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What is the
Working Cow Horse?
(excerpts from the NRCHA history, www.nrcha.com)
The ancestors of today's reined cow horse
first came to the Americas with the Spanish
conquistadors. By the time the Spanish missionaries were
making their way into California in the 1700s, the
vaqueros (cowboys) were well established in other parts
of America and came with them into the most western
states.
 For almost
150 years, the California reined cow horse - the trusted
partner of the vaquero - reined supreme. These finely
trained horses worked the great herds of longhorn cattle
driven from Mexico to California and performed the
day-to-day chores on the vast cattle ranches. The
California vaquero - among the finest horsemen of all
time - developed the equipment, the riding styles and
the training techniques that produced some of the best
stock horses the world has ever seen.
Then came
the Gold Rush! The sudden influx of newcomers into the
Golden State changed the complexion of California and
helped to bring about the breakup of the vast cattle
ranches of earlier days. On the ranches that did remain,
modern livestock management techniques and machinery
eventually eliminated much of the need for a
well-trained, versatile working horse.
By the early
1900s, the reined cow horse had gone from being a
necessity to a luxury, and there was little activity to
sustain the history or background of this fine animal.
Most ranchers were involved in a grim battle to survive
the Great Depression. This trend continued through World
War Il; few people had the time to be concerned with the
history, the horses and the training programs of "the
old days."
 Fortunately,
all of that changed a few years after the war ended,
when a small group of dedicated California horsemen and
women decided something ought to be done to preserve the
legacy of this magnificent working animal.
Through the
formation of what has come to be called the
National Reined Cow Horse
Association, the original training methods of the
Spanish vaquero survive virtually unchanged. The
traditional vaquero training program included numerous
phases - spanning several years before a horse was
considered "finished" and capable of performing to
standard the various maneuvers required on ranches,
roundups and cattle drives. These phases are still
maintained.
The GOALS of the
NRCHA are, in summary:
• To preserve the "old" methods of
training reined cow horses.
• To promote active participation from all members
in working cow horse events.
• To interest junior riders in continuing the old
ways of the Vaqueros.
How do I find out
more?
Primarily of
west coast origin, the popularity of the
NRCHA now extends
virtually all across the country and abroad.
Contact an
NRCHA
affiliate in your area, or visit the
National Reined Cow Horse
Association web site.
The NRCHA STATISTICS
within these pages.
Data within these pages
is gathered from Equi-Stat/Quarter Horse News. These Equi-stat
reports will reflect all NRCHA approved earnings from 1992 through
the last day of the previous year, but may also include
breed show earnings, non-approved earnings, and other earnings
within the given time frame. Therefore, these reports may
occasionally reflect slightly different dollar amounts from strictly
NRCHA-approved earnings reports. All statistics lists will be
noted with the specific period of time and monies for which data is
reflected. |
