September 2017 14 ARIZONA’S BEST SELECTION OF QUALITY TACK & SADDLES 28232 N. 42nd Street Cave Creek, AZ 85331 480-585-4073 www.dynamitehorsemansupply.com Mon – Fri: 8am-5pm • Sat: 9am-4pm • Sun: Closed CT ROPE SADDLE Classic, Top Hand, Fast Back & Cactus Ropes In Stock All The Time. We Also SHIP! DHS Saddles In Stock! Visit Our Tack Trailers At Mormon Lake & Prescott Labor Day - AJRA Rodeos & H.S. Rodeos Coming Up! ARE YOU A HEELER? PROS AND CONS Heeling is maybe the most un-athletic event in rodeo. You don’t have to hustle as hard and you can be a “chill” heeler and win. There are some extremely aggressive heelers that are rock stars but most are pretty easy going. The pros of heeling are #1-king of low numbered jackpots. If you can catch 2 feet most of the time and pressure doesn’t bother you, you can dominate at lower numbered jackpots. Even top level pro heelers can take pressure off their headers and make up the time. Pro jackpot headers that bomb out at jackpots usually don’t win, at least not consistently. But if they know their heelers are going to throw faster, they can use their horse more and keep them free going into the last few rounds. If a lower number heeler has the discipline to get in great position, get in time and throw a good loop, you can win most of the time. #2-heeling is cheaper. Heel horses are cheaper, easier to take care of and you can rope more in the practice pen. They have a longer competitive age life and don’t get as sore as head horses. They are also faster to train, easier to train and finish. Top heel horses are bred very well and have a ton of talent. But even if they are short on talent they can still be a sweet lower numbered heel horse. Is Team Roping Right for Me continued from page 13 Now the cons #1-practice is tough. Practicing as a heeler with low numbered headers is maybe the most frustrating thing in team roping. If a heeler doesn’t get good spins it can actually make you worse. When I go to a public practice and want to get the most out of it, I will bring a good header. Otherwise I am there to socialize and have fun. Getting bad handles lowers you and your horse’s confidence. Also you can’t work on being fast and are better off just catching. #2-rodeo heeling. A heeler can only rope a steer on the 1st jump and no faster. So if you wear one out at the back end of the arena at a rodeo you probably won’t place. All you can do is never miss a haze and catch 2 feet as fast as you can. It’s pretty much that simple. You are at the mercy of your header. And a great heeler never loses his cool when a header sticks it on one in the