Cutting: A Guide for the Non-Pro Competitor (The Howell Equestrian Library) [Paperback]

Sally Harrison (Author)

Book Description

Series: The Howell Equestrian Library | Publication Date: September 1996

Focuses on selecting the right horse, perfecting the horse's ability "to read" cattle, and learning what top riders and trainers say about making the 2 1/2 minutes in the arena winning time.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Howell Book House; 2nd edition (September 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0876057210
• ISBN-13: 978-0876057216
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,526,651 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #69 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Rodeos

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good overview of the cutting horse world, March 25, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Cutting: A Guide for the Non-Pro Competitor (The Howell Equestrian Library) (Paperback)

Sally Harrison's book is an excellent overview of the horses, people, and events that make cutting such an intriguing sport. She includes fascinating insights into the lives and histories of some of the immortal horses of the sport, from Poco Bueno to "Little Peppy" (Peppy San Badger), with commentary on what made them so great. The section on Doc Bar and the "two fools," as well as the description of the day Poco Bueno inspired Pine Johnson to adopt the not-quite-classic habit all cutting riders now favour, are in themselves worth the price of the book.

Harrison includes plenty of people in her story as well, from classic trainers like Buster Welch, Pine Johnson and Leon Harrel, to avid non-pros. All of these people give anecdotal explanations of why the sport and the horses have such a hold on them. Letting people like this tell their stories makes for entertaining and often rather moving reading.

There's one odd, and rather amusing, aspect of this book -- when I tried to look up Leon Harrel in the index I couldn't find him. Then I realized that none of the humans quoted or described in the book are listed in the index. You can look up every passing reference to Smart Date or Doc O Lena, but Harrison appears to have left the people out of the index entirely. That alone tells you all you need to know about Harrison's love for horses and cutting.

My only complaint is that I wanted more and yet more details. This book could have been twice as long and I would still have read it in a sitting.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A perfect guide for the novice, June 26, 2006

By 

Penny Wormet "Author of LOVING LARRY" (Friendship, WI United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cutting: A Guide for the Non-Pro Competitor ([The Howell equestrian library]) (Hardcover)

While researching the sport of cutting for my book 'Loving Larry' I read everything I could to capture the essence of the sport. Sally Harrison's guide for the non-pro competitor was my favorite reference. I love the personal stories and photos of the old-time Quarter Horses that were the foundation producers of modern day cutting horses. I appreciate Sally's understanding and careful explanation of the history, terminology and basic rules of cutting. After reading cover-to-cover with awe and fascination and referring back repeatedly for basics, I found this book to be a perfect guide for the novice that I was.

3.0 out of 5 stars Great history, not great training, May 23, 2006

By 

Ivy Schexnayder "Horse Trainer" (Ilinois) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cutting: A Guide for the Non-Pro Competitor (The Howell Equestrian Library) (Paperback)

I really enjoyed her chapters on how the cutting horse came about. They were informative and fun to read. She also does a good job going over the basic rules for non-pro cutting events. I was hoping for more training tips and was disapointed. She hardly even touches on the subject of training your horse to cut.

This book is primarily for someone who is willing to spend lots of $$$$ on a horse and trainer to compete. If this is not you, I suggest trying to get it from a library.