Everything Horses and Livestock® Magazine August 2016 Vol 1 Issue 3

Everything Horses and Livestock Magazine

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I hope everyone had a great Fourth of July!! I think it’s time to touch on a subject that everyone can benefit from, partnership. (This is TEAM roping in case anyone forgot!) What makes a good partner- ship? Excellent question, lets dive in on some of my past experiences. I have had the opportunity to rope with some real talent over the years, however, not all of them were great partners. Not saying they weren’t good peo- ple, they just didn’t understand what needed to be done to win on a consistent basis. That, coupled with unwillingness to change or compromise, made it tough to have confidence and win. I have actually had guys tell me “I head them and you figure out how to be where you need to be and heel them”. I have had guys who didn’t think they needed to practice at all, even though I needed to rope steers behind them to get the feel of the new horse they bought. So, what makes a great partner? The main thing in the beginning is to have the same goals. Two people who share the same vision, whether it’s winning a world championship or simply qualifying for the USTRC Finals, makes it easier to work towards a common goal and stay motivated. When you can’t agree on where you are going, you can’t practice for that situation. When you can’t agree on where to go, practice becomes a hassle because there is no need to practice if we don’t know where we are going. Set a common goal for wherever you guys are going next. If you say you are going to go somewhere, go. Unless something comes up, family emergency, financial emergency, go. There is nothing more

frustrating as a partner than to practice with the “yes man” until it’s time to go, then they back out. Every time. That creates frustration and your part- ners will get unmotivated quickly. Don’t be selfish, if you think there’s even a chance you can’t go, tell your partner so that they can practice with some- one who can go for sure. Even if just for a back up plan. Everyone understands an emergency, but if you are constantly crying wolf on going places, you are going to lose good partners fast. Make a commitment to practice. Set a schedule for the week. Pick a night that works for both of you. Trust me, you are better off to rope your machine 3 times a week and practice with your partner on the one night they can practice than you are to rope steers every night by yourself and not rope with your partner at all. Once again, don’t make promises you can’t keep, if you say you are going to practice and work on trying to get better, do it. If you can’t, let your guy find someone who can, no hard feelings. This goes back to having the same goals. Be willing to bend but not break. Make sure that your styles fit well together. If you both work to- wards the same goal, be willing to tweek small things if needed to help each other out. For exam- ple, hazing steers, slowing down in the corner, or maybe coming back up the arena sooner depend- ing on what your partner needs to help them thrive and be productive and confident. However, don’t go buy a $30,000 head horse just because your heeler says he can’t catch behind you. Maybe he needs a $30,000 heel horse instead. Going to a clinician (chadmathesroping.com) lol, can help you

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