How to Throw a Lasso for Heeling
Heeling a steer is used in rodeos in Team Roping and on cattle ranches to bring a full-grown animal to the ground for veterinary care. Heeling cattle is done by throwing what is commonly called a heel trap. Most lariats are now made from harder nylon material ,rather than grass. Heeling lariats are made stiffer than a lariat used for heading steers or calf roping so the loop will stay open and not collapse when the heel trap is thrown.
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Instructions
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Form a loop in the lariat about half the length of your body. Hold the catch loop in your strong hand so the hondo is on your thumb side, grip the catch loop and the incoming rope and move your hand 12 to 14 inches along the lariat away from the hondo. Grip both parts of the rope in this position and hold the extra coils in your weak hand.
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Ride in directly behind the steer as the header is pulling the animal away. Spin the catch loop over your head in a counter clockwise direction two or three revolutions.
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Throw the catch loop toward the steer so the loop goes under the steer's belly and in front of its back hooves while letting the coils peel off the wound lariat in your weak hand. The catch loop should land standing up and open leaning on the front of the steer's back legs. This is the trap.
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Keep your strong hand on the lariat as the header pulls the steer forward, forcing the steer's back hooves to hop up and through the open heel loop. Grip the lariat and pull back fast to close the loop around the steer's heels.
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Slide your strong hand up the lariat and dally two to three wraps around the saddle horn. Pull your horse to a stop while the header goes forward stretching out the steer.
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Tips & Warnings
Lariats are referred to simply as ropes, such as calf ropes, heading ropes, and heeling ropes.
The catch loop is the loop made in the lariat to catch the animal.
A hondo is the permanent loop on the end of the lariat that the rope is run through to make a catch loop.
The lay of a lariat is the degree of stiffness in it.
Dally is the term for wrapping the lariat around the saddle horn.
Slack is the length of rope between the hand and the loop around the animal. You will hear the term "pull the slack," which means to pull the loop closed.
Keep your thumb up when dallying to prevent it being caught between the wraps and the saddle horn. A thumb caught in this manner will be crushed.
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/liquidlibrary/Getty Images
