Horse Personalities, Scoring, and Practicing on Muley Steers
Barnes & Cooper: Inside the Practice Pen
•
27m
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 from quirky horses and scoring challenges to building rhythm with fresh cattle.
In this video, they explain:
- How different horse personalities and quirks affect practice and competition
- Why maintaining a good attitude after a miss matters more than the run itself
- Tips for scoring head horses and recognizing their cues at the gate
- The value of practicing on muley steers and learning to rope up close
- How rhythm and timing in cattle movement guide better shots for heelers
Another installment in Barnes & Cooper: Inside the Practice Pen, this video offers practical horsemanship and roping tips straight from two Hall of Fame cowboys.
Up Next in Barnes & Cooper: Inside the Practice Pen
-
Mental Aspect of Team Roping
In this practice session, Jake Barnes and Clay O’Brien Cooper switch things up—Jake rides a 7-year-old who hasn’t had a full year of roping yet, while Clay’s on a 6-year-old green horse. Together, they break down each run, how the muleys handled, and how their horses responded to different cattle...
-
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
...
