How to Train a Team-Roping & Heeling Horse

Tack up the horse and hop aboard to evaluate the animal's knowledge of basic gaiting and responsiveness to commands. Heeling demands quick movement and fast responses to cues such as cantering, stopping and backing up. If the horse isn't proficient in these basic skills, work with the horse until it knows how to move off of leg and neck pressure, and responds immediately to cues.

Move the horse to a round pen and acclimate it to the sights and sounds of a rope. Dismount and unravel the rope along the ground, dragging it back and forth in front of you until the horse no longer seems interested. Pick up the rope and rub it over the horse's neck and hindquarters, and gently toss the rope in the air to mimic an actual rope toss from the saddle.

Mount up and toss the end of the rope over the horse's shoulder toward the ground, extending your throws until you can swing and release the rope well in front of the horse without it spooking. Ask the horse to move through a walk, trot and canter, all the while swinging the rope until the horse ignores the sight and sound of a swinging rope. Horses learn at different paces, and it may take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks until the horse stands patiently while the rope is out.

Set up a heeling dummy in the arena, and walk the horse slowly up to the dummy. Allow the horse to inspect and sniff the dummy, and gait the horse around the arena until it no longer pays attention to the dummy. Move the horse a few feet from the dummy, and toss your rope at the heels of the makeshift steer. Lift up on the rope once you've encircled the back legs, and get the horse to back up until there is no slack in the rope. Rope the dummy from different angles and distances until you're consistently catching the heels and the horse is backing up automatically as soon as the rope hits its mark.

Turn a few older, slower steers loose in the arena and guide the horse toward the cattle. Allow the horse to follow, or track, the steers, guiding the horse with your legs and hands until it is tracking without your guidance. Some horses take to cattle immediately while others take a number of daily sessions before they are tracking on their own.

Break out your rope and direct the horse toward the cattle, following them at a slow pace as you take your first swings. Lean forward slightly as you toss the rope, and sit back firmly in the saddle as soon as you've roped a set of heels. The horse should immediately begin backing up to pull the slack from the rope. If the horse hesitates, pull back on the reins and shift your body weight to the back of the saddle.

Load the steers into the roping chute and move your horse into the roping box. Back the horse into the padded corner of the box, and ask a helper to open the chute. Follow the steer slowly out of the chute, roping the heels and stopping the horse as soon as you catch him. Once you're consistently catching slower cattle, transition the horse to faster steers to prepare it for the hard-charging steers used in team-roping competitions.