June 2010
The Importance of Practicing with a Purpose
with Steele DePaoli
Steele uses Pro Equine horse gear and Cactus Ropes

Roping is a very technical sport. It is all about the finesse and being smooth. Everyone starting out has to focus mainly on the physical side of roping, but when it comes down to it, it is the mental game that tells the tale of your success. When you step into the practice pen, you are working on your technique. When you get to the rodeo or jackpot, the mental game takes over. The mind has to be the thinker and has to know the limits of what the body can perform and at the same time sit back and have complete trust in letting the body perform its tasks. The trust between the two is confidence and confidence is the most important aspect to being successful.

When practicing, mind and body have to work together and try to grow techniques as best as it can, but still keep that all important confidence. When pushing the body to its max the mind has to understand that mistakes are going to be made. These mistakes are what teach. So when going to the practice pen, if you pick only one thing to work on the mind can be focused on that one particular thing. If mistakes are made it understands the situation and your confidence will stay strong. For example, if you go to the practice pen working on reaching and trying to find the power on the tip of your rope. Your mind has to understand that your body is probably going to make mistakes and miss some steers. If you went into that practice and missed every steer but had the power on your rope that you were looking for, then that practice was 100% a successful practice. You walk away with the confidence that your game has expanded. The alternate is that you go into that same practice and you missed every steer and your confidence gets shattered because catching is the single most important thing in roping.

When I find myself losing confidence, I have a system that takes two practices to get me back on track. When I lose my confidence, it is usually because I lose the feel of my tip weight. During the first practice, I look for one thing, the power on the end of my rope. I get on my practice horse and start reaching as far as I can. I might only catch two out of ten steers, but I usually walk away with the power I was looking for. The second practice I do the exact same thing and because I have found my power I usually will catch every steer I rope. Then I am back on track. This strategy works because I push my body to the max with the understanding that I am going to make mistakes so it does not affect my confidence and in most instances, it increases my confidence.
 
This tool can work for every practice you go into. When I practice, I go into it with one goal for each horse I ride. On my good horses, I pick goals to keep them working so they perform best for me at the rodeos and jackpots. The goals might change depending on how they are working and what set-ups I am going to be roping at in the near future.

Finally, the most valuable practice tool to my roping is a good practice horse. My practice horse is amazing and allows me to work on myself without ever getting tight or trying to get me. This gives me a complete practice and allows my partner to get the most out of his practice as well. I am able to keep my good horses performing at their best for me to win and also push myself to the max and develop my own skills. I am able to stay with, or ahead of, the times and keep that edge that everyone is looking for.

Picking one thing to work on keeps the mind in an understanding state and still allows the body to grow. The openness to learn and grow helps turn weaknesses into strengths. There is a Japanese word, "Kaizen", which means constant daily improvement. If you pick one thing a day, after a year, you will have 365 tools in your bag and you will be well on your way to being successful.

 

 

TRAINER TIPS ARCHIVES
May 2010 - Levi Simpson "The Importance of Scoring a Timed Event Horse"
April 2010 - Steele DePaoli "Preparing Yourself and the Heading Horse..."
December 2009 - Dave Fraser "What To Look For In The Penning Prospect"
November 2009