Another thing that happens is when you come in a little early and cover the steer up in the corner, or if the header hits him hard which hangs him in the corner and you happen to get on top of him. Instead of pulling your horse off the steer, the better thing to do is stay up tight on the steer and keep kicking. Your header's going to be pulling that steer out of there shortly, and you need that momentum so you don't get a big separation. Ride with that steer, let a couple of jumps develop, and let that steer get out in front of you gradually.
The main thing is to focus on what you want to see in your position. What I want to see is me moving with the steer and riding in a position where that steer's up there pretty close to me and I know I can place the loop exactly where I want to place it. I don't have to throw it into position, lean or reach out to make my shot. Consistent position makes the placement of my loop so much more consistent, and allows me to rope a very high percentage of my steers.
