Joseph Harrison: Making Roping Fun for the Horse
7m 52s
Joseph Harrison starts this practice session on Spot, a seven-year-old horse he purchased from a customer. Harrison says Spot is at his best as a rodeo horse and is level-minded in the box. Spot gets to practice one or two days a week and runs two or three steers, while the rest of his work is focused on keeping him in shape. Harrison then gets on Johnny Ringo, registered as I’m Gonna Be Special. He describes Johnny Ringo as a very forward horse that wants to get into the cow. Because of that, Harrison talks about the importance of running slower cattle to help balance the horse and keep him working correctly. Harrison also explains why ropers need to think about what makes the run enjoyable for the horse. He believes the fun part for the horse is getting to catch up to the cow, while much of the rest of the run is for the person. Finding the right balance between making roping fun for the horse and making sure the horse is doing everything correctly is an important part of his program.