Everything Horses and Livestock® Magazine Feb 2019 Vol 4 Issue 1

Everything Horses and Livestock Magazine ®

my loop. So no outside horses. I usually average around 5 private lessons a week which I have cut back on also. Clinics work better for me now because I can devote two or three days to students and then get back to working on myself. So it's been very different to me to devote most days to myself and my roping. The next thing that I started working on is being more aggressive. I have always been what's considered a "catcher", not taking risky shots and making sure I catch two feet every time no matter what. This won't work at the highest level. Sometimes it's necessary to just catch, but most of the time shaving seconds become more important. For every jump that the steer travels across the arena, it adds three tenths of a second to the run. Most rodeos we go to, that's can be the difference between winning first and not even placing. One of the best headers in the world told me if I want better partners, I would have to get over taking the "sure shot" every time and trusting my fundamentals go help me pull off some tougher shots. This was a hard one for me, I've roped the other way for a long time. It's getting better all

the time, but it's a process.

I will also have to gather up at least two more this year so I can start next year with 4 good ones to use and be able to rotation them. Horses only have so many runs in them, they need rest to make it through a long season. Riding different horses and trying to figure each one of them out has been a challenge to say the least. In finishing this insert, we come back to where we began, having an open mind. Making changes for the better is difficult if we can't get out of our comfort zone. Many things will change when we truly decide to commit to being a better roper. Confidence comes from doing it….over and over again, until we get it right. I'm looking forward to my new journey, it won't be easy but I'm ready for the challenge, are you? Job 39: verse 21-22. Check it out for some inspiration!! PRACTICE HARDER .

One of the main things that people have a hard time with, me included, is being afraid to miss. In order to grow, we have to make mistakes and learn from them. I missed a lot of steers in that first month in the practice pen trying out different positions, it was brutal. But once I started figuring out what worked for me, it gets better all the time. In order to rope steers on the first jump, you have to be in position to do so. Putts no myself and my horse in a more aggressive position riding down the arena was outside the norm for me, but I struggled through it and now it just feels natural instead of awkward. I've had to make a bunch of changes in horsemanship also. I've had to ask a lot more from my two good horses as I've been trying to learn new things and translate that to them. Also, acquiring more horses had been a must. Practice horses are a necessity that I didn't have to have in the past. I needed horses I could make a bunch of runs on and save my good ones for the competitions. Thank goodness I have had friends loan me some so I can get the runs I need every day.

God bless, Chad Mathes

Call to Schedule: 816-820-0560 Email: mathes58@icloud.com

www.Facebook.com/ ChadMathesRoping

31 Everything Horses and Livestock® | February 2019 | EHALmagazine.com