Wolfgang wrote:

"'As smart as a cutting horse,' one of the old sayings of the range goes,
and many a tall tale about cutting horses that could read brands, classify
cattle as to age or sex, and would cut them accordingly, without bridle or
guidance by man, has come down. A good cutting horse does learn quickly to
recognize what his master, riding in a herd, is looking for, and as soon as
his master indicates an animal, begins working it out. I suppose that on
some ranches there are just as good cutting horses now as ever existed..."*

"The Mustangs", J. Frank Dobie, Castle Books, undated edition, p. 312.

Whoa, Nellie! Now you're an expert horseman. Amazing.

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Cut "to the chase" for my email address.