cutting horse

American  

noun

1. a saddle horse trained to separate calves, steers, etc., from a herd.

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cutting horse British  

noun

1. a saddle horse trained for use in separating an individual animal, such as a cow, from a herd

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Etymology

Origin of cutting horse

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

Texas has made available about $263 million since 2015 to help cities cover the costs of dozens of events, subsidizing everything from a Super Bowl to Junior Olympics and cutting horse competitions.

From Salon • Apr. 30, 2026

Since you are cutting horse racing coverage in print, would you consider making horse racing stories outside the paywall?

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 5, 2019

It’ll host the Mustang Magic riding show, annual cutting horse stakes and a full calendar of horse shows.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 8, 2019

Schulte said it’s natural for executives to want to apply their business skills to the cutting horse enterprise, but it doesn’t always work because “by the nature of animals, it’s too unpredictable.”

From Washington Times • May 10, 2015

Josiah had borrowed Ulibarri’s big palomino horse, the one Ulibarri claimed was a brother to the champion cutting horse at the State Fair.

From "Ceremony:" by Leslie Marmon Silko