How to Train a Horse to Be a Team Roper

Team roping is one of the core events in the sport of rodeo, and it can be a fun diversion for you and your horse. Even if you never intend to compete in a rodeo or rope a live steer, you and your horse can enjoy the teamwork and cooperation that makes the event so special. And if you do plan to compete in team roping, you can enjoy the camaraderie of your fellow competitors and their horses. Taking a horse from a basic riding animal to a polished team roper takes time and patience, but it's also rewarding.

Things You'll Need

  • Calf-roping dummy
  • Lassos
  • Saddle
  • Bridle
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Instructions

    • 1

      Introduce the horse to lassos and ropes of all kinds. Continue to work with the horse until it accepts the ropes as simply another part of the environment. Some people hang lassos and ropes from fence posts, and even inside the stall near where the horse eats. This constant exposure helps the horse get used to the rope and teaches it to view it without fear.

    • 2

      Ride the horse at a walk, jog and lope in both directions. Before you begin any advanced training like roping, the horse needs to have a solid foundation in the basics of riding.

    • 3

      Mount your horse from both the near side (the horse's left) and the off side (the horse's right). It's important for roping horses to accept mounting from both directions because calf ropers typically get back on from the off side. Even though a dismount is not required in team roping competitions, it's a good idea for the horse to accept mounting from both sides.

    • 4

      Ride your horse as you normally do, while introducing the rope from the saddle. Carry several loops with you as you ride, and swing them around the horse as you walk, jog and lope around the arena, ring or pasture. Swing the rope idly as you work on other things to get the horse used to the sight of the rope moving into and out of its line of vision.

    • 5

      Stand still and ask the horse to lope off, without first taking any steps. It can take some time to master this skill, but it's an important one for a team roping horse to have. It's fine if the horse takes a few steps at a jog first. In time, it should get better at setting back on its hindquarters and pushing off directly into a lope.

    • 6

      Place a hay bale, with a calf-roping dummy attached, in your arena or riding area. The calf-roping dummy is a plastic steer head on spikes; the spikes are inserted into the bale of hay. The team roping version also includes a set of plastic calf's feet that can be inserted into the bale of hay.

    • 7

      Move the horse past the calf-roping dummy and swing the rope. Work first at a walk, until you've mastered catching the "calf" and your horse takes the throwing of the rope in stride. Move up to the jog, then the lope and finally a faster gallop.