Riders Block... Roping: Not For Dummies
Really though, you may laugh and think, “I wouldn’t be caught dead throwing a rope at my barn” but there is a lot of great stuff going on that can cross-pollinate to other disciplines, just like the cavaletti exercises. While you may or may not have dreams of actually roping a cow, there are elements of balance, control, and position that can help you out in a bind when you’re not practicing roping or chasing that rogue steer on the open range. Ryan Rose, Jake Biernbaum and Richard Schouten all have some great material on getting started with roping in the video library; heres a couple you can try at home - lariat optional.
The bread, brisket and butter of it
Roping requires you to balance in your stirrups, with one hand holding both the coil of rope and the reins, and the other holding the loop which you will (theoretically) rope your cow with. Let’s break this process down. You’re tracking your cow, getting closer, Van Halen starts playing in your head and you start swinging that rope like you’re ringing the liberty bell. Fireworks start exploding as your rope falls perfectly over that steers head, aaaaand! Success! Ok well roping isn’t really like that for everyone, maybe you’re more of a Mozart kind of roper and thats ok! Let’s do a mashup of these roping exercises and the activities from the last article because, hey, you’re going to need great impulsion and control for this job anyway.
The first thing you need to be able to do is ride around with one hand on the reins. So, set up some ground poles sixty feet apart and ride the 5 stride exercise from the last article one handed. What’s the next thing you have to be able to do? Well you’ll need to be able to lift up in your stirrups before throwing that loop. Let’s continue the next lap around while having your weight balanced in the stirrups, maintaining only one hand on the reins and no weight in the saddle. You want to be in a kind of “athletic stance”
An “athletic” or “ready” stance is used in many sports.
where you’re not standing in the stirrups, not leaning on the neck, not sitting in the seat, you’re just like a linebacker or a soccer player getting ready for the next move. Next, let’s continue this exercise in the same form except with your right arm (if you’re right handed, left arm if you’re left handed) held straight out from your side at shoulder height. By doing this, you are working a lot of those muscles and developing the necessary communication needed to accomplish not only roping, but elements of many other disciplines too.
Cool it down or spice it up
Jake Biernbaum practicing roping at Pear Tree Ranch in Citra, FL
If this seems a bit too advanced, that’s ok! Start it out at the walk, one handed, then in the athletic stance, then with your arm out to your side. After you’re comfortable with this, start over with one handed riding for a couple trot steps until you’re comfortable, then a couple trot steps with no weight in the seat, and eventually work up to trotting with an arm out to the side and weight out of the saddle. Rinse and repeat this gradual process going into the canter. Then, add in your poles and start working on elements of speed and direction.
If you want to make it a bit more complex, try the exercise with 6 strides or 7 between poles. Then put the poles on a slight bending line and try going from the inside track of the bend to the outside, or center to center or outside to inside etc. This turning and rating speed is great for developing communication with your horse while working on your balance and control in the saddle.
After you’ve successfully accomplished these exercises, you may as well grab a lariat and move to Texas or Colorado because you’re about ready for trying the real deal. I would recommend watching those videos on roping and rope handling first though, adding in a rope has its own set of challenges for both horse and rider.
Until next time-