December Article
Facing and Shaving Seconds
Facing your head horse is one of the most crucial parts of a run and often is the difference between winning first and sixth place.
I have nine head horses and they all face a little differently. The key to facing is to use your right leg and keep the steer moving while you’re facing. You never want your horse to stop his forward motion while facing, but to swing his butt around and keep pulling.
At horse shows they want the head horse to completely stop and wheel around. This can throw slack in the head rope causing heelers to lose legs.
The left wall often becomes a major factor when facing, especially in a small arena. When I’m practicing for the NFR and the small Thomas & Mack arena I set up a fence to simulate the left wall that is 55 feet from where the barrier pins into the chute.
On my video I demonstrate an exercise that I use to help my head horses face. Start by tying your rope to a tire and dally to the saddle horn. Don’t tie to the saddle horn. You need to be able rto turn it loose if your horse gets a leg over the rope.
Ride your horse in a right hand circle with the tire in the middle. Flex your horse’s head/nose to the right so the horse is looking at
the tire as he moves around the circle, while pulling the tire in a perfectly round circle.
Turn out of your circle at the same angle as if you were pulling a steer. Go 20 or 30 feet using your right leg to move the horse’s back end around to face, maintaining forward motion while keeping the horse’s head in the flexed position. Your horse should maintain the same speed and keep the tire in a straight line. This is easier said than done so try not to get frustrated in the beginning. Once you get the hang of it you can practice this up to ten or fifteen times a day until your horse is facing well.
For those who are going to Las Vegas for the WNFR or the World Series of Team Roping be sure and check out the Speed Williams Invitational Match Roping at the South Point Arena, on Sunday, December 14th, the day after the national finals. This roping is open to the world and most of the top teams have already entered. Entry is limited so if you want to enter, visit www.ropingmatch.com to check for available spots, or call 505-898-1755 to enter. This roping will be good watching and for those who can’t make it you will be able view it on RFD TV on January 12, at 9:30 p.m. CST.
For more information about Speed, including roping tips and video clips, visit www.speedzoneroping.com.
www.fastbackropes.com
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