Evaluating and Roping Different Types of Cattle
Barnes & Cooper: Inside the Practice Pen
•
17m
Team roping legends Jake Barnes and Clay O’Brien Cooper put their experience to work on a diverse set of muley cattle and short horned steers—each one broke in a little differently and presenting unique challenges in the run. This practice session focuses on adjusting to the feel of each steer, managing cattle behavior, and keeping horses honest through every setup.
In this video, they explain:
How to handle cattle that want to shoot behind the header before the turn
Why keeping cattle lean and fresh helps them handle more consistently
How to retrain muleys that have been roped incorrectly or pull to the inside
Jake’s approach to continuing a run after a less-than-ideal head catch to help the heeler finish
Why roping “junk” or duckers can hurt your timing and habits in the long run
How Clay uses missed shots in the practice pen to teach horses to stay square and balanced through the corner
Evaluating each steer’s style and adjusting your roping to match its run
Part of the Barnes & Cooper: Inside the Practice Pen series, this episode offers a deep look at how two Hall of Fame partners adapt to different cattle, manage their practice pens, and turn every run—good or bad—into a learning opportunity.
Up Next in Barnes & Cooper: Inside the Practice Pen
-
Horse Personalities, Scoring, and Pra...
Team roping training insights from Jake Barnes and Clay Cooper focus on managing horse quirks, scoring correctly, and using muley cattle to improve practice sessions.
Hall of Fame ropers Jake Barnes and Clay Cooper share stories and strategies from their decades in the arena—covering everything...
-
Evaluating Horses, Fresh Cattle, and ...
Team roping greats Jake Barnes and Clay Cooper take a deep dive into evaluating horses, managing fresh muley calves, and building timing as both a header and a heeler. This practice session blends practical horse training tips with mental strategies for improving consistency.
In this video, the...
-
Horse Quirks, Scoring, and Muley Prac...
Jake Barnes and Clay Cooper share stories of quirky horses, the importance of scoring, and why practicing on muley cattle sharpens ropers of all levels.
They explain:
- How to handle horses with unique quirks and personalities
- Scoring tips and the cues that make a head horse leave the box
...
