Rope Horse Pros And Cons

Team ropers-r-us
The rider slowly backs his horse into the metal box. Nerves are pulsing through his body. He looks to the left and sees the steer is ready and looks even farther to the left and makes eye contact with his partner. He gives the look and nods his head. After that, it’s all so fast the steer launches forward and his partner swings the rope, and it is thrown, he prays for the best. Lucky for him the rope lands around the horns and his partner dallys up and turns left. Now it’s all up to him and his horse, that his skillfully trained. He knows that without this horse none of it would be possible. Without the sport of rodeo, none of it would be possible. Horses are an integral part of rodeo and Team Roping in particular. Looking …show more content…
Training a rope horse is not a simple process. The first thing to remember when beginning the training process is that the horse must be broke and able to collect itself and break at the poll (“Rope”). Breaking at the poll means that when the rider applies pressure to the horse 's bit, the horse drops its head allowing the three vertebrates in the neck to arch. If the rider applies pressure to the bit and the horse fights back, the horse is not breaking at the poll. When training a rope horse, and any horse for that matter, a vital component is spending time with the horse and learning the horse’s every move. There are various ways to train a horse, but generally a trainer will begin training a rope horse by working a cow in the arena. Much like a cutting horse. This enables the horse to learn how to read a cow. Not only does it teach them how to train a calf, but it allows the trainer to determine if the horse is even interested in calves at all. The next step is to begin tracking the calf. The ultimate goal is to have the horse follow closely behind the calf on its own. This means the horse mimics the direction of the calf. If the horse becomes hot or chargy, it is nothing to worry about. Go back to tracking the calf slowly and help the horse out more. Another thing that trainers do is use a donkey instead of a calf. Some horses get tired of calves. Donkeys are less predictable than cattle, allowing the horse to pay closer attention. A donkey also hops similar to a calf and steer. The next step is to begin working out of the box. It is best to make sure that the horse remains relaxed and is always paying attention to the rider while in the box at a young age. When entering the box the horse should turn around slowly. When the horse is backed up in the corner the goal is to have equal weight distributed on all four legs. Maintain a light and steady pressure on the horse