Throwin a Loop

[Nigel]

Hi all, I'm a long time lurker here looking for a little advice. As part of my job I often need to catch a cow/steer/heifer to dispatch it for varying reasons. Oftentimes they're in yards or fields with others and not always easy to separate or easy to get near. In my truck I carry an assortment of ropes and halters. For sometime now I have been trying to use a makeshift lariat but the rope is too "soft", it won't hold it's shape when throwing.
I have finally managed to get my hands on a "proper" lariat with rawhide hondo, it's been used but there's plenty of life left in it. My question is, can anyone advice me how best to rope cattle, basically throwing a good loop for a head catch, I'll have plenty of chances to practice once I grab the basics.
Sorry if I have posted this in the wrong forum.

[DJL]

It's pretty hard to describe how to rope. There are lots of videos out there, and I'm sure there must be some that start at the very basics.

[EJ]

As far as I`m concerned ropes can`t be too soft for beginners. The lay is importtant so useing an XX soft from King or Smith Bros. should fit the bill. Practice at a stationary object so your hands know when to reach for slack. The rope should be scant 3/8 or 5/16 and 35 to 40 feet long.

[Nigel]

when I referred to a soft rope, I perhaps should have said a limp rope. The lariat I have now has some stiffness to it. You can form a loop and it keeps it shape. Thanks for the comments so far.

[Julie]

Find a roper in the neighborhood and get a few quick lessons on technique roping a bale or a bucket --learning right is SO much better than undoing a lot of bad habits. Then spend hours with that rope...rope everything, the kids, the dog, the chickens, a rock, a bush, a fence post...the more time you spend with the rope, the more at home you'll feel in putting it where you want it to go.

[Jerry H]

i don't think i could explain roping on this keyboard
so i'll not even try
but if you can find the vidieo's that buck brannamon put out titled ranch roping you can learn some basics and then if you get the next ones you can learn some more about handling your rope and the cattle
hope this helps
jerry

[Lonecowboy]

here's a website with video's of interest to you.
there expensive but so are accidents.

http://www.elvaquero.com/Videos.htm

[Jinglebob]

If you are going to rope on foot, you are going to get dragged around by the critter.

With a rope around the neck, the critter has the advantage, way more so than a halter. You might want to think about that before you rope one.

Also , if you are going to rope off from a horse, you better practice a lot with him to get him used to the rope and pulling on the saddle horn or where ever you are going to hook the rope to him.

Safety first. Ropes can be very dangerous.

[Denny]

I learned by standing on a picnic table with a dummy steer head mounted on a sawhorse that way I was up in the air above the steer as if I was horseback then you need to practice practice practice.

[cedardell]

Buck Breneman from Sheridan, Wyo has some excellent ranch roping tapes. Also many of his students offer clinics all over the country. If your interested in ranch roping get to one of these clinics or attend one of his schools. I often wonder how city people who buy ranches for the fun of it handle their cattle. The hard way I guess. I got a question for all you ranchers out there. How in the hell do you rope a mature bull off of an ATV?

[Denny]

[Jerry H]

roping a herd bull from an atv

if i were going to rope a herd bull from an atv "whitch if ya'll ever find me riding one of them farmerwheelers someone please SHOOT ME! as i have gone nuts"
i would tie the rope to the trailer hitch and fore foot him and then ride off as hard as i could and pray i killed him as he is going to be one mad animal when he gets up

but the intelligent thing to do would be to call someone with experience and good horses to do the job
that way the bull nor the others involved get hurt

hope i didn't offend anyone but that's my answer and i'm stickin to it
until later
jerry