b"From the Back OF THE BOXBy John SamsillFor all your team roping questions or to schedule a lesson or a clinic you can contact me directly at johnsasillteamroping@gmail.com1023E Sub-Compact TractorT here are a few things that you can do to improve your roping that doesnt take a lot of timeSTARTING AS LOW ASout of your day.One of the keys to improving your roping is consistency.I am not talking$99about consistency in your catch ratio, I am talking about consistency doing something every day to get better.Unless you rope for a living, are independently wealthy or retired, chances are you have a day job. Along with family obligations that does not leave a lot of time to spend on roping.We must make choices, so we get the most bang for our buck so to speak. Some of/MONTH*these things you probably already know but if you make a commitment to do whichever of the following things you will see a difference in your roping right away.0% FOR 84 MONTHS*The first thing that you can do, and probably the get the best return for your time, is to rope the roping dummy every day. If you will throw just ten loops every day and throw those loops with a purpose and not just go through the motions it will pay off within days of starting.This is true whether you are a header or a heeler.There are a lot of dummies to rope on the ground these days.One suggestion I will make to the headers is to put a horn wrap on your dummy.Not only does it make what youre looking at seem more realistic, but it also keeps your rope from sliding around when your loop hits the head and you will be able to judge your loops much better. As a heeler when youre roping the dummy on the ground really pay attention to your target and how you deliver your loop to the target.When you deliver your loop do not take your eyes off your target to see how your loop looks.After your delivery maintain your hand position and see how your loop finishes.From there you can adjust your delivery as needed.The second thing you can do does take more time than the others but again will reap dividends quickly.If you ride your horse at least three days a week not only will your horse be in better shape, but he/she will respond better and be more relaxed.When I say ride, I am not including days you practice on your horse and certainly not the days your jackpotting.You do not need to ride for hours. If you ride for just thirty minutes at a time it will make a big difference in your horses performance. Anything over an hour will not make enough of a difference to spend the extra time if youre looking to conserve your time. Not only will your horse benefit from the riding but you will too.You will have a much better feel for your horse and have more trust in him/her when you need it.The three times a week is a minimum so if you can increase the number of days, you will see greater benefits.When I exercisePick Your Paymentmy horses and even when I am roping the machine, I will ride them in a snaffle bit.I think that it keeps them more supple and softer in my hand.I have most of my ring snaffles set up as a German martingale.If you are not familiar with a German martingale then please look it up.The third thing you can do that takes very little time is to use your imagination.Kids imagine themselves in all different kinds of situations.As adults, this can help us also.When we vividly imagine ourselves in different situations and we respond correctly to these situations in our mind it can be as though we physically were in the situation.What I am talking about is not to just think about roping a perfect roping or winning a big roping or rodeo, remember, I said vividly imagine.Many top athletes use this to help them perform better.The better you can imagine the feelings, sounds, and surroundings the more realistic and the better it will be.If you are constantly experiencing winning in your mind and you genuinely believe it, it will be a confidence builder in real life.Winning begets more winning and you must start somewhere.When there are ropers with evenly matched skills it's usually the roper with the toughest mental game that wins so do not forget about this aspect of your roping preparedness. *Offer valid on the purchase of qualifying new John Deere equipmentmade2/4/20205/31/2020.Subjectto The fourth thing that takes zero extra time is to be in the moment.In this fast-paced world, we live in we have manyapproved installment credit with John Deere Financial. 20% down payment required. 0.0% APR for 84 months only. $99 different things that are demanding of our time and thoughts.It can be extremely easy to be thinking about other thingsmonthly payment based on MSRP of $10,446 with $2,089 while we are in the practice pen or roping the dummy or worse yet while we are at a jackpot.You must be able to putdownpaymentortrade-in,84monthsat0%APR. aside, at least for a time, those things that are pulling our attention away from our task at hand.Remember one thing at aAttachments, taxes, freight, setup and delivery charges could increase monthly payment. Some restrictions may apply; see time. This is part of the mental toughness I was talking about earlier, but it is important enough to mention it separately. dealer for details.I know these are not new things that I have talked about but maybe it could be a reminder to get back to the basics and step up your game. You do not have to spend four or five hours a day in the practice pen if you will just do these four8 LOCATIONS IN ARIZONAthings. What do you have to lose, none of these costs anything to do?Until next time, Ill see you at the back of the box.www.StotzEquipment.comI would like to thank my sponsors, Usher Brand Silver and Saddlery, Omega Fields Feeds,SaddleRight Saddle Pads, andCALL TODAY: 800-523-1914 Hassayampa Veterinary Services.ArizonaRealCountry.com September 2020 57"