[houston8084]

I just started roping and I can honestly say that everything has been self taught and slowing down youtube/rodeo footage. I wanted to be a header because I plan on going on to do tie down roping but there is a clinic coming up and they need more heeler's. It seems that everybody wants to head but I've honestly never attempted it. I rope a dummy and sometimes my small human... Is the transition to start and change harder? Or can someone shed some light and help me out?

 

[COWCHICK77]

If you wanted to try heeling, if I were you, I'd do it under supervision at the clinic. I say that because I have some bad habits I've been trying to break for years from roping the dummy with out much help.

Honestly switching back and forth from heading and heeling is easier than switching back and forth from heading roping steers and necking calves.

Also head horses aren't always heel horses or calf horses that's something to consider too, what your horse is capable of and been trained to do.
If your horse is strictly a head horse I wouldn't try busting him out on the heel side.

 

[6gun Kid]

:iagree:and I want to add one thing an old Alberta cowboy told me you can't train a horse to rope when you are still learning to rope.

 

[jgnmoose]

I'm a terrible roper.

Have vicariously watched enough Trevor Brazile and Patrick Smith to know that the two are unique and separate skill sets. As mentioned by 6gun and CowChick they can even take different horses.

However at the beginner level, why not take a shot and go to a clinic and learn something?

That said, if I recall Trevor Brazile is something like a 9 Elite header (USTRC), and a 6 something as a healer. The best timed event Cowboy in Rodeo history, and you can see clearly from those numbers that they are two different things.

Have fun!

 

[SilverMaple]

Go the clinic and learn Any instruction, if you're trying to teach yourself, is better than nothing. I think it's harder to heel than head, my best friend would tell you the opposite.

At the beginning levels, most horses can do 'both ends' if they're broke enough to be solid, score, track a cow, and take the jerk. Once you get more competitive, then you generally want a designated head horse or heel horse. Also bear in mind that if you're doing a lot of roping, your competition horse is not the horse you practice on every day. Those are two different mind-sets on your horses, and you need different horses for different things, and most of your practice should be scoring, slow runs, and breakaway hondos to save your horses and stock.

I agree that if you want to learn tie-down roping, it's harder to go from heading to that than from heeling to that. If you want to do both with the same horse, stick to heeling rather than heading. A head horse has to be fast and rangy and take a big jerk, then turn and face. Most are on the 'hot' side of the temperament spectrum, but they've got to be honest. Your heel and calf horses need to track and then stop clean and straight, then work the rope. They don't need to be as fast out of the box at the lower levels, and you can get by with a less athletic horse than needed for a head horse on big steers. Not the same thing as a head horse at all.

 

[gnpenning]

Some great information here. Chris Cox clinic or videos should be a help. Chris puts a huge focus on horsemanship. If you and your horse are making mistakes you shouldn't be building a loop.

Years ago we had a new guy come rope with us. He was a new rider and roper. He was wanting to heel and bought a heel horse. Every time he picked up his rope the horse ducked to the left and he would grab the O$hit handle. Once a night he would hit the dirt. Many offered to help him. Even swap horses and school his horse. He wasn't willing to take any help. He eventually quit coming. It was a good reminder to all to be open to help and making sure you and your horse are correct before trying to do anything with the rope.

I think Chris gives his clients the right prospective. Seen too many try to skip the horsemanship in different disciplines, I call them sponsor's not competitor's. Many are riding the best horses.

Maybe you have someone that has or is helping you with horsemanship.

Good luck and have fun