Things You'll Need:
- Horse (or car)
- Your glove size
- Measuring tape
- Petroleum jelly
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Step 1
Get measured for cowboy boots. Have a boot salesperson measure your feet properly, since ill-fitting boots can cause blisters. Choose boots that have a standard cowboy boot heel. These are a couple of inches high and are slanted slightly inward. This helps you hold the stirrup, but also allows you to remove your foot quickly when necessary.
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Step 2
Look for wide-brimmed cowboy hats. Practicing for your rodeo event means that you will be outside in the sun much of the time, and a cowboy hat will keep the sun off you and the sweat out of your eyes.
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Step 3
Select and buy a pair of rodeo chaps. Measure your inseam, outseam and leg width carefully. Provide your chaps retailer with your measurements to get the best-fitting chaps. Opt for full-length chaps with a flared leg ("batwing" chaps), which keep the air circulating around your legs to keep you cooler.
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Step 4
Get a rodeo belt buckle. While this isn't technically required to compete, you are not fitted out properly without one. Choose a silver buckle, oval in shape and about 3 inches long to go for the classic rodeo look.
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Step 5
Buy a lariat to practice your roping skills. Experts recommend that you buy a 35-foot length of Manila rope that is 3/8-inch thick to begin with. Before you use the rope, you will need to waterproof it with petroleum jelly and break it in by dragging it along in the dirt behind a car or horse for a while.
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Step 6
Purchase leather gloves. This is especially necessary for bull and bronco riders. Choose modified gloves that have longer fingers which can be pulled down very snugly against the palm. This provides a tight fit which lessens the possibility that the finger of your glove will get stuck in a rope as you dismount.
