Located in Kooweerup, MFC Equine is teaching local youngsters the art of cattle cutting and other mustering-related sports. Gazette journalist HUGH PEARSON caught up with MFC Equine treasurer Belinda Taylor to find out more about the sport of cattle cutting and how the youngsters ply their trade.
You’re bound to see at least 10 horses when you make your way up the driveway of MFC Equine in Kooweerup.
MFC Equine has lots to offer for those who are passionate about horses and are looking to get into the industry.
“One of the main focuses we have is our Hot Shots and bringing the kids up as interns to become horse trainers in the sport of cutting,” MFC Equine treasurer Belinda Taylor said.
Some people in the horse industry would almost consider cutting a lost art and is something most people outside the world of horses are unfamiliar with.
Cattle cutting is a process which begins when mustering is complete, where a person on horseback will go into a group of cows and single out one cow for the purpose of branding or veterinary reasons.
“It’s developed into quite an art form, the sport of it to be able to do it and hold a cow out of the herd for a certain amount of minutes,” Ms Taylor said.
“The skill is in training the horse to do that because it’s one of those things where eventually the horse takes over and you get good horses and you get horses that just don’t get it.
“The sport of it is to be able to go in and cut the cow out of the group, hold it for a certain amount of time, let it go back and then cut another cow out.”
MFC Equine participants have opportunities to rise through the ranks and develop a career with horses.
“We have a situation where we’ve had our Hot Shots come up through the games they play and from there we’ve selected interns who do vocational training, and they’re given horses to work with,” Ms Taylor said.
“They’re given horses to train for the Futurity, which is the pinnacle of the sport.”
The annual Cutting Futurity in Tamworth, hosted by the National Cutting Horse Association, gives young horse trainers in Australia the opportunity to compete with the best of the best.
The competition attracts more than 500 competitors who will all be trying their best to win cash and prizes valued at more than $700,000.
“A lot of our interns are moving into taking the sport on as a career,” Ms Taylor said.
However, cutting isn’t the only avenue of work for the MFC Equine interns.
With the support of MFC Equine, some interns have started their own businesses, offering horse riding lessons and other services using horses.
“One of the interns, Ebony, has started her own business. She’s a trainer and trains horses and does riding lessons,” Ms Taylor said.
“One of our interns is going into equine-assisted therapy and she’s doing extra courses at Tafe to follow her goals of moving into working with therapy horses.”
The world is your oyster when you work with horses.
Ms Taylor said some of their interns had previously worked in the USA and are set to return to their jobs overseas this year.
“Three of our interns are going back to America this year because they’ve been offered work in the states,” Ms Taylor said.
“That’s a big thing for us and we’re really happy that their skills have been recognised.”
Last year, Hot Shots participants from MFC Equine went to the USA to train, show and compete with their stateside peers.
Ms Taylor said it was something she hoped more MFC Equine Hot Shots would get to take part in, in the future.
“It gives the kids so much exposure to the whole big picture of the sport and all the other sports that are connected to it like reining and campdrafting,” Ms Taylor said.
“It’s been a big eye opener so hopefully we’ll be able to continue it.”
Unlike equine-assisted therapy companies, whose horses are often retired or rescued racehorses, MFC Equine’s horse are mostly bred for the purpose of cattle cutting.
Interns at MFC Equine will receive a horse with no training so they can learn to accept everything they are taught and not just tolerate it.
“Generally most of the horses we have that come up into training are ours,” Ms Taylor said.
“We have a group of brooding mares and a stallion and we have generation after generation that comes through and some are picked for breeding and some are picked for training.”
The horses bred at MFC Equine are Quarter Horses that are more traditionally used for mustering.
“You can use any horse for therapy work but as far as cutting goes it’s the breed of the Quarter Horse that has that nimble, agile, short and fast, sort of terrier type aspect to it,” Ms Taylor said.
“They’re very quick and can turn on a circle.”
For people who are interested in being involved with horses, the MFC Equine Hot Shots program is open to people aged six to 18.
Hot Shots will play games and do sports and will be trained using a mechanical cow.
From there, if people continue to show an interest, they may undertake an internship.
“If we think they would be suitable for the program, we offer them an internship,” Ms Taylor said.
“It depends on how far they go and how much time and effort they’re prepared to give to the sport and the training.”
