Know What the Foundation Looks Like

There’s a point in every head horse’s training where he’s got it. He’s solid in the box. He knows where to run to when he leaves. He knows where to rate. He knows how to keep his shoulder and body in the right position through the turn, and he knows how to pull a steer.

None of that is the same as doing it all at once on his own, without me riding every step for him. That’s the next job, and it’s the one people skip.

Turn Him Loose

The way I do it is simple: load eight or nine medium steers, turn the horse loose and rope. I’ll be there if he needs me, but I want to see if he’ll do it himself first. If he does it right, I just rope on him.

Let the Mistake Give You Information

If he makes a mistake, I don’t make a big deal out of it. I might correct it a little, but I’d rather let him work through it and figure out where he’s messing up on his own.

The mistake isn’t the problem. The mistake is information. If he drops his shoulder and gets quick through the turn, I let it go and run another one—and on that one I’m ready for it. I make sure his shoulder stays going forward with the weight of the steer instead of dropping when he feels it. That’s a correction he can use, because it comes while he’s doing the thing, not after.

Control, Not Coaching

A horse at this stage knows what’s coming, so he’ll want to do every step before you ask. You’re not teaching him the steps anymore. You’re making runs and keeping him under control while he makes them.

—TRJ—