If you're really struggling, go to the practice pen. I have three horses with me now, so I can make quite a few practice runs and get my confidence back. You can't go to a rodeo without confidence. I've been roping the dummy a lot, too. When you start putting some runs together, you can start clicking again.
The next best thing for me is going to a jackpot. The practice pen is great, but when the announcer calls your name and they stretch that barrier in front of you, everything changes. Pressure runs are good practice, and you get those every time you compete.
If it gets to the point where it's just overwhelming and you can't get things turned around, sometimes it's good to take a break and get away from it for a while. That's tough to do for a rodeo cowboy. But sometimes just getting away from the grind and the pressure helps. For me, having a family and kids in school, I go home every chance I get. It gets hard when you can't get home for a month at a time. But sometimes if I can even just take a couple days off, I can come back fresh. Sometimes that's enough to turn things around.
It always helps to draw steers that are easy to catch, too. It's kind of like a lay-up, and that's a confidence booster. If you can draw good, it's easier to break the ice. There's nothing better in the world to boost your confidence than winning something. Sometimes just getting a good start, making a good run and stopping the clock helps, even if you don't win anything. Everyone knows the tough times are coming. You can't go from January 1st through December 15th without a slump. You just hope it's not at a crucial time of year. You have to be mentally tough, get through it and back to the other side as soon as you can. Once the monkey's on your back you have to shake him as fast as you can
