Cattle Trial

The Cattle trial takes place in an enclosed arena with cattle-appropriate fencing (minimum size of 230 by 100 feet is recommended). During this trial, a team of three or four riders work together as each rider separates a designated cow from the herd and moves it across the enclosure to a holding pen.

Each person has three minutes to cut and herd their designated cow. Riders who fail to move their designated cow to the holding pen within the three minutes allowed receive “no time” (and therefore no points/awards) for the trial.

The fastest individual overall time (including any time penalties added) is placed highest in the Cattle Trial.

At this time, most Working Equitation competitions in the United States do not offer the Cattle Trial; however, several regions are starting to include the trial in some of their competitions.

Cutting the designated cow from the herd.

Teammates help hold the cattle in the containment zone while the competitor is cutting their designated cow from the herd.

Once competitors have moved their cow out of the herd and across the containment zone line, their teammates help to move the cow into the holding pen at the other end of the arena.

The clock stops once the designated cow is fully in the holding pen (pictured here), the rider’s horse is outside the pen, and the rest of the cattle are all behind the containment zone line.

The cattle trial is a wonderful test of the partnership between horse and rider.