How to Position Short-Strided and Long-Strided Heel Horses with Travis Graves
Travis Graves shares insights on how to position short-strided and long-strided heel horses.

I hear people talk a lot about short-strided versus long-strided head horses, but the same thing can be said for heel horses. There are good heel horses with both types of strides, but the roper just has to know how to position both types.

Improving Light Feet with Logan Olson

Short-Strided

Short-strided horses have a lot faster feet. That keeps the speed of your swing faster to stay in time with your horse and the steer. It’s easier to move the feet of a short-strided horse and get in position going down the arena and through the corner.

Long-Strided

You have to protect a longer-strided horse a little more. You generally stay a little wider to allow things to happen and give you and your horse time to react. They can make the move if they’re wider, and by riding wider you can get in time with your horse’s time and the steer’s feet. Rich Skelton, he stays wider and doesn’t have quite as much speed on his swing, so I think he can ride a longer-strided heel horse really well. That was his style. Jade can do that too, but he can do both. He stays wider and swings slower sometimes. But to me, a shorter-strided horse lets me swing faster and fits me better.

Short-Strided vs. Long-Strided Head Horses with Tyler Wade

Understanding Conformation

Is the horse longer backed or shorter backed? A longer backed horse will likely have a longer stride, and vice versa for a shorter-backed horse. And generally, if his hocks are under him, he is shorter strided. If his hocks are under him, all he has to do is slow down and his butt goes under him. 

SHARE THIS STORY
CATEGORIES
TAGS
Related Articles
June_2025_Clay
roping mechanics
The Swing Bone’s Connected to the Delivery Bone
2025_Reno_Slack_TR_Hunter Koch_ClickThompson-0001
been there, done that
One of the Greats: Hunter Koch Banks $30K in Two Weeks on Casino
Travis Graves
TG
Behind the World No. 1: Travis Graves
Msy_2025_Clay
seeing the whole picture
Choosing the View That Works for You
WSG - link preview with lines and logo-10
Classic Legends
Classic* Moment: Coleman Proctor, Ryan Motes Bank Biggest Team Roping Check in History: $433,333.33-a-Man at 2019 American
The Team Roping Journal
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.