The Florida Cracker Horse almost went extinct when farmers decided to use bigger horses for cattle driving. The breed got its name from a tool that Spanish cowboys used to drive cattle, called a “cracker”. It was a long whip that let out a loud sound into the air when it cracked.

The Florida Cracker Horse is small. Its back is short and strong with rounded loins, and it has an elegant head with lively eyes. They have natural alertness, power and stamina. They are born with a fast gait. The gait is called the “coon rack”. They are usually used for recreational riding. They are anywhere from 13.5 to 15 hands and they are usually a solid color or gray, although they have all possible equine colors.

Cutting horses can be any breed, but more often than not are Quarter Horses. Some breeds lack “cow-sense” and would rather run than face a cow head on. In addition to Quarter Horses, Appaloosas, Morgans, and Arabians, are also often seen in cutting horse competitions. There even is a breed that evolved from this sport, the Canadian Cutting Horse.

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What happens in any cutting competition is that a group of older calves are in the arena, other riders hold the herd at one end, while one horse and rider team separate one calf from the bunch. This is usually the riders decision, but once he, or she, has made their selection it is pretty much up to the horse to do the rest.

Cows, being prey animals, have a strong desire to return to their herd for safety. When separated they dart back and forth in an effort to return to their herd. The cutting horse keeps its position between the calf and the herd, facing the calf and anticipating its move. The horses job is to remain in control of the calf, keeping it away from its companions, so that, normally, another cowboy would rope it for branding, or whatever was being done. In competition the job is to keep the cow separate to demonstrate the horses talent and then to let it return to its herd in a way to show that it did not escape back to the herd. These are timed events in which the cowboy will want to separate a few calves, each one at a time, to show his, or her, horses skill and talent, over the course of the time allowed. Most cutting events are two and a half minutes long, and offer an ideal chance for a rider and horse to separate three calves, one after another.

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If a rider feels his calf is not actively trying to get back to the herd, and therefore is not testing the horses ability, he can pick another calf at any time, and allow that one to return to the herd.

A judge then awards points for the pair and the next team takes its turn. The pair with the highest points wins.

The equipment used is more than just a western saddle, because the horse moves very quickly from side to side, which would easily dislodge a rider in a typical western saddle, cutting saddles offer a deeper seat. Any kind of bridle may be used, but curbs and bosals are common. Extra protection to the horses legs is generally always offered. The horses put tremendous pressure on their legs and joints, an injury to an unprotected leg could easily occur as a horse knocks itself when stopping fast and turning.

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Cutting events often occur on their own or as part of a larger rodeo. In terms of cruelty they are generally considered less risky to the calves involved. The calves are older than those used in most roping events, and the stress is mainly mental as they are separated from their herds for less than a minute.

These competitions are fun to watch and are a true show of intelligence in horses as the horse out-thinks a cow.  They will get right down during their turns and be eye to eye with the cow as they try to determine its next move.  The thrills are different than watching show jumping, but the competition is just as tough.

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A look at the PMU Horse Industry

IT is pure equestrian refinement.  Riding side saddle, once thought to be Victorian and rather passe, is making a major comeback in the United Kingdom and is now often seen at all sorts of country events.

Valerie Francis and Janet MacDonald became interested in the art and founded the Side Saddle Association. They persuaded many of their friends to look through their attics and tack rooms to see if any side saddles had been stored there.

Many were discovered.  Some were beyond redemption, but more have been repaired and are now completely serviceable.  Many people will not part with a side saddle as they are costly.  A new one retails are around £2500 while a second hand saddle can cost up to £1500.

The lady sits in the saddle with her left foot in the single stirrup and her left leg lifted over the saddle, supported by the pommel and a horn. This does sound precarious, but in reality it is perfectly safe. At one time ladies riding side saddle tended to only travel at the walk and trot. However many now canter and even tackle jumps.

There are side saddle competitions virtually every weekend from March until October in the United Kingdom.

Ladies wear the traditional garb of a heavy wool coat and skirt, gloves, top hat ad a veil and their hair must be tied back in a bun.  Riders with short hair are obliged to wear an artificial hair piece.

Side saddle riding does have a strict code of etiquette.  Riders must not wear top hats before noon for example and their gloves must never be black.

Ladies riding side saddle bring a touch of olde world panache to country shows in these modern bustling times.

The Sport of Kings and Everyone Else

The social scene that the race track provides is one unlike any other. There is colour and noise to boot and don’t be fooled by the ladies in the chanel sunglasses, as they  probably know enough about betting to put rookies on the right track to picking a horse. ‘Dressed to impress’ ladies parade around the warm up ring and the club house with their respective partners, showing off new handbags and coats and betting on horses that friends own. And the ladies are not put off from attending these events regardless of the weather; in fact the Go Racing website provides a fashion tips section which advises the ladies to have a statement umbrella in case the weather does turn wet!

Why race? That is the question that can be asked, the answer is simple it’s a different experience that provides entertainment for those involved.

The atmosphere that one feels at the race track is that of excitement and trainer Paul Smith explains how this starts at home and is carried from the yard where the horses are in work, ‘I arrive at the yard and I can feel a buzz about the place, people are working, horses are chewing on their hay, its constant noise and the week before the race so many other things have to be prepared so that we are ready to race on the day’. Once the horses are properly prepared they are ready to go out there and race for the winning post in the lead. Attending races is a whirlwind of excitement that carries the punters from the opening gate to the bookies stands or their own winner’s circles when their horses whip the rest of the field. Indeed after attending a charity race meet that a friend’s father was competing in I began to see racing in a different light. It was exciting watching the horse he was riding galloping around the race track and hearing a name that one can relate to being out in front for awhile during the race. Needless to say the horse came in last but the experience of being at the races was different from anything else I had ever been to. We placed our bets up in the Arkle room and watched some of the races on the big screen while we had our drinks then for the charity race we were down at the track cheering him on. The day was just for enjoyment and it definitely fulfilled this idea as everyone came home on a high, we had felt more connected to the racing due to being involved in it.

Without the Horse There is No Race

Horses that produce unforgettable feats make racing the sport that it is. When the animals win against the odds the feeling is unforgettable. At the Cheltenham gold cup in 1986 a little mare called Dawn Run appeared from no where to win this prestigious race. The post celebrations to this win have been described as those that will never be forgotten. To this day the mare still holds the title of greatest national hunt mare of all time. At the Cheltenham gold cup in 1989 Desert Orchid or Dessie as he commonly known, produced another of these feats. Desert Orchid ran one of his most famous races by trailing behind the leader yahoo for most of the race only to win at the toughest part of the race when he was tiring and had to get up the hill. His jockey described him as ‘brave’, the horse gave it his all in the last few minutes of the race.

Arkle has been described as a freak of nature winning 27 of his 35 starts and been handicapped of up to two stone heavier than what his rivals were carrying. The end to these creatures that provide memories and excitement on the day is that of oblivion they almost cease to exist except in the memories of those that followed them indeed even for Arkle, having fractured a pedal bone he never returned to racing and was destroyed at the age of 13. Moscowflyer another favourite for along time grew old and after finishing fifth in a field of six finishers retired quietly to his stable. It is of no surprise that these animals have short lived careers that usually end in injuries due to the nature of the sport and yet they still run with no notion of what is to become of them. In horse racing anything can happen right up till the second that the horses’ nostril crosses the finish line. Horses that lose also produce memories for those that are involved with them. They can be the favourite and fall at the first fence or a no hoper that a rookie is hoping will run the race of his life only to fall flat on his face during the meet. Anybody who is involved in this sport remembers the thrills they have experienced from it, the memory of the first bet or the first win to the people they met at the race track that may have influenced their lives.

From placing your first bet to watching the horses parade around the ring, the atmosphere is energetic. Placing your second bet is just as thrilling because of the chance that your horse might win! At the end of the day win or lose the energy that the race track creates is what the punters leave with. And the horses, well they retire to their stables for extra feed and hay for an ordinary days work.