Ryan Motes

Ryan Motes

4 Seasons

Ryan Motes, an American Champion heeler, shares his expertise in a dedicated series on Roping.com, designed to help ropers refine their techniques and enhance their performance. Teaming up with champion header Brock Hanson, Motes demonstrates the intricacies of practice runs, focusing on strategies like slowing down with a scoring lane to improve control and accuracy. The series also highlights sessions with elite horses, including Bet Hesa Shiner, Level Up, and Three S REO Booncat, giving viewers an inside look at how top-level ropers train. Whether you're learning to rope or looking to elevate your competitive skills, Motes' instructional videos provide essential guidance.

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Ryan Motes
  • Right-to-Left vs. Both Horns: Ground Roping Breakdown

    Episode 1

    What’s the right way to rope the horns—right to left or both at the same time? Brock Hanson and Ryan Motes get real about one of the most misunderstood concepts in heading. In this grounded roping session, they walk through how distance, body position, and your swing affect which method works—and...

  • Head Rope Mechanics with Brock Hanson

    Episode 2

    Brock Hanson breaks down his approach to head roping mechanics—from swing shape and rope firmness to avoiding common misses and maximizing your first swing. He explains how rope stiffness affects curl, why he prefers a firmer head rope, and how your horse’s lead and body position can impact every...

  • Bit Talk, Fresh Cattle & Horsework with Ryan Motes & Brock Hanson

    Episode 3

    Ride along with Ryan Motes and Brock Hanson during a spring roping session in Texas. They break down how they're tuning up both futurity and seasoned horses, working through different cattle types, and dialing in timing, position, and responsiveness. Brock shares his go-to bridle setup and philos...

  • Heeling Fundamentals: Swing Angles, Right-Leg Misses & Why Position Beats Timing

    Episode 4

    In this in-depth roping breakdown, Ryan Motes and Brock Hanson cover one of the most frustrating issues for heelers: missing the right leg. They dig into swing angles, delivery style, positioning, and the root causes of bad throws. Whether you're struggling with consistency or just want to rope s...

  • How to Make Groundwork Count in the Arena

    Episode 5

    Brock Hanson and Ryan Motes dive deep into what really matters in the practice pen—and how to make your roping consistent, confident, and effective when it counts. Whether you’re a beginner or advanced header, this conversation covers how to approach drills on the ground, build a repeatable swing...

  • Ryan Motes Delivery & Draggers

    Episode 6

  • When to Feed and Swing the Heel Rope

    Episode 7

    Getting your rope up and ready after you find your position is critical in being ready to rope when your header turns the steer. In this video, American Champ Ryan Motes talks about how he scores and rides and then when and how he feeds his heel rope. 

  • Heeling Theory 

    Episode 8

    American Champ Ryan Motes explains his theories on heeling and competition to Key Card members at the 2022 US Finals.

  • On Heeling and Baseball | Loop Placement

    Episode 9

    American Champion heeler Ryan Motes talks through heeling theory and loop placement in an exclusive clinic to Key Card members at the 2022 US Finals.

  • High-Percentage Heeling Position

    Episode 10

    American Champ and NFR heeler Ryan Motes explains heeling position.

  • Heel Horse Box Work

    Episode 11

    What's the best way to score your heel horse? Ryan Motes talks about how you should spend your down time in the box while you're waiting for your header. 

  • Teaching Patience in a Heel Horse

    Episode 12

    As Tyler Merrill prepares for the American Rope Horse Futurity Association's World Championships, he focuses on teaching his young horses patience.

  • Reinforcing Fundamentals in Young Horses

    Episode 13

    When approaching pre-event practice on a young horse, your best bet is to reinfornce fundamentals rather than ram-and-jam training into them. American Champ Ryan Motes outlines how he approaches practice on his ready-to-go good young horses. 

  • Letting Your Heel Horse Lock On

    Episode 14

    Ryan Motes hones in on a tiny detail in a heeler's horsemanship and rope handling that can help his horse stop better and make the heeler's job even easier.