As a whole, the roping industry is stronger now than ever before. The opportunities for ropers continue to evolve, and the competition is becoming tougher each day. As the skill level of the ropers increases, the importance of horse power is becoming an even more prominent factor in separating the “good” from the “great.” With so much opportunity ahead of ropers at this point in time, having a well-rounded training program is essential to reaching an elite level of performance. Here are some of the main takeaways we shared with our students at our most recent breakaway school in Dickinson, North Dakota. The Importance of Horse Power In any timed event, you are only as good as your horse is. In an industry with so many talented competitors, there are plenty of people that understand the benefit of using horse power to make their jobs easier. Therefore, you have to leverage your horsepower if you want to reach that top level of performance. When you have confidence that you have the horse power you need to succeed, you back into the box with a completely different demeanor. You carry yourself differently. You think and talk differently. And, your horse can feel that. You are more relaxed. You are more intentional with your signals. Sending consistent signals to your horse is the number one thing that helps build mutual confidence between horse and rider. In turn, this confidence accelerates the level of success you share once you nod your head. Scoring One of the biggest concerns we hear from our students is “I want to get better at scoring.” Many students think that “getting better at scoring” translates to “never breaking a barrier;” however, from a horsemanship perspective, we look at scoring a different way. Scoring, in my book, essentially means leaving when you want to leave, not when your horse wants to leave. Scoring well doesn’t necessarily mean you will never break a barrier or get out late, but if your horse is responsive enough to leave on your command, that is good scoring. With repetitions, your timing of when you release your horse to move forward will improve; but, proper scoring starts with your horse understanding the responses you are asking for. You want to build a solid enough foundation that allows that animal to be able to move off of your hand and leg pressure instantaneously. Position Correctly positioning yourself for a throw is the easiest way to improve your win-loss ratio. Too often, ropers are focused more on “throwing fast” than “throwing correct.” If you focus on putting your horse in the proper position each time you throw in the practice pen, your horse will know exactly where it is supposed to be when you are in competition. Establishing consistent positioning reduces the need for you to throw a “perfect loop” and gives you a much greater chance of accurately placing your rope. Going Back to the Basics The biggest mistake we make on our rope horses is only roping on them. Many ropers get into a habit of taking their “good and finished” horses into the practice pen and roping on them each time they saddle them. But, how often do they take it back to the basics and soften them up with a snaffle bit? Just because you are at a certain level with your horse doesn’t mean you shouldn’t back up and reinforce softness and agility drills. By adding variety to your practice routine, your horse will get fresher, sharper, and more responsive. The variety keeps your horse searching for the responses you’re asking for and eliminates some of the frustration associated with our horses anticipating our throw (i.e. getting short, quartering off, or even getting tense in the corner). By making your horse better, you will ultimately make your job as a roper easier.

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