the other way. The steer should not escape to any other part of the arena.

The History Behind The Reined Cow Horse
The ancestors of today's reined cow horse first came to the Americas with the Spanish conquistadors. By the time the Spanish missionaries were making their way into California in the 1700s, the vaqueros (cowboys) were well established in other parts of America and came with them into the most western state. For almost 150 years, the California reined cow horse - the trusted partner of the vaquero - reined supreme. These finely trained horses worked the great herds of longhorn cattle driven from Mexico to California and performed the day-to-day chores on the vast cattle ranches. The California vaquero - among the finest horsemen of all time - developed the equipment, the riding styles and the training techniques that produced some of the best stock horses the world has ever seen. Then came the Gold Rush! The sudden influx of newcomers into the Golden State changed the complexion of California and helped to bring about the breakup of the vast cattle ranches of earlier days. On the ranches that did remain, modern livestock management techniques and machinery eventually eliminated much of the need for a well-trained, versatile working horse. By the early 1900s, the reined cow horse had gone from being a necessity to a luxury, and there was little activity to sustain the history or background of this fine animal. Most ranchers were involved in a grim battle to survive the Great Depression. This trend continued through World War II; few people had the time to be concerned with the history, the horses and the training programs of "the old days." Fortunately, all of that changed a few years after the war ended, when a small group of dedicated California horsemen and women decided something ought to be done to preserve the legacy of this magnificent working animal.

Training in Tradition
The traditional vaquero training program included numerous phases - spanning several years before a horse was considered "finished" and capable of performing to standard the various maneuvers required on ranches, roundups and cattle drives. These phases are still maintained. To start, the mild snaffle bit is introduced to the young horse. Its purpose is to allow a 2- and 3-year-old horse to be guided through training without undue pressure on the tongue, roof or sensitive bars of the mouth. In skilled hands, the snaffle works on the corners of the horse's lips, providing gentle guidance to position the head, to stop and to turn. At the end of a year, a young horse should be able to perform, at speed, all moves necessary for good cow work. This is possible because of a slow start and schooling taken step by step, with little or no pain or fright associated with the training.