The handle you put on a steer is dictated by the types of steers youre roping. Whether steers are fresh or roped out makes a big difference. There are three basic stages in the career of a roping steer, and the fresh ones are the hardest to handle. The medium ones, that have had 10 or 15 runs on them, are the easiest to handle. In the latter part of their careers, steers know all the tricks in the book, because they know whats coming. Theyre tougher to handle. As a roper, you need to read the situation so you can react and counteract what the steer does.
If you've roped steers before and know what they're going to do, you can preempt their pattern and whatever tricks they have. It doesn't matter if you're heading or heeling. Once a steer's been roped numerous times he has a pattern. He's going to counteract you also, so it's kind of like playing chess. For example, if a steer tends to go left, a header rides wide and the heeler stays back to avoid putting pressure on him on the right side, the steer will sometimes go right.
A smart steer can outfox a novice roper. If you run up on him too hard and ride too tight of position, he'll try to cut in front of you. A novice roper can't always see these things coming.
