b'2018 RAM 1500 BIG HORN2016 RAM 1500 4WD2016 JEEP WRANGLER2016 JEEP WRANGLER 4X4 QUAD CAB CREW CABUNLIMITED 4WD 4DR RUBICON SUV#T1475 $30,101 #19034B $27,814 #79872 $28,299 #C6919 $36,9952012 FORD F-150 2WD2018 FORD F-150 XLT 2WD2018 FORD SUPER DUTY2016 GMC SIERRA 2500HD SUPERCREW 145 XLTSUPERCREW F-250 SRW XL 4WD4WD CREW CAB 153.7 CREW CAB CREW CABDENALI #P9768B $17,997 #P9861 $28,532 #P8401 $55,767 #19342A $43,9992016 DODGE JOURNEY2017 DODGE HELLCAT2016 RAM 3500 2WD CREW2013 SUZUKI KING QUADSTAYING CONSISTENTFWD 4DR SXT SPORTSRT HELLCAT COUPE CAB 172 WB 60 CA TRADESM750 AXUUTILITY CREW CAB CHASSIS-CAB Reprinted from @CraigSmithTeamRoping This way if something changes, well have an idea whatIts not about throwing caution to the windon InstaGram caused it and can address the problem while its stilland praying things work out, however. Condence A s I was driving yesterday, the rain was comingsmall. If something isnt resolving with rest and therapy,comes from having solid fundamentals in our roping thats when we want to get a professional involved. Ifand horsemanship.down so hard that visibility was limited and I hadwe wait until a horse is lame before we notice and take to go extremely slow to stay on the road. It gave meaction, it can be difficult or time-consuming to get thingsIn your position, I would allow the high number heelers some extra time to ne tune my plan for exercising myturned around. Prevention is always better than a cure. to do their thing and dont feel like all the pressure is on #T1496 $14,301 #C4307 $57,995 #X6226 $43,995 #X1824 $4,775 horse. Were fortunate to have access to a covered arena ayou to have an advantage over the other teams. Theyfew miles down the road to ride in when our home arenaEven with a saddle that ts well, some occasional, minortake high percentage throws but also do it on the rstis too wet. back soreness is not unusual for rope horses, but weor second hop.should work toward resolving it. Back pain is something OVER500 When our schedules are full and were already crunchedthat can be caused by poor saddle t, dietary imbalances,I feel that staying competitive in the lower numbered for time, then delays due to weather are an additionalor can even be secondary to hind end soreness or ulcers. ropings is more of a mental game. Its hard to watch factor (also including muddy horses, boots, etc.) it can bea roping fall apart and second guess a throw we took tempting to just skip it. However, champions never missSome horses have chronic issues that arent dealthat didnt work out. Its usually best to go with our rst NEWFORDS a Monday, and they never miss any other day of the week.breakers but should be closely monitored andavailable throw. Dont be afraid to take a risk every now Its important in times like thesewhen its inconvenient,supported. The key is in knowing whats normal forand then since that is how we learn and grow as ropers, IN STOCK uncomfortable, or requires extra time & effort - to beyour horse. If we were to ignore or overlook smallbut consistency is what keeps us competitive.consistent with our training, whether its conditioningsigns pointing to a problem and continue using and our horses or practicing. We dont necessarily have to ridecompeting on a horse despite themthats whenQ: Does the way I hold my loop affect howand rope every single day, but having a clear, progressivetheyre more likely to become career-enders. it functions?plan and sticking to it is critical. Honoring our goals and dreams starts with honoring the commitments we makeThere are no guarantees even when were diligent, but IA: Yes it does. Our index nger is what guides the top to ourselves, which requires impeccable follow through.always want to be able to say I did everything I couldstrand of our rope, while our pinky guides the bottom Staying true to our commitment builds condence. to support and protect my horses well-being. Palpatingstrand. By running our index nger down the side of our our horses back and feeling their joints every time weloop, we can develop a feel to place our top strand to our Taking shortcuts increases our exposure to injury andget them out is a good way to do that. The few seconds ittarget. If our st is closed, we lose the ability to control inconsistent runs. The more t, sound and healthy wetakes is a small price to pay in the big scheme of things. each part of our loop.and our horses are the more good throws and success well have. Providing consistent conditioning and clearConsistent awareness is a key to long-term soundness. The pressure we use from our index nger, thumb, and communication reinforces our horses training and allowspinky is primarily how we hang onto our loop. Our us to work more effectively as a team when its game-time. Q: I am a #5 header that likes to compete in middle and ring nger serve more for the purpose of a range of ropings (from the #13 to the #9). feeding our rope.Like Vince Lombardi once said, "Winning is not aHow do I stay competitive in the two extremes sometime thing; it\'s an all the time thing. You don\'t winwhen I feel the need to be more aggressive Make sure to stack your slack directly over the top once in a while; you don\'t do things right once in a while;in the higher number roping and just catch in strand of your loop (instead of side by side). This helps you do them right all of the time. Winning is a habit. the lower ropings? ensure that when we deliver our loop, it is the rst thing to our target. If we place the slack and top strand side by Its a good idea to palpate our horses back and feel theirA: This is a great question! For me being aggressiveside in our hand, it can get in the way of our loop and joints for heat or swelling every time we ride or rope.means having the condence to take a little more risk.cause us to miss. ArizonaRealCountry.com May 2019 27'