Fast Back Focus with Keven Daniel - March 2009

One of the most crucial parts of any team roping run is scoring and the barrier. How far a header should let the steer out before leaving the box is determined by the length of the barrier and will vary from place to place. So for the purpose of this article we’ll talk about your horse staying in the box until you want him to go.

All horses get excited when chasing steers and the anticipation can make head horses very nervous in the box. Ideally your horse should stand still in the box and wait for your cue to leave without squatting, jumping or turning around. This is accomplished by many hours in the practice pen where you and your horse sit in the box relaxed and score steers.

While at a roping your horse should react only from your hands and feet – not when he hears the gates rattle or bang. When you’re scoring at home rattle the gates from time to time so your horse becomes accustomed to it. Make sure you’ve ridden your horse enough before competing so that he’s not fresh and having trouble standing still.

In the pro rodeos there are a number of guys who win consistently. These guys all ride nice horses that score well. Scoring and the barrier is important because that’s where 75% of the run is made.