Why do so many heelers get too tight in the corner? It causes all kinds of problems, and yet it happens to them again and again. I think it’s because everyone tries to come in there and ride perfect position so early. You probably have no idea you’re doing it, but you just subconsciously try to be in position to rope on the first jump.
Here’s a revelation – most ropers, including myself, do not need to be there on the first jump. Even at most rodeos, guys are taking their shots on the second jump. Patrick or Jade or I might not be in the exact perfect position on the first jump, but we will get the steer roped on the second jump. A lot of rodeos and even more ropings are won by heelers who caught a steer on the second jump. I promise.
I guess another reason everybody wants to be so close in the corner is they’ve been left out in no-man’s land by a header a time or two. But let’s say you’ve got four partners at the jackpot. Maybe one of them has a horse that drops and ducks and leaves you hanging out to dry. So you tend to peel in there pretty tight the next time. The problem is that when the other three guys handle a steer normal for you, you’ll be right on top of that steer and unable to catch him.
Instead, hang back a little more. Most heeling boxes are 10 feet wide, so that would be your typical width running down the arena. But if you’ve been getting too tight in the corner lately, consider moving out to 13 or 14 feet wide.
You also need to learn how to get your horse collected and gathered up as you disengage leg pressure just before the corner (check my web site for a drill with Smarty that lets you practice this). You can rope on the second jump every time when you get good at this.
I know on steers that run hard you feel the need to kick hard and be aggressive with your swing. But if you keep kicking when you need to stop kicking, then you won’t be able to hold your horse out to keep your spacing. You may not realize you’re screaming in there with all that momentum, pushing him into the corner, and at the same time you’re pulling. That creates a hard mouth. Soon your horse starts running through your reins and now you are on top of the steer every time. Instead, pay attention to what’s happening on the approach. If it used to only take four or five pounds of rein pressure to hold your horse out and now it takes 25 pounds, your legs needed to disengage sooner.
When you learn to keep your spacing and stay back, you’ll be able to heel for any kind of header on any kind of steer. And you’ll always be ready to catch on the second jump. That’s just smart roping.
Visit smartroping.com for more.