I would love to see a video about team roping and how to keep my horse quiet in the roping boxes. From an older horse that knows the routine of roping to starting a new horse in the roping box. I am a header but would love to see suggestions for both ends. How to accustom the horse to the noise of the cattle and the chute noise, how do you keep them quiet and RELAXED in the box?
Thank you,
Stephanie from MI
I would like to see a lesson or two on this as well. I do Break Away Roping.
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Kind regards,
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Gen
Stephanie
I don't know that you can have a horse that is quite and relaxed. I would think the goal would be a horse that is calm but fired up at the same time. If you watch Trevor Brazil's horse he goes in backs to the corner and watches the chute. He is so into the job that he quivers in anticipation of the chute opening and the calf jumping out.
The tricks that I have seen used for roping horses is the rider stays calm in the saddle and does not fuss a lot with the horse Backs the horse deliberately to the corner and releases the reins slightly. If the horse has a lot of experience he will not jump around in the box. I have also seen someone on the ground rubbing the horse flank or butt with calms the horse down. Performance horses whether for show or sporting events usually get jazzed up if they enjoy what they are doing. The secret is to manage that energy. After showing my horse for the last with years he is much calmer now that when I started, but he still gets jazzed in the arena.
Good luck and I love watching a good roping horse work They are so cool and in the moment.
Cheers
Hello again
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When my friend was teaching me how to get my horse started in roping, we backed him into the box, and sometimes when the calf would be released we would go after it and other times we would just stand there and let it go. This way the horse is waiting for you to give the instruction to go after the calf and not just taking off out of control.
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The other things we did was when we finish a training session, we would back back into the box and let a calf go without chasing and then I get off and unsaddle and rub down etc in the box. Then I lead him back to the shed. My horse Ranger loves his cows, and I haven't had any major trouble with him in the box so far. He loves it and really focusses on the calf. Its great!
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See you later,
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Gen
Hi Gen,
I don't know much about the sport, but can i just say, that is GREAT ADVICE! That principle can certainly cross into training a horse for any discipline.
Well done.
Ruth
Thanks Ruth
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I can't take credit for it though, my friend Liz is a National Champion Barrel Racer and Roper in both Team Roping and Break Away Roping. The above is what she taught me - her advice has worked very well for me.
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You are right in that the principle can be applied to many areas of horse training - especially in horse sports. So many people have bomby fizzy horses in sports. You have to mix the speed up with the slow so that the horse is waiting on you for direction. Barrel Racing especially is another area where Liz has taught me similar things and as a result I have a very calm horse in this event where everyone else is hanging on for dear life!
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See you later,
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Gen
All great advise, and i do do alot of "Scoring" with my rope horse it does make them very sensative to listening to the rider for when to go, its good to score with a loose rein so the horse has the "choice" of go or wait, if he waits we walk out give him a rub and return to the box so he gets to chase the steer like he would like to do. on the other hand if he jumps of tries to surge out of the box he gets schooled and put back into position to score another cow, I find it very helpful to score at least half as many steers as i rope in a night.
Also i do not rope cattle like Trevor Brazile, not as many and not cattle that are as fast so my horse does not need to be that anxious in the box. She has been taught that you dont just stand in the box, like you are just standing around, you must look at the chute and watch the cow, so i like to teach them to be a little bent in the box. I find that this helps them not get so stiff or "locked up" in the box, the slight bend helps keep them from being able to freeze up. A horse that is frozen in the box is harder to ask for a great deal of impulsion if the steer jolts from the chute with great speed.
Gen one more great thing i have found and been taught by fellow more experienced ropers is when working in the box, back into position, get off your horse pick up all 4 feet, give a rub, loosten your saddle and walk out of the box. then while in the arena tighten back up get back on and re-enter the box. Repeat this process a few times, really helps keep the horse loose in the box, and yes relaxed.
i do this with my own horse at least once or twice every time i go to practice before i rope or score any steers. and then yes i always leave practice or competion for that matter by taking my horse to the box getting off and loosing the saddle. NEVER PICK A ARGUMENT IN THE BOX, if the horse is jumping around and swing his hip and doesnt want to stand in position then go out canter a few circles make him work some, then return to the box to stand, this teaches the horse by choice that the box is a safe comfortable place to be. It is kind of like the "Cutting corners" video on the uni.
I must just share one more thing. My friends have an old rope horse that came from out west and he was abused, he would buck off his rider and run to the heading box and stand, because he knew he would not get hit if he was in the box. He is a very distrustfull horse and it is very sad, he still has many issues to over come, but they are great very patient people.
Hello
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Thanks so much for adding these comments. I have noticed that some horses are "bent" in the box before they come out, but I thought it was because they "wanted" to watch the cow. I didn't realise you should teach the horse to do that, and now its said, its obvious. So I will do that from now on. Will also mention this to Liz as well.
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When I first started roping, I didn't realise that I was causing my horse to play up because I was holding the reins too tight as a result of being nervous. Since that was pointed out to me, I am very concious of having a loose rein now. My horse Ranger seems to be very forgiving - thank goodness - because I could have stuffed him up before we even got started!
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I will also add the picking up of feet and walking in and out like you said because I think that's a great idea.
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That's very sad about the old rope horse. But I have to say he is very clever to work out where the safe place is. Horses really are amazing creatures. He is lucky to have been found by the people he is with.
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Not sure if I have watched the "Cutting Corners" video... I will do that :-)
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Thanks again for the information you have provided here, its great. I hope they do make a video series on this topic for the Uni too.
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Kind regards,
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Gen
Not many people can rope close to Trevor Brazile but I believe if you want to see how to do something on a horse watch the best one you can. I Think that is one of the reasons I get so much from the lessons because they are presented in the best light and are clear.
Stephanie, I really like your comment about never pick a fight with your horse when in the box. Every once in awhile you will see someone "demand" that his horse behave in a certain manner and the longer the demand goes on the more the horse behaves just the opposite way. Thanks for the tips.
Cheers