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C Lazy U Ranch Blog

Roping Clinic and Horsemanship Clinic Offered This Year

June 12, 2013

Another summer is under way here at the C Lazy U Ranch.  With each summer come a lot of changes all over the ranch.  As far as the horse program, there is a group of 14 horses who are trying to find their place in the herd.  As the miniature Sicilian donkey that I am I have my eyes on a little paint mare pony, she is a cutie.  Along with 14 new horses, there are a bunch of new browned shirted hooligans running around making us run in from pasture and back out.  They seem like good people, but just can’t figure out there motives to run us a mile up the road to some nice grass just to change their minds about 10 hours later.  I think they call them wranglers or something, I don’t quite understand their language just yet.  I can only type out my thoughts in their language, very tough with little donkey hooves.  There are also these people who are in blue checkered shirts who are really strange to me.  I believe they are counselors.  They will load up these miniature people on full grown horses and then take off.  Never know where they are going with all the mini humans, they call kids, but they are always singing and playing games.  The mini people are very fascinated by my big ears, touching them like they were there favorite toys.  They feed me grain and grass though, so it’s all good.  All in all, it’s a beautiful green summer thus far, full of great people.  Pretty excited for the oncoming busy season.  It looks like another adventurous summer, more packed than ever.

Word is there are some new activities offered by the brown shirts this summer: they speak of a roping clinic and horsemanship clinic (though I’m thinking I should show them some human-ship tips, but hey, not my ranch… yet… it’s only a matter of time!).  The brown shirts say they were going to help guests understand horses more from both the physical movements as well as the mental state of horses.  I think they are lucky that the ranch has such good understanding horses to start with, because if they were dealing with me it wouldn’t be as pretty.  I am just a bit more stubborn, OK a lot more stubborn.  What can I say it’s in my blood- hee-haw.  I am excited for people to learn more about our species though, it can only help. I’ll probably have a few different brown shirted wranglers write some guest blogs to pass some of their horsemanship knowledge along to my loyal blog readers that can’t be with us this summer.

The ranch is also offering a roping clinic this summer.  I can’t wait to watch this because I have seen many people start roping and hit themselves in the face more than anything.  It will be really great to see them working at furthering themselves; and hey who knows, maybe they could even swing off their horse if they get handy enough, or even rope cows with a break away honda That would be great to see.

The C Lazy U Ranch is on its way to one of the busiest summers to date, looking forward to seeing all the new guests and the veterans.  Supposedly there are a few new trails on the ranch for guests to take so be on the lookout for those.  Can’t wait to see you all at one of our roping clinics!

Heeee-Hawwww!

 More on hondas and lariats:

A metal honda is attached to the end of this rope.
The honda is the “ring” at the end of your rope that the rest of your rope threads through to create the large loop that falls around whatever you’re roping.
The rope get's threaded through the honda to create the loop that the cowboy throws
The rope get’s threaded through the honda to create the loop that the cowboy throws
Hondas can come in a variety of different materials, including rawhide like the one pictured, metal and plastic.
Hondas can come in a variety of different materials, including rawhide like the one pictured, metal and plastic.
When we speak of a breakaway honda, what that simply means is that the apex of the honda has a slit in it that allows the rope to pull through when you apply pressure to it and the caught animal, breaqking the loop of rope. The reason we start with a breakaway honda is because it allows the horse and rider to get a feel for roping and dallying (securing the rope around the horn of the saddle) without the stress of remaining hooked onto the cow once these motions have been accomplished, and forcing you to get down off your horse and release the loop after each throw. You could just dally off on the horn and it comes right off the cow.
When we speak of a breakaway honda, what that simply means is that the apex of the honda has a slit in it that allows the rope to pull through when you apply pressure to it and the caught animal, breaking the loop of rope.
The reason we start with a breakaway honda is because it allows the horse and rider to get a feel for roping and dallying (securing the rope around the horn of the saddle) without the stress of remaining hooked onto the cow once these motions have been accomplished, and forcing you to get down off your horse and release the loop after each throw. You could just dally off on the horn and it comes right off the cow.
One of our brown shirts (wranglers), Tami, practicing her roping swing in the C Lazy U Ranch indoor arena
One of our brown shirts (wranglers), Tami, practicing her roping swing in the C Lazy U Ranch indoor arena
When the cow is roped (by the head or horns- both are "legal shots"), the pressure applied by dallying off and backing your horse causes the loop around the animal to shrink, holding the rope in place- using a breakaway honda this wouldn't happen. Nice catch, Tami!
When the cow is roped (by the head or horns- both are “legal shots”), the pressure applied by dallying off and backing your horse causes the loop around the animal to shrink, holding the rope in place- using a breakaway honda this wouldn’t happen.
Nice catch, Tami!
It's difficult not to enjoy learning to rope when you get to do it in such a picturesque place.
It’s difficult not to enjoy learning to rope when you get to do it in such a picturesque place.
Here's Tami practicing her roping skills on our fake cow- looks like she's throwing a shot! Go get 'em, Tami!
Here’s Tami practicing her roping skills on our fake cow- looks like she’s throwing a shot (notice the follow-through on her throwing hand- this is key)! Go get ’em, Tami!

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