ArizonaRealCountry.com 13 September 2017 If an open heeler can throw fast and catch every time it takes a ton of pressure off a header. And it allows a head horse to keep working and stay free all day long. #2-heading is more expensive! Head horses are more expensive. They usually don’t last as long and take longer to train. Head horses get sore easier and you can’t run as many in practice pen or jackpot. Headers are go getters and healers can get away with being more laid back. The 1st things you need to get are a head rope and a roping dummy. The main reason for this is to make sure that your shoulder and the rest of your arm can handle roping. You will be using muscles that you never knew you had, and also to build those muscles that you never knew you had, along with learning how to get started. I recommend that you buy an extra soft head rope ($35-$40). The reason for such a soft rope is that it will be easier on your muscles and it is easier to turn your rope over when you swing. Some NFR headers still use xxs head ropes so there is no shame in using them. Your next purchase needs to be a heading dummy. The best heading dummy is a Mojo. They are made in California and are real steer heads. They are around $100 and will last a long time if you buy a horn wrap ($15). You want to get smaller horns so that you don’t ruin your confidence right off the bat. There are also cheaper roping dummies like plastic or rubber horns ($45). Stay away from plastic and try to use rubber horns because they will last longer. My 1st set was the standard black rubber horns. When I caught it 200 times in a row I got some other horns that were more challenging. All these horns you stick in a bale of hay ($5-$25), but there are other heading dummies that have the whole body that you can buy. Just do not get any heading dummies that are on a saw horse or pipe legs. These dummies are not as effective because your curl will go underneath the back of the saw horse and you won’t be able to tell if the curl is rolling up over the back. But any of these bodied heading dummies are excellent if you want to rope inside and keep where you rope clean. Roping horns that are stuck in a bale can get messy if you don’t put a tarp around the bale. I have never roped anything but a regular head dummy that is stuck in a bale without a tarp. That way when your bale is falling apart you know you’ve been working hard! Continued on page 14 Tom and Sherry are committed to quality food and excellent service at Anita’s Cocina. They are hands-on, as reflected in the success of Anita’s. Anita’s is easily Wickenburg’s most popular restaurant, as well as a must-stop for travelers. “The Desire to Succeed Means Nothing Without the Will to Prepare!” Photo courtesy of Rancho Rio