At every roping event there seems to be one or two horses that can’t walk in the box and remain calm until the run. We have all seen it. Someone will ride in the box and try to position their horse for the run and just about the time they nod for the steer the horse will come undone. They will spin around, rear up or try to get out the back of the box. We have all ridden one of those. Aside from being very dangerous, it also messes with our concentration and our ability to get out and catch.
A few years ago before I had made any rope horses, I took a green horse to a trainer. I naively asked him if he could make that horse remain calm in the box, score, rate and face in about 30 days. He said that he didn’t think so. I didn’t say anything at the time but I thought to myself “He must not be much of a trainer.” After making a few on my own, I now realize how foolish of me that was.
I now believe it’s all about building a good foundation. It takes a lot of time and attention to build a good foundation on a rope horse. That foundation is made up of lots work before they ever get to the roping arena. They need to be broke, and transitioned slowly into becoming a rope horse. They can still have huge issues in the box or the run. I find that the horses that have the most trouble are the ones whose riders just want to rope. They don’t pay attention to the details, or are not aware of the signals the horse is giving off that lets you know they are not ready for the pressure.
These horses also need confidence and trust in you as a rider to “make the right things easy and the wrong things difficult” and to know the difference between the two. They may need to be ridden outside on the trails where they can relax. They need to score a lot! We may need to be less busy with our hands and body when we ride into the box. We may even need to pull out of a jackpot if we sense that the horse is about to blow up.
“A wise man built his house on the rock. The rains came down and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. A foolish man built his house on the sand. The rain came down, and the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” Matthew 7:24-27.
We need a solid foundation as much as that green horse. The rock foundation is a relationship with the Lord. The sand, is running our own life without a foundation, calling our own shots – and hoping we get it right. Eventually when the storms of life come, and they will, we will lose it. We will try in every way to escape the pressure and come undone not knowing which way to turn. Are you working on building solid foundations? Rope great! Keep your focus!
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