Staying Flat in the Rope Box

by Teresa Fackrell

One of the keys to roping is getting the right start out of the box.  In a previous post, we talked about going to the pin.  This puts your horse in the right position with the cattle.

Another way to get the right start is to make sure your horse is flat in the box.  You want your horse to be able to push off with all four feet not lunge or rear out of the box on two.  When they come out flat, they come to speed faster and you have the opportunity to rope quicker.

One thing that people do to cause their horses to squat in the box or be too far back on their hind quarters is they only focus on getting their horse in the corner and keeping them there.  So they put all of the pressure on them to get as far back in corner as possible.  They put a lot of pressure on their bit and reins.  Their horse has to squat or lean back in order to try to relieve some of the pressure. 

There is a simple process that you can use when you are practicing to help keep your horses flat in the box.

1)      Back your horse into the corner.

2)      Then have your horse take a couple of steps towards the pin.

3)      Then back your horse in the corner.

4)      Then walk your horse all the way to the pin and stop.

5)      Let you horse relax while standing in the right position next to the chute.

6)      Then back them in the corner again.  You will notice that they are now flat and not squatting.  You also have more control of their motion in the box.

This simple process will relieve a lot of pressure on your horse. 

  A couple of things to note:

   1)  You should not perform this exercise every time before you rope.  Your horse may start to stall because they think they are only walking to the pin and not running to the cattle.  We usually do this just a couple of times out of 15 to 20 head of cattle.

   2)  When they are flat in the box, reward them by releasing some of the pressure on your rein.  Remember, they do not need to be back on their haunches and shoved in the corner.

   3)  Also, allow them to stand at the in but if they want to move out of position you need to get after them and put them back in position. 

Going to the Pin

by Teresa Fackrell

Another key point in roping is to not break the barrier. One of the best tips for not breaking the barrier is to always go to the pin. The pin is the place where the barrier is hooked to the chute. The pin is circled in the picture on the right.

If you point you horse to the pin, when the barrier is released it will move away from your horse. Also the diagonal from the back of the box to the pin is the longer than just coming straight out of the box. You have less chance of breaking it if you go the longest distance.

The big plus is this also puts your horse in a better position to rope the calf than if you come out straight. So always remember go to the pin.

Get Your Rope Going

by Teresa Fackrell

In roping, kids have a tendency to come out of the box and wait till they get close to the cow before they start to swing their rope. They may lope halfway down the arena before they ever start to swing.

The kids that have the quickest times in the 2 to 3 second range have one thing in common, they get their rope going. The only way to be really fast is to start to swing your rope as soon as you nod. Your rope should be going before you leave the rope box.

See the picture on the right. Before the barrier has completely broken or the calf has completely left the chute she is swinging her rope. So get your roping going.