Everything Horses and Livestock® Magazine February 2018 Vol 3 Issue 1

Everything Horses and Livestock Magazine ®

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ChadMathesRoping.com

We've had some rough weather this year to say the least. Even with a nice insulated indoor like we are fortunate enough to lease, keeping it warm enough to work has been a challenge. But for myself, I can only rest for so long. I always feel like there are things I can be doing to improve our business or my roping. Some time off due to cold weather has given me the opportunity to study some videos that people are sending me to evaluate and coach them. There's a million things we could talk about in this insert, but I want to touch on something that I think everyone could improve on. When someone comes to a clinic or a private lesson, there are 3 things that need to be evaluated and discussed. #1-At what level are you performing currently? #2-What level do you want to be performing at? #3- What do we need to change for you to reach your desired level of performance? This is the thought process I go through with every single individual that comes to me for help. The same subject comes up over and over in these sessions, do you "own the whole arena"? What does

that mean, you ask? Being a consistent roper has everything to do with fundamentals, both with a rope and horsemanship. The more control we have over both elements, the easier it is to adjust for different set-ups

ability to control your rope, left hand, and footwork is a must if we want to transfer good habits when we mount up. Most people that come to see me for the first session struggle with understanding the mechanics of how the rope works and the

and uneven cattle. When we get stuck in a pattern, anything outside that pattern becomes difficult to say the least. Let's talk about what it means as well as the components of "owning the arena". Of course, most of you that read this on a consistent basis know me well enough by now to guess that this all starts on the ground dummy. Having the

physics behind a successful catch. Once we evaluate what we need to change, and we understand why we need to change it, we can then take control over the situation and decide how we want to rope. If we have the proper practice habits and can control mentally and physically when we want to make our catch, we are well on our way to overcoming any

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