First Run in a Team Roping
Well, Leo did it today! He had his roping debut! Our strategy was to just have him do one run and then let him relax, so he would have as little stress as possible and walk away feeling good.
Last year, Leo was a very anxiety filled little fellow. He was hot, jumpy, and very unmanageable. I’ve noticed at these team roping events that you can just feel the intense energy and anxiety in air; it’s stirred up and swirling around every horse and rider along with the dust. Even during warm up, it’s not an easy place to keep a horse calm. Riders are zipping past you at all speeds, ropes are whistling through the air, and more than a few horses lose their cool.
My plan was to get there early, before everyone else, and begin warming up in the empty arena. I had Leo do laps, where I sped him up to a gallop and slowed him into a canter over and over again. I wanted to run through that layer of nervous energy to get to a place where he was thinking. And thats just what happened. By the time the other riders entered the arena, he was calm and listening. He was just too tired to be anxious (sneaky me).
I also had him stand quietly in the box. Then we’d canter out and canter right back into it. I made it so the box was where he got to rest. I did a few more drills that the roping instructor told me to do as well. When the roping started, I had him stand by the box while the ropers ran out one after the other.
Finally, it was Leo’s turn. He only had to get through one run. Jim was great. He put Leo in the box and they were both the picture of calm. When Jim nodded and the steer was released, Leo hesitated for a minute which gave the steer a pretty good lead. Then he just came alive and boy that little horse can hustle! He tore outta there so fast and so flat! He didn’t even need a tie-down! I think he was the only horse out there without one. Leo caught up, and Jim caught the steer, dallied, and turned it. Woo hooo!!!! They did it!
Jim hopped off, I hopped back on, and Leo resumed relaxing in the afternoon sun. Amazing!
Things to work on: Leo isn’t easy to slow down when he reaches that speed, which means he can blow past the steer. We’ve decided 3 things: 1) I need to do a lot of practice with speed transitions from canter to gallop to trot, 2) Jim needs to think ahead and begin slowing Leo down before reaching the steer, 3) We need to experiment with different bits for roping.
All in all, it was a very excellent day. I rode a lot. Leo is just a changed horse. I can’t even believe it. A rope horse with no tie-down.
The making of a horse, the making of a cowgirl.
Hey, what’s that over there in the warm up pen? Ain’t never seen that horse around here before. He’s going along pretty good it looks like. A little sweat there behind the ears so must be his first time. Kinda lookin around seein what all the fuss is about but that gal sure got most of his attention. Looks like she’s pretty much got that horse trusting her.
And who is that gal up there on him anyway? Hey, ain’t she the one that couldn’t hardly figure out whether to face the head or tail when getting on a horse about a year ago? Damn fellas looks like she’s come out here with a plan and it’s sure enough working. It’s starting to get a little western there in the warm up pen and that old nervous horse is got one ear taking it all in and the other cocked back just following her lead. We gotta find out who that girl been training with.
Let’s see what that horse can do when it comes time to do it for real. I sure wish my horses would settle like that their first time in the box. Hey buddy ya forgot your tiedown! Too late, there they go. Hey fellas I don’t think he forgot it. How you think they got that horse to run like that with his head and neck all soft? They got their catch and working that steer pretty darn good.
Well fellas looks like it’s going to get a little tougher to get a paycheck around here pretty soon. Damned women trainers, ought to be a rule against it. But since there ain’t maybe I’ll do some asking around see if she might put a few rides on some of my colts. Before some of these other fellas do and her barn gets full up. And where you think I can get me a pair of them english riding boots?
16 Sep 2008 at 7:03 am
hahaaaaaaa! You’re killin’ me Al. You’re so nice to me. Thanks!
16 Sep 2008 at 9:20 pm
Ain’t nothin nice about it. You earned it. Good ride cowgirl.
17 Sep 2008 at 6:24 am