Even if you’re an experienced rider, stepping into the cow working world can be very confusing (and, um, dirty). There’s a lot of terminology that you haven’t heard elsewhere but that cowboys and cowgirls toss around like its second nature. One such phrase is “cow bred.”
Firstly, the term “cow bred” is used to describe horses — not cattle. As with most animals, horse breeding impacts their overall health, aptitude for specific activities, and appearance. In the western riding world, “cow bred” means that a horse has proven cutting, cow working, or even roping horses in its genealogy. In this way, it has been intentionally bred to be “cowy.”
Popular Cow Horse Bloodlines
Having talented cow working horses in its background doesn’t guarantee your horse will be a natural. It is, however, more likely that cow bred horses will have an easier time learning how to work cattle — and be better at it.
While some lines are broadly renowned, a lot of breeding comes down to personal preference. Here are some popular choices for cow bred horses:
- Doc Bar
- Driftwood
- Peppy San Badger
- Two-Eyed Jack
- High Brow Cat
- Reminic
- Smart Little Lena
- CD Lights
- Metallic Cat
- One Time Pepto
- Joe Hancock
- Dual Ray
- Little Peppy
This video shows characteristics of a cow bred horse:
P.S. Enjoy this article? Trot on over to:
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- What is a Turn Back Horse?
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