Thursday Video: The OTTB Cow Pony

If we didn’t tell you, would you have guessed that this horse was a Thoroughbred?

Quarter horses tend to get all the credit for being “cowy” — that seemingly innate ability to read a cow and react to its movements, entering a sort of dance as the horse stops and turns with the cow to manipulate his motion. While certainly genetics play a big factor in helping a horse have that cow sense, it can be taught and nurtured by a patient horseman willing to show his mount the way.

That’s what Dale Simanton of Gate to Great in South Dakota has discovered through decades of retraining ex-racing Thoroughbreds for western careers. Of course, there are a few bloodlines that seem to be particularly well-suited toward turning a steer, such as the notorious Storm Cat line — which has a reputation for a little attitude.

This Storm Cat lined gelding in training at Gate to Great might agree:

Gate to Great and Dale Simanton have made a name for the Thoroughbred in ranch work; Simanton’s trainees are often sought after not only for western disciplines but for more “traditional” Thoroughbred disciplines as well due to their solid foundation and great exposure.

Learn more about Gate to Great here!