Schmidt’s Secret to Scoring Flat
Kolton Schmidt breaks down what he works on to get his head horses scoring flat.

I want my head horses behind the bit in the corner, waiting for my hand to drop instead of for the gate to bang. I have a young horse who wants to hop when he leaves the box. He doesn’t score as flat as I’d like, so I’m working on making him more consistent.

The Right Tools

It takes a lot of time in the box and a lot of bangs of the gate to make this happen. I have a Priefert Score Chute, and it saves me from bringing my steers up and back and up and back when I need my horses to hear the front gate while I’m scoring.

Fixing A Climber with Kolton Schmidt 

The Drill

I’m trying to take the front gate away from him. Sitting in the corner, I’ve got a hold of my reins, and I’m making sure my horse is staying behind the bit. I pop the Score Chute with the steer still in there, and I let go of my bridle reins. I want him to walk forward—but never past the cow—and then I back him up at the same speed I went forward.

Want to learn more from Kolton Schmidt? Sign up for an all-access membership to Roping.com.

If he just walks forward when I drop my hand, then I just ease him back at the same pace. But if he takes off, I make him back up at the same speed that he went forward, using my feet and hand more aggressively. I keep doing that until he just walks when I drop my hand, with his head and body behind the bridle and in my reins. 

Learn more on scoring with World Champion Chad Masters: Science of Score

SHARE THIS STORY
CATEGORIES
TAGS
Related Articles
Dustin Egusquiza and Jake Long posing with their checks after winning the 2024 Lone Star Shootout.
sharp shootin'
The Short Score: 2024 Lone Star Shootout Champs
Junior Nogueira riding Kiehnes Frosty Pepto, heeling at the 2023 Lonestar Shootout
Livestream
The Year’s Fastest Jackpot: Watch the 2024 Lone Star Shootout Live Exclusively on Roping.com March 21-24
Abel Sena and Kolton Sena rope at The Patriot 2024.
The Real March Madness
Ropers Tune In to +44.5K Hours of Live Coverage from The Patriot in 2024
WSG-link-preview-with-lines-and-logo-7-2
Mount Money
The Head Horses of the 2024 American Rodeo (And Yes, We Have Their Pedigrees, Too)
Driven2
5 Masterclasses to Improve Your Roping Game