Position Varies with Steer Speed

By Kendra Santos, Kirt Jones

When it comes to heeling position, I think it's sometimes more a rhythm with your horse and the type of cattle you're roping than anything else. Plus different rodeos and ropings will require different skills. When team roping, I think your distance is an important part of heeling, and to create that distance you have to anticipate what the steer's going to do-whether he's going to run fast or slow, right, left or straight.

If a steer's going slower, you need to give yourself a little more space between him and your horse, because it's going to take longer for the steer to turn. The slowness of the steer will make the run a little more dead. To keep the rhythm going and hit the corner with a little momentum, you need to stay wider in your position on slower cattle. If the steer's running harder, you don't have to judge the distance as much on the corner, so you can ride a little tighter. When the header ropes the steer, the steer's momentum keeps everything moving out in front of you, so you don't have to read the corner as much. When you need to rope fast on slower cattle, that distance gives you the opportunity not to cover your cattle up. It keeps things out in front of you where you can see them, even though they're moving really slow.