a) COMFORTABLE

The short round run was the best run. My horse worked best on that one. She was just more dialed in. She was more ready for when I roped the steer to go to the ground and get on her butt and make her move. Then she was ready to face. That steer was the best one we drew all day, too. Just medium, one step left. But after running two or three steers in competition, she was kind of woke up and ready for them.

b) THE CORNER

I want this horse on her butt but moving forward at the same time. She needs to still look like she’s on her butt and coming back with the steer. She’s a bigger mare, so she’s pretty physical. She wants to work a little straighter than some other horses I have, she works good off the pressure of the saddle horn with the weight of the steer on it. And right there, she was a little tight in the short round, which I like them tight and I can ride them better if they’re pretty tight. So, when I roped the steer and pulled my slack, she dang sure was wanting to get on her butt to make her move; it worked well. 

c) MOVING FORWARD

I can ride them forward well, I don’t bring them back real good, so I ride tight horses way better. I have a lot of forward momentum in my body and just the way I rope, I get along better with the horse that’s tight. 

d) LEFT REIN

That mare has a tendency to want to get her front end down. So, I’m trying to push that outside rein on her neck to stand that shoulder up and drive that left leg up underneath her. I’m just really trying to push her butt up through her shoulder, but I’m trying to hold her shoulder up with my left rein on her neck. I’m just kind of balancing her with my outside rein and driving her body up underneath her with my legs.

e) FEET

I’m trying to get my legs wrapped around her to where I can get her body picked up and get her back rounded out for when it is time to pull the steer. I think that picture is kind of taken in the corner when I’m setting the steer, so I’m trying to squeeze her with my legs and drive her body up underneath her to where the next stride, when she has to pull the steer, she’s in an athletic position to where I can pull the steer to where it’s heelable.

—TRJ—

Brought to you by Dechra—committed to the horses and stories that power the sport.