Basic Description
Cutting is a western performance event in which a single cow is seperated from a herd and then kept from the herd. The horse uses it's own body as a barrier and must act as a mirror image to the cow. This requires fast stops, spins and agility.

Picture Requirement
The horse must be in western tack and ridden. It must be actively cutting, for example: running alongside the cow, spinning to track the cow, lowered down facing the cow.

Automatic Disqualification
The cow being cut is not visible, if you can't see the cow that is being cut, the horse is disqualified.

The Traits
Following is a list of the traits used to judge cutting:

Face & Attitude: the horse should look very involved, not lazy. The horse should not look agressive; the horse is keeping the cow from the herd, but should not be chasing it agressively. A lowered head is often a sigh of a good cutting horse as it means the horse is getting eye level with the cow.

Movement: the horse should basically be a mirror image to the cow. The horse should not be facing a different direction than the cow.

Distance & Position: The horse should not be too far away. The horse should not be behind the cow chasing after it, if it is, this means the horse let it get away. Generally, the closer the horse is to the cow, the better.

Other Comments & Tips
The NCHA has some links you may find helpful at the Cutting Education area of it's site.