Western Roping

Western Roping

Will Rogers is best known for making the art of western roping a favorite American pastime and sporting activity among equestrians. The origins of western roping were the common tasks of ranchers in the American west. Today, it is also known as “trick roping”, a feature of Wild West shows and a fun practice among skilled equestrians.

Ranch hands, to capture cattle or other livestock for medical treatment or branding, previously used roping. On horseback, ranchers would spin a lasso and cast it toward an animal, securing the rope around its neck. Modern western roping is broken down into three major equestrian activities.

Calf roping is the practice of throwing a lariat around the neck of a small calf from horseback. Upon securing the animal, the equestrian dismounts and ties the calf’s feet together. Also known as tie down roping, it involves the use of a long rope.

Breakaway roping is a form of western roping where the equestrian is not only capturing a calf with a rope, but the rope itself is tied to the saddle horn. The securing of the rope to the saddle is much easier, and involves using a shorter lasso.

Heading and heeling is a form of western roping in rodeo events where men and women both participate. It involves a team of ropers capturing a large steer.

Goat tying is a scaled down version of tie down roping that allows children and novice equestrians to learn the basics of western roping. This greatly simplified version of roping involves a shorter lasso and fewer steps.

Skilled equestrians can participate in western roping first without a saddle, then without a saddle and riding a full grown bull. Some ride a bull with a modified saddle while using a rope tied to another horse.

The more daring among equestrians and western ropers participate in steer wrestling. They literally take the bull by the horns and wrestle it to the ground after jumping off of the horse riding after it. Unfortunately, there are obvious dangers to this, and this particular activity is left to the more daring for good reasons.

Western roping tricks tricks are broken down into three types. Aside from vertical, flat and butterfly loops, several tricks also involve two ropes. The Texas Skip, for example, involves throwing one lasso through the loop of another airborne lasso.

Western roping is not only fun, but an ideal way to work on the basic skills of the equestrian. Though most don’t participate in rodeos, the skills provided by trick roping are similar to those built by participation in eventing, jumping and reigning competitions.

Equestrians participating in these roping events also participate in cutting, which is the act of moving a single cow or calf away from a heard. Cutting usually involves the use of a quarter horse, and is currently the fastest growing equine activity related to western roping.

For the activities of western roping, a western pleasure horse is used. The horse’s training in this provides a relaxed cantor, but a disciplined ability to suddenly accelerate, turn or come to an abrupt stop. A single, loose riegn is used to execute sudden maneuvers on a disciplined and well trained horse in roping activities.

Serious participants in equine activities usually find themselves involved in a related activity or style of riding, though western roping is among the largest fields of interest in terms of breadth. Aside from the basic activities of western roping combinations of equestrian skills, horses and rope tricks themselves create possibilities limited only by imagination.