Most riders aren't natural rope handlers. But if you trail ride, knowing how to handle a rope in addition to your reins can come in quite handy. You may need to pull a log out of the way, or pull logs to and from your camp for fire or shelter.
Becoming adept at rope handling also helps you safely pony a horse on the trail. This skill comes in handy if you have children with you, need to help an injured friend, and when you're introducing a young or green horse to the trail. (For more on ponying with top trainer/clinician Julie Goodnight, see "Pony With Confidence," Natural Horsemanship, The Trail Rider, September/October '09).
When you pony a horse, you'll hold the reins and the extra coil of lead rope in one hand and the ponied horse's lead rope in the other, all while controlling both horses. This can get complicated, so the better you are at rope handling, the better you'll be able to pony a horse.
Hands-On Strategies
Follow these strategies to hone your rope-handling skills.
1. Buy a lariat. Go to a tack store that sells roping supplies, and buy a used lariat. (You'll typically spend $10 to $15).
2. Ask for help. Ask an experienced roper show you how to build a loop, throw, and recoil your rope. You might be able to find someone at the tack store. Or, find someone at a team-roping club nearby. To find a club, consult the tack store's bulletin board, ask around, and go online.
3. Watch ropers. Watch the team ropers who practice weekly in your area. (Leave your horse at home.) You'll see that they coil and uncoil their ropes over and over-even when there's no horse or cow in sight.
4. Practice. Set up a bale of hay and practice making a loop, throwing the rope, and recoiling and organizing the ropes in your hands. Throw the loop so it lands flat on the ground at your target in a perfect open loop. Get into the rhythm of coiling and uncoiling. You don't need to be a perfect roper and hit each target. Your goal is to master the coiling and recoiling so that you'll be safe as you ride and handle extra rope.
