Cutting-Horse Geldings
Evaluate and place these prospective cutting-horse geldings. Then see how your choices compare to our expert judge’s.
FOR A CUTTING HORSE, conformation is a bit like pedigree—a starting point. Good conformation should lead to better longevity, but it doesn’t always make that horse the best performer. I’ve trained cutting horses with gorgeous conformation, but without the necessary athleticism, intelligence, or heart to excel. I’ve also trained horses with what are considered conformation flaws to championships.
Ideally, a horse should have a level topline so he can lift his front end and bring his hind end underneath himself to drive from behind. A good hock angle goes with that, so he can reach underneath himself with his hind legs. I like to see overall balance, a neck that carries forward smoothly from the withers, a relatively short back, a big hip for a power source, and a front end that’s not too bulky for agility. Cutting horses use their bodies hard, so good conformation can enable them to do their jobs more easily and help them stay sound.
This gelding is the best balanced of the three. His topline is smooth and even, and his neck is fairly level as it joins his withers. His neck also ties into his chest cleanly enough to give him some flexibility. His back is strong and fairly short, and the turn over his croup is smooth.
He’s full-bodied and strong through the shoulders and heartgirth without being overly bulky.
His shoulder has decent slope, and his hip has good depth to be an excellent power source. His gaskins are well muscled, and his hind end is well under him, so it appears he’ll be able to get a good stop and drive from behind.
His legs show a good amount of bone, and he stands on good, straight knees and pasterns of adequate length and slope in the front. His hind legs are well placed under him, and show a good hock angle, which will help him get into the ground and use himself correctly. Overall, he looks strong, durable, and agile, and the most complete package of these three geldings.
This is another good-looking gelding, with nothing about his conformation that would make me rule him out. He’s not quite as well balanced overall as Gelding A, with a bit of a longer back and a possible hint of being lower at his withers than his hip. He also appears a little higher headed than ideal, but he may level out well when he goes to work.
His shoulder is a bit steeper than Gelding A’s, but that shouldn’t hinder him. His neck ties into his chest well and he still looks agile and capable in his front end. He’s a little lighter bodied than Gelding A, but has enough depth and muscle to his hind end for power.
His front legs show good, flat knees and adequate pastern length and angle. His hind legs sit well under him, as with the first-place gelding, and though he might be a touch straighter through his hocks, he still looks like he’ll be able to reach underneath himself and use his hind end well. He should have the capability to perform well.
This gelding doesn’t have the balance of the other two, appears a little heavier in the front end, slightly downhill, and straighter-legged behind. The combination of those traits could limit his agility and longevity. However, he may perform well and stay sound with proper training practices.
His topline is smooth with a good short back, but his head sits high, and his withers are lower than his hip. His shoulder is a bit steep, and his front end is bulky with his neck tying into his chest quite low. Despite being short-coupled, his lower, heavier front end means he’ll lack some agility up front and he’ll have to work harder to get his hind end underneath himself.
His front legs appear flat-kneed with adequate pastern length and slope, but his hind legs lack the good hock angles of the other two geldings. His straighter hind legs compound the issue of his thick front end, making it harder for him to lift himself and reach his hind legs underneath him.