Ecovet Performance of the Week: Bareback Cutting

Riding a cutting horse is challenging. Riding bareback and bridleless is challenging. Doing them both at the same time? Well, Zoe Woodland sure makes it look easy.

The All-American Quarter Horse Congress is taking place right now in Columbus, Ohio, the largest single-breed horse show in the country. The show is so massive that it essentially takes most of the month of October to run to completion, featuring almost every kind of class you can imagine: western pleasure, western performance, hunters, jumpers, halter, barrel racing and more, all for the American Quarter Horse.

A few special events highlight the Congress calendar — the freestyle reining is always a big hit in particular. Slightly lesser known but just as impressive, the bridleless cutting draws a big crowd as well: contestants must compete their horses without a bridle, demonstrating the cutting horse’s true instinct for reading and working cattle.

Zoe Woodland of Orient, Ohio took things a step further this year: riding Abby Prachar’s Peptos Instant Style, Woodland rode not only without a bridle, but without a saddle too. Considering the kind of athletic movement one can expect from a good cutting horse, this is not a feat to be taken lightly!

Marking a 225, Woodland and Peptos Instant Style won the class by eight points!

Go riding.