Got a questions regarding goat tying or breakaway roping? How to practice? Horse issues? Submit question to Lynn.  Answers will be posted below. 

Q & A:

Q: 

Hi Lynn I came to your clinic a while back and you have helped me alot in breakaway and goat tying! But now Ive got some questions.

After your clinic I started catching pretty fast and consistently. But, my rope is so long it takes a while for it to break off my saddle, adding more time to my run. Ive heard people talk about cutting the end of your rope so it is shorter. Do you recommend this and how much should I cut off? Also, for goat tying recently my horse has been ignoring me checking him when I want to step off, also he has been speeding up as Im lower myself. It is really hard for me to get off at the right time now. I try not to pull on him till I want him to slow down, but its not working. 

A: You should only have one coil in your left hand when breakaway roping, so cut a little off your rope (how much depends on which brand of rope you have).  I like to build my loop, swing it, have one coil in my left hand and another two feet extra to ty to the horn.  The thing about cutting your rope, you can cut again if you didn't take enough off the first time.  But if you cut too much the first time, you can't put it back !!  So trim at first and repeat if needed :)

For you goat horse.  Go back to slow work,  trot down then make him walk before you step off.  Lope down, then make him trot before you step off.  Make him understand that you aren't getting off until he slows down.  Then make sure you keep him with you as after you dismount so he's not left to make his own decision (speed up and run off). If you can't get the rein in time, add the lead rope. (look at tip below)  LOTS of this in practice.  Not knowing where your tie down is at as far as tightness; but if it's fairly loose tighten it up so he'll respond a little better to your check to rate.  If you do that, make sure you don't pull on him all the way to the goat or check multiple times.  Give one gradual good check instead of a bunch of snatchy, annoying ones. On a side note, if you know your horse is keeping a lot of speed as you step off, plan on stepping off sooner so you can  keep good technique in your dismount by giving yourself time to stay close to your horse and lower yourself down controlled.  You'll have to run the first few steps just to keep up- don' think about slowing down too soon, as it should be gradual. You may get confident in this and not need to check at all. This could take your goat tying to a whole new level, learning how to step off at faster speeds :)

Q; I have recently changed horses and my horse has been goat tied off of before, and i like him, but on my old horse i was running consistent 10s and this horse i just hate dismounts at faster speeds because when i swing my leg into frog position, he really gains speed and it seems like he doesn't listen, and sometimes he will cut me off and run in front of me , and tips for what might help the horse and help me gain my confidence. Right now I'm running like 13s

A:  He's probably cutting you off because you are pulling on him trying to slow him down as you are dismounting, bring him in front of you.  So be really careful where your left hand goes as you are dismounting.   Horses also tend to speed up if they are getting pulled on while running down to the goat, then the goat tyer will quit pulling as they start their dismount (left hand goes down to the neck, loosening the reins) and that's where horses will speed up.  First slow it down.  Get him to relax.  I would trot him down to the goat (or down the fence if he'll speed up there too on your dismounts) and when I step off make sure I hustle up to his head and get a hold of the reins with my right hand to keep him with me to the end of the arena. Lots of love and rewards when he stays with me.  LOTS of slow work.  Like for weeks, I wouldn't even try to go fast. When I do add speed to a slow lope, even if I feel him gaining a little speed as I dismount, I will then clip a lead rope to the bit on the left side where the rein is.  I will either hold the lead rope in my right hand (some girls can, others find it in the way too much if it's in their hand) or tuck the end of the lead rope in my right butt pocket of my jeans.  The lead rope will run on the LEFT side of the saddle horn so it's clear of the horn when you dismount.  When I touch down to the ground, I'll grab the rope from my jeans and keep him with me.  This works well if you can't get the reins because he's speeding up on the dismount.   Again, all leading by the goat- you've got to teach him to stay with you, so you can't leave him by tying the goat until problem is fixed.  I can't stress enough, LOTS OF SLOW WORK.  He may be bothered at first by going slow, don't make a big deal of it and he'll start to relax after a while.  Pick at him and try to make him perfect right away, and he'll get more bothered.   

Q: Do you recommend boys put their leg out and tie like a calf-roper or just tie like a girl goat tyer and land square on the goat.  Which is faster? '

A: I teach/ recommend that boys land on the goat just like the girls do; left knee on shoulder, right knee on thigh.  Since goat's are smaller animals than calves with the right knee on the thigh, it helps control the goat's back legs.  Where boys loose time is gathering when the right knee lands either on the ground or outstretched as it allows the goat to move their back legs making it more time consuming to gather. 

Q: Hi Lynn,  can we tie pregnant goats?  I am not even sure if they are pregnant but the billy has been in with them for some time....

How does one tell if a goat is pregnant?

A: Typically you don't want to ty pregnant goats, especially if they are far along in their pregnancy. Billies are seasonal breeders, especially dairy types, so even if they've been with the girls, the girls might not be bred. Dairy type goats like to breed August- January. The meat goats may breed year round.  If you think one is pregnant, she may show signs by having a udder.  They won't be "bagged" up like they would be a month before kidding (some 1st timers don't bag up until after they kid, making it tricky for us!)  Early on in pregnancy, females will develop a little bit more of an udder- rather than just teats, the udder will be more fleshy and a soft mound.  This typically is a sign that they are bred.  They MAY show more belly than normal, but it will be low and more one sided than a typically fat goat belly.  If you are tying a pregnant goat, her belly will be harder than a fat goat, which has more of a poochy feel.  We've tied some goats at 3 months of their pregnancy before they got bigger bellies to where it was obvious.  They kidded out at 5 months (normal) with no problems.  I've purchased some 'possibly bred' tying goats last winter and due to the change in locations they expelled pre mature kid goats without even being tied.  I've never had any of my "solid" goats  (one's that I've owned for a while) abort due to tying.  After they show obvious signs of pregnancy with extra weight and girth size, I retire them from tying as it is a little harder on them and it's hard for us to stay centered while tying with their harder, rounder bellies.

Q: When I dismount my horse slows down and starts to go the opposite way of the goat! "vere off to the right " What are some things I could do to prevent this? Thanks!

A: #1 Reason horses leave on a dismount, is because we forget that we have reins to help support the horse during the dismount.  All to often we get ahead of ourselves and think about tying the goat before we are off the horse, so our left hand goes down to the horse's neck LETTING him go wherever they want while we dismount.  To correct yourself and your horse, start out next to a fence until you get comfortable supporting your horse with your left hand by lifting up on the reins WHILE you dismount.  It's important not to have too much slack in your reins as it will offer less support and be more difficult to control your horse. Once you step down and continue to LEAD your horse with you, he'll learn to keep speed through the dismount.  If you are trotting when you step off, make sure he is trotting when you lead him and so forth with speed. 

Q: I have been to several of your clinics and I have a really nice dismount, flank, gather, ty, etc. I have been getting consistent 10-13s depending on the length of the arena. I would like to start getting faster though, and I'm not sure what I can do to achieve this goal. What should I do to get faster?

A: One of the ways I like to check on where we need to get faster is to clock girls on a 50 foot run, so this will be timing the dismount and ground work basically. Horse speed comes into play a little bit, but not so much.  It will tell you if you need to speed up your ground work if you are clocking 7 or 8 seconds on a 50 foot score.  Clock from where you land  from the dismount to getting into the goat and ready to flank. This time can vary as every girl steps off in a different spot to get themselves under control, but it should  not be higher than 3 seconds.  Then clock the flank & ty itself.  Time for flanking and tying needs to be near 2 seconds and definitely not over 2.5 seconds. If you are timing long on the flank and ty, then you know you need to work on flanking and tying faster, so you can just work on flanking and tying on the clock.  If a lot of mistakes start to occur, break it down to just flanking and gathering faster or gathering and tying faster then as mistakes lessen, put it back together to where you are flanking and tying on the clock. If you are clocking slow from the dismount to getting into the goat, then spend a lot of time working on running into position, emphasis on RUNNING!  If you are clocking good on the ground work, then horse speed is needed coming down the arena, so practice stepping off at higher rates of speed along a fence.  Place the goat stake (minus the goat) along the fence, so you know where you need to be off and under control by, so you can adjust where you are stepping off if needed.  

Q: Should you use older, more worn out strings or new strings in rodeos?

A: I like to switch out my rodeo strings about every 10 runs.  I use a Hard Rattler string, so the stiffness of the string is maintained longer than most strings.  The stiffer the string, the quicker the ty, so I do recommend keeping a newer string for rodeo competition. I condition my strings prior to the first competition the string will be used.  To condition a string I ty with it several times, as stiff strings typically feel bouncy the first several times they are tied with. Once it begins taking more of a hold after the completion of the ty, I store the string straight and use it only in competition.  Old competition strings become practice strings. I keep a couple of competition strings on hand, so in wet conditions, I'll ty with a string that is closer to the 'end' of it's competitive career. 

Q: here recently in goat tying i tied my first twelve im happy and all but im still having trouble with my dismounts. when i got off i was thinking run as soon as i touch the ground but its like my feet got behind causing me to stumble. how can i improve my dismounts?

A: Your right foot is probably landing down by your back cinch (middle of horse's body).  The right foot needs to land forward, by the horse's shoulder so your feet don't land behind you. Typically landing straight down is caused by lowering yourself too quickly to the ground, not allowing for enough time for the right foot to reach. It is easier to step off taller horses, as it gives more time for the right foot to reach forward, so smaller horses you'll need to swing quicker with the right foot as the ground comes up faster.  As you begin lowering yourself by bending your left knee, reach under your body with your right foot towards your horse's front feet.  You're right arm needs to hold your body close to your saddle enabling you to handle your horse's momentum so you're not landing away from your horse, turning your hips/shoulders. Practice at a trot until you get the hang of it, then start adding speed. 

Q: I am wanting to start breakaway what rope do you think i should start with i saw where u said you liked the hammer  thanks

A: I do like Hammers. They are good feeling ropes that have a consistent feel. Try a 9.5 or 10.0 for weight. 

Q: My daughter Grace is 8 and currently participates in several youth rodeos in several events. To date she has only done goat tale tying and not actual goat tying. Do you have a suggestion on what type of string she should start with and where I should go to get her started right? Also, she is just learning to rope the dummy. Do you have suggestions on where to steer her to also make sure she gets started correctly and doesn't learn any bad habits?

A: I would start Grace with a soft Rattler nylon string.  They are easy to handle, yet will prepare her for tying correctly and quickly as she advances to a stiffer string with experience.  Stiffer strings do make quicker ties.  I would suggest a clinic to help her get the proper techniques in both events.  Learning correct is beneficial in the long run.  At a young age, sometimes it's more difficult to catch when doing things correctly, but as they grow bigger, those 'little kid habits' sure can bit them in the butt.  Also as a younger kid, sometimes the emphasis is too much on 'catching' instead of technique.  A lot of praise for doing things right will help them stay motivated in learning correct instead of a 'big deal' when they catch. 

Q: whats your opinion on rattler goat strings? i wanted to try something new cause the ones im using now just isnt asting as long before they start getting flimsy to where i caint snap it around to start my ties.

A: I do like the Rattler strings.  Once you find which lay is best for you, they are made consistently, so you always know what you are getting when purchasing a new string.  The stiffer or harder lay of string, the faster the string and your ty can be.  But it has to feel comfortable to you.  As one advances, they can step up in stiffness of string.  I'm no different.  If I haven't been tying much, I use a Medium string.  If I've been tying regularly, I like the Hard lay of string. Rattler strings do hold up better for longevity as well.  The stiffer strings do keep their firmness longer.  I do switch out rodeo strings between every 5-10 runs, then practice with that string until it becomes worn out.  

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Q: When I go to step off my mare and we are separating she kicks out at me.  I've tried several different things and can't figure out how to get her to stop.  I was just wondering if you had anything I could try?

A: Horses kick for a couple of reasons.  1 they may be sore.  I like to switch pads, saddles or even butte them prior to see if that stops them from kicking.  I don't want to punish a horse for being hurt.  2 they are too fresh.  Some need to be warmed up properly and some take more warming up than others.  3 attitude.  They'll kick when they know they are free and think they can get away with it.  In this case, I like to attached a '3rd rein' to the left side of the bit where the reins go.  (It can be another rein or a thin lead rope).  I tuck the other end into my right butt pocket of my pants as deep as it can go.  It will rest of the LEFT side of the horn so as I step off it's free of the horn and not wrapped around.  When I touch down to the ground, I'll grab for the rope in my pant pocket and hold it as I'm running to the goat (usually they'll kick right away so you don't have to run every long holding the rope).  The moment they kick, I'll snatch at the rein as a reminder that I am still here and they aren't 'free to do as they please'.  And I will really get after them. This is also a good tool for horses that speed up in a dismount.  From my experience, this doesn't take too many times for it to work.  It is quite effective. 

Q: I was wondering if you might have any pointers I could pass alone to my daughter to get faster times. she is 13 and doing real good she goat ties in the Jr Rodeo in Tennessee and runs 12 to 13's most of the time and next year she will be moving up to the high school level which runs in the 10's or lower. she gets down to the goat fast and gets off her horse at a run but seems like she is losing her time in the tying part. what advise would you give to better your tying times, and speed up the tying?

A:  Tying her foot will help speed up her tys.  Cross the left foot over the right thigh so the left foot is in the open.  Holding the arch of the foot with her left hand, fingers pointing down to the ground. This will help her focal point during her ty and encourage good muscle memory as we hold the goat's legs, we should hold our foot. 

TO ADD SPEED:   First take the string and hold it in your mouth and in your right hand- with arm fully extended out to the side of your body.  There should be a "rainbow" over the extended right arm with some of the string (stiffer strings make better rainbows & Faster tys) . Holding the tying foot, with her head down, practice snapping or flicking the string over the arch of the foot. Keeping her nose straight over the left hand holding the foot.  The elbow bends as the  wrist "snaps" both over the big toe .  Right hand should be touching the big toe (ty in socks).    From getting the string out of the belt loop and snapped over the toes, is the biggest movement in the ty, so speed in getting the string out and to the toes is a must.  Hurry the hand!

THEN: slow down the arm and speed up the wrist.  Circling the wrist as quick as possible around the foot decreases the time of the ty.  Keeping the right hand close to the foot (goat's legs) allows for smaller, quicker circle.  Keeping the elbow up allows the wrist to do more work and the arm less, but if the elbow is down, it's harder to circle with the wrist and the whole arm starts to 'crank' on the ty.

FINALLY REMEMBER:  The lower her head at the start of the ty, will also decrease time.  As the ty will get on the legs quicker and she will be able to complete her ty quicker since her left hand will find the string out of her mouth faster with her head lower.   It is important to drop our heads when gathering so we aren't moving our heads down while tying, which will make the 1st wrap loose and it will also increase bobbles in the ty if the head is moving down during the ty. 

Q: Lynn, I am having trouble finding a rope that I like and feels good.  I have a rope with a breakaway that I use at home and i love it but it is old.  It is a 10 and a little stiffer so it seems to stay open for me when I swing.  I have always used ropes from a guy here in AR but they just feel so flimsy like I am swing a kite string.  I have only used a treated poly and I have tried other rope companies with no luck.  Is there a certain kind of rope you would suggest to try or brand?  It is really messing with me b/c I rope good at home them at  rodeo my ropes feel like crud!!!!

A: I like the Hammers made by Classic.  They seem to have some body to help keep a loop open.  Stick with a 10 or a 10.25 as they are a little heavier and they'll stay open a little better than a lighter rope.  Buy two of the same weight, one for practice and one for rodeos.  

Q: What are speed jams and how do you know if you are experiencing them?

A: Speed jams are mistakes in a run that are caused from hurrying.  If they occur at the rodeo, they are the result of not practicing correct.  If you practice going fast in practice and you are able to perform the task correctly and quickly in practice you will not have "speed jams" at the rodeo.  You will experience them in practice when you are trying to go fast and you haven't pushed yourself to that level yet.  So it's important to work on speed in practice as well, so you get comfortable performing quickly before going to the rodeo.  When working on speed, don't let mistakes (speed jams) bother you.  At the end of practice, slow it down and get it right several times before finishing the practice session.  But working on going fast is part of becoming good and mistakes always pop up when you add speed until you get comfortable performing the tasks quickly. 

Q: I have been wanting to attend one of your clinics, but I tie left-handed so I am wondering if you can still help me? I also have a phobia of getting my foot stuck in the sturrip on my get off since I wear a size 10.5 wide in boots.

A: I coaches a lefty several years back on our college rodeo team.  Together we experimented to see what worked best of leftys and we both learned a lot.  I strongly suggest that leftys flank right and ty left.  It's actually pretty easy to switch once you make up your mind to do so.  There was a girl  from the Ozark Region that qualified for the CNFR about 8 years ago that was a lefty and she flanked left handed. Unfortunately I met her after she had completed her 3 runs, and after a couple of hours she had flanking right and tying left down so good, it would have made a big difference in her times at the CNFR.  Goats become right handed as well, as they are use to being flanked to a certain side.  So flanking them opposite, puts you at such a disadvantage.  

As far as getting your foot stuck, I only put my tippy toes in my stirrup.  If I'm standing on the floor on my tippy toes, the ball of my foot and my toes are the only thing holding me up.  So I can balance on the floor with that, I can balance in my stirrup as well with only that.  I don't need my whole foot.  You want your foot to come out.  If you have a problem of loosing your stirrups, then shorten them so it's easier to keep a little pressure on your tippy toes to keep your stirrups during your run. ( I have a size 11 foot :) so I know where you are coming from!)

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Q: When Quincy is gathering her legs together, the goats back top leg often times is sticking up around her right elbow instead of in her left hand. She has to take the time to push it down with the other two legs before she can start her tie.  We can't figure out what she is doing wrong and why that top leg is not going into her left hand along with the bottom one. My guess (just trying to use common sense) is that she is not grabbing it. She should probably grab both back legs and is probably only grabbing the bottom one. Is this right? Do you have any other ideas or pointers as to how we can keep this from happening?

A: When the top back leg is sticking up instead of laying flat for the gather, the flank isn't being finished.  Finishing the flank by pushing the goat all the way into the ground with your right hand and making sure the right knee isn't too wide (should be on the thigh of the goat, not half on half off the thigh) will control the top back leg so that both legs are flat and straight out together makes it easy to gather. 

Q: When I straddle the rope on a goat that hangs back, I get stuck and cant get my knee on the goats shoulder. my left leg gets kind of stuck back behind me in front of the goat, and it really screws up getting in position to flank. Even If i really try to bring the goat into my left leg, It still gets stuck back there on the rope.  How can I run hard to the goat while straddling, but still have enough left leg room to flank properly?

A: One big helpful thing is to be low getting into your goats.  When you run into position to flank, stop and look where you are  in comparison to the goat.  If they are tight on the rope, their hips and shoulders are to the right of our hips and shoulders. So to loosen the rope, WHILE you get the goat out of the ground (with your legs) your hands should bring that goat inline.  His shoulders with our left hip/shoulder and his hips with our right hip/shoulder.  Then the lead rope should be loosened up enough to come down properly on the goat. 

Q: We have three very interested kiddos.  Ages 6, 8, and 11.  Do you have any clinics close to us?  Fayetteville, TN? 

A: I will be in North Carolina and in western Arkansas the end of October. We MIGHT get something set up for a clinic in Kentucky or possibly Tennessee, but I only have one date available and it's in early February. Not sure how that would work out in that area.  I am getting quiet a bit of interest to do one in that area and would love to come if we can find a good location and dates that work for everyone.  Any input or ideas are welcome!

Q: When I start my flank, I'm in the position that I'm supposed to be in. But when I get to the ground, I'm not square and directly over my goat. My whole body is  more towards the back legs, and I end up tying diagonally and sideways. It works, just not as smooth and quick as it should be. How do i correct it? (I flank and tie left handed).

A: Oh a Lefty!!  Yea!   I STRONGLY suggest left handers flank right and ty left.  Goats are conditioned to lay on a particular side, so flanking from the opposite side really puts a left hander at a huge disadvantage every time. I would love to have you at a clinic and help you with this!  I had a left handed girl on my college rodeo team several years back and I learned a lot helping her about what works and what didn't for a left hander. I've helped several in addition to her and think it is actually fairly easy for girls to learn as they all seem to really excel once they decide to give it a try! 

Anyways, back to your question--- Controlling the goat on the way down to the ground is as important as good position before the flank.  Being low with bent knees and hips down so you keep your balance will help you PLACE your goat to the ground. Your hands need to push the goat down your legs so you are staying close to your goat all the way down to the ground and place the goat between your feet. Your feet shouldn't move.  Your hips in the middle of the goat's body, one knee on the shoulder of the goat and one knee on the thigh, your toes turned out so your weight is back in your hips and not pressing down too much on the goat.  When you gather, the knee on the thigh will slide forward slightly, down to the ground to be behind the back legs of the goat.  Your knee should stay on the shoulder of the goat and it will actually help hold you into position on the middle of the goat. BEND at the waist for the gather and ty will also help keep you in position.  Being too straight in the upper body, forces us to shift out of position on the goat. 

Q: Hi, I have had a lot of people and they knew what they were doing, but I just wanted to ask you. You dont want to hang off your horse when getting off do you?

A: That's like a trick question.... I don't recommend hanging in one spot, yet I don't want to bail off either.  I think the dismount should be done in a smooth, controlled fashion where the rider stays close to the horse and lowers herself down to the ground.  I have three steps to my dismount; Frog, Hip, and Down. I don't want to stop in any phase of the dismount, unless I'm training on a horse.  Any pause during a competition run of the dismount, takes away from the right leg reaching forward enough to land heel-toe. Once you start a dismount, you should continue to lower yourself to the ground in a smooth and controlled way.  Everyone will find their own 'speed' in the dismount for timing and size of horse will dictate that some as well. 

Q: Lynn, I my sister has attended a clinic of your and you sent her home with a work out sheet, she has since moved to college and the sheet went with her. I am currently not having any problems with my tying but I am going to be a Freshman in college also and I want to fight the freshman fifteen. Is there a copy on your site and I missed it somewhere or do you have nay recommendations? thank you

A: Freshmen fifteen usually comes from BEER, eating poorly (since college kids have to cook for themselves!) and/or laziness. Eat healthy, avoid snacking late at nite, pass on the party drinks and keep a regular fitness regimen. Try to find something fun for a fitness activity as you will be more likely to do it, and then try to do it during the "party times" so it's easier to avoid situations that aren't helpful to you.  But to answer your question, I don't have the work out program online anymore.  I liked to lift, especially with my lower body & core and do some cardio with sprints, jumping rope/boxes, playing basketball and volleyball and circuit training. You can look online for a variety of workout ideas that look fun and beneficial for you to make it more 'tailor-made' for you! Enjoy college life and make choices in what you believe in! 

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Q: Hey Lynn, When I breakaway rope I take 3 swings then throw and I now I should take 2 but 3 is my comfort zone; what should I do

A: You shouldn't have a set number of swings.  You throw your rope when you get into position.  Sometimes that's quicker, sometimes it's longer depending on your cattle.  Don't force a shot that you don't have. If you are taking a couple of swings over the calf's back instead of throwing on your 1st shot, then you will have to work on getting out of your comfort zone to throw faster. To do that, I suggest just throwing your rope when you SEE your first shot.  I don't care where the rope goes or if it even touches the calf.  You are trying to relay a message from your brain to your hand to throw your rope;  even if you are not 'ready' to throw.  After a couple of times, your body will start getting ready sooner for those faster throws, enabling you to catch.  Throwing fast shouldn't be the only thing you practice in that session, as it often leads to a lack of horsemanship in keeping the rope horse working properly.  I'll try to rope fast the first few calves of practice, then work more on keeping my horse in position and tracking a few jumps before I throw.  But each time I take strong mental note of where my first shot would be, making sure I'm ready to throw (sometimes it's hard not to!!).  But I've got to keep my horse working too, so I need to rope for him as well.

Q: Hi Lynn, a young lady that you have worked with before (Phylly Black) highly recommends you.  I am interested in either sending my boys to one of your clinics or having you work with them privately.  Just wondering what you think would be best.  Do you have time at your clinics to work with boys or would it be better to find a different time?

A: A clinic would be great.  Private lessons are often difficult unless I have a lay over in between clinics.  This summer schedule, there isn't a layover anywhere.  I may have a layover in the winter schedule, but nothing anytime soon. I've had several boys at clinics before and we've had a lot of fun with them and it's great seeing them improve!

Q: I can't seem to get stay standing up when I get off. I have tried the short horses, and i fell EVERY time. Now I'm using a taller mare, and can stand up but I tend to sike my self out, and slow way way down or fall. What can I do to fix this?

A: Short horses are harder to step off of than taller horses as you have to get your feet into position faster on a smaller horse.  So don't let ANYONE fool you and say goat horses should be short! Slow your DISMOUNT down, by breaking it up into three steps.  Frog, Hip, Down.  Frog position is where your right foot is on the hindquarters of your horse.  Make sure you have bend in your left knee and pushing on your horn as then you won't bounce.  Hip position is where you swing your right leg under you and your hip should be into the fender of your saddle and your right side of your body is close to your saddle.  Left knee still bent, right foot reaching underneath of you toward the horses front feet. Down is lowering your body down in a controlled fashion.  Your left leg is like an elevator taking your down to the ground, your right foot touches down then your left comes out of the stirrup, then you let go of your horse and RUN. Go slow with your horse at first so you have time to think about the 3 steps, pausing in between is ok at first to get the hang of it.  Even when you go slow with your horse, when you touch down, run as hard as you can- make your feet explode so you train your feet to get moving. Gradually add speed to build your confidence.  Then think about only the steps in your dismount when you are adding more speed and in competition.  Also check out Traci's dismount on this YouTube video as she has a perfect dismount, seeing it will help your body do it:Video Tip Sponsored by Rattler Ropes Dismounts

Q: When I get off my horse and run to the goat and flank it, I find myself standing up and bending over instead of getting my chair. How can I fix that? I also find myself grabbing above the flank and pick it up first then I grab the front leg. What do you think I should do to fix it?

A: What is happening to you is VERY common, but the fact that your recognized it; Great for you as it is costly on the clock. Both grabbing above the flank and bending over are caused from being too upright getting into your goat. So you only have one problem to fix !  Getting low as you get into your goat will help you get into proper position to flank quicker, therefore help you get the goat out of the ground quicker and help your hands find the front leg and flank area.  Make sure you are stepping off soon enough, so you have time to slow your momentum. Then really bend your knees when you run to the goat, and bend them even more the closer you get to the goat- kind of like rating, you'll be dropping your hips more when you bend your knees, arms reaching out in front of you for the goat.  Don't ever allow yourself to get straight legged.  Exaggerate bending your knees in practice, especially on slow work with your horse tying the goat to get the feel of running low.  You can practice just jogging with your knees really bent to get the feel of running lower.  Your quad muscles will really engage and you may get really sore thighs for a while, but that's the right technique. You are going to get low by dropping your hips instead of bending at the waist when you bend those knees. Also to help your left hand, look at the foreleg of the goat as you run into him, so your hand can grab it quicker. Then keep your right arm straight as you are reaching for the flank, so you will be grabbing deep enough to find the actual flank, not just the belly of the goat. With your hips down coming into the goat and both hands extending, once you get there, you'll be able to roll your hips and pop under the goat to get a really quick flank, which will set up a better, faster gather, then help your ty be quicker as well. :)

Q: In February, my daughter got some help with goat tying by a rodeo coach. Her technique was all changed, which is very similar to yours, and her string was changed to a cotton rope. If she goes to one of your clinics, will she have to change her string?

A: I show students how to ty with a nylon string at my clinics because it is faster.  I may suggest tying with certain string and ask a student to try it for a certain amount of time,  but ultimately it is up to the student. Things I suggest or ask a student to try is for their own benefit and so I can help them with it during the clinic. I strive to help each student get better and only ask them to do things that I think will help them get faster times in the arena.   But in the end, it is up to the student.  

Q: On my tie, sometimes the front leg bends when my left hand goes up to my mouth and it messes up the rest of the tie. Is it because I'm not squeezing enough with my legs?

A: Your not keeping your first wrap tight with your right hand.  

Q: Thanks for the advice on taking my first shot. Lot of people have commented in it. But know I'm having trouble with standing up. I seem to be sitting down to soon. I was wondering if there was anything I could do to help keep me standing up?

A: DISCIPLINE. We've got to be disciplined to stay up and finish our throws :) it's one of the hardest things to do breakaway roping.  Making sure you get up at the start, so you're not behind will help you stay up and feel more in time as well.  It's hard to play catch up trying to stand up if you are out of time at the start.  Timing at the start comes from good scoring on your cattle, so you don't have to pull your horse up as you are coming out or feel like you are running on top of your calf as you are coming out. 

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Q: Hello Mrs. Lynn.

As you might remember i've been to two of your clinics and the horse that i'm currently goat tying off of is old. these people that work for my father gave us a horse that was just a pasture ornament to them. it doesnt even handle basic riding. it won't walk when you saddle it. thats a whole other problem though. i was wondering how i should go about training this horse for goat tying and just what i need to do. 

A: Get him semi broke first :) then start stepping off down the fence at a walk. Don't worry if the horse stops, rate will be good later on. At a walk, they have no momentum to keep moving, so just step off and LEAD the horse to encourage forward movement.  Once this gets smooth, speed up to a trot, again don't worry too much about stopping or slowing down, but make sure you lead him right away to encourage that forward movement. Sometimes it helps to have a halter on or underneath the bridle so you can lead him with that instead of the bridle. Spend a lot of time petting and reassuring before getting back on each time and get him to WANT to follow you.

 Once he gets a little confidence in this, even if he's slowing down as you are stepping off, break up the dismount.  Slide to the frog position and HOLD IT.  Either ask him to keep moving or have someone lead him for you. When he's moving, slide back into the middle of your saddle and ride him forward. Again, once that gets smooth, go from the frog position into the hip position, asking him to move forward. Once he is moving, slide back on.  It's really easier on you & the horse if you have a helper leading the horse, as you'll both progress a lot quicker.  Once that is smooth, then go from the frog, pause briefly, then the hip position pausing briefly, then lower yourself down and if you're solo, lead him through. If you have a help, run past them so your horse gets used to you going by him.

 Once good at the fence work with all the speeds and no helper, start riding past the goat.  Stake the goat close to the back fence 15 feet or so and have a grain bucket on the fence.  Going slow, step off after the goat stake and lead him to the bucket.  Gradually add speed, still stepping off later than normal and helping him to the fence.  If all is well, start stepping off sooner. I would practice this way for a while. Once it's smooth gradually increase distance from the fence to the goat's stake. 

 This whole process should really take several weeks, doing a little bit each time, keeping it FUN for the horse and keeping his interest in what his is doing and in the grain.  Don't over work him on this. 

Q: Is there any particular leg position to tie in, like front leg on top of back legs, in between back legs, or what works best?

A: You want the front leg on the bottom of the back legs as a RIGHT HANDED goat tyer.  It will speed up your gather as your left thumb can get a hold of the back legs quicker than your fingers. (easier to operate one appendage - your thumb- than four - your fingers- quickly). 

For LEFT HANDED goat tyers, I strongly suggest flanking right handed, then tying left as goats are conditioned to lay on one side better, so rather than ALWAYS putting yourself at a disadvantage by flanking left handed; flank right, then on the gather stick the front leg on top into your right thumb (same reason) and ty left handed.  Thanks for the year of coaching Becky Schoeder, I got lots of practice with left handers and she got to be my 'test' for every new idea I came up with! THANKS BECKY!

Q: Thanks for the previous tip. This spring, we had goats at the college rodeos that were notorious for sucking their legs. What can I do to make sure I keep their legs out from under them?

A: Get a good flank.  Right knee has got to be ON the thigh muscle- any bit wide and you will loose control of the goat's legs.  Then you've GOT to be back with your weight- toes turned out and really sitting back in your butt when you land on the goat.  You've got to PLACE smaller goats and make contact with them all the way to the ground with your legs.  So your hands need to be holding that goat close and pushing him down the inside of your legs to your knees as you go down to the ground.  It's like your hands have tracks on your legs from your thigh to your inside of your knee. Don't let your hands de-rail.  Placing the goats all the way to the ground with your weight back helps the goats to land flatter on their side with legs sticking OUT.  

Another reason to be loosing the legs is getting your weight tipped forward as you go for your gather- causing the goat to suck them up into their bodies.  Staying BACK and bending to gather little legs is an art that gets easier with practice :)

Q: Hey Lynn, I was wondering about how fast you should be when you pass the flagger until you get to the goat stake. What are college girls clocking and what should high school girls be clocking? 

A: On a standard high school score (100') I would be striving with the college girls for somewhere in the range of 2.5 to 3 seconds.  So this would include the dismount and running to the stake, as I don't want them stepping off right ON the stake :) Horse speed and individual athletic ability would come into play on the time differences.  From the stake, down the ten foot rope and flanking and tying the goat, they should be clocking real close to 2.5 - 2.75 seconds.  So when you add the times together- say the run down was 3 seconds and the stake to the goat is 2.5 seconds that equals 5.5 seconds and you may wonder why you don't see more 5's?  Human reaction- between the flagger and the timer; it's going to take at least half a second.  We really noticed this when we were conditioning the CNFR goats- we set up a 85 foot score (college finals actual score was 80, but I was unsure at the time of our conditioning session).  I timed without the flagger at the finish, going off the girls' hands and there were A LOT of mid 5's. Leading to the question, why there weren't more 5s at the CNFR.  

High school, I would be pushing for 3- 3.5 seconds on the run down on the horse and running to the stake and 3 - 3.5 seconds on the ground- you'd be fairly tough in any high school competition clocking 7.0- 7.5.

Q: I have a tie-down horse that would be great for goating but i was wondering if that would mess him up for Breakaway?  No one will be tie down on him just breakaway. 

A: Goat Tying on a horse that also breakaway ropes will not interfere with how your horse works in the other event.  There is so much difference between the two, that horses can differentiate pretty easily. As an old tie down horse, you might have to work with him a little more getting him to move through as you dismount and after you step off.  A lot of slow, reassuring work will help him progress.  Word of caution, patience is the key, as a lot of horses that tied down calves have been "drilled" in stopping and getting back, so it might take a little more work (slow work) to get them confident in the different job. 

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Q: I get me rope up out of the box but I seem to need to take two more swings before I can take my shot. Is there any thing I can do to not take those extra swings?

A: When you see your first shot, THROW, whether you feel ready or not.  You've got to get your hand to let go of your rope when the first shot is there until you get comfortable doing so.  In throwing quicker, your body will start getting ready quicker for those faster throws.  Don't worry about where your rope goes- it doesn't even matter if you touch the calf.  The goal is to throw on your first shot, so focus on that not on the catches.  Practice this several times at the beginning of each roping session, then finish the practice freeing your horse up and taking good shots that you are comfortable with so you can work on catching too.   

Q: When I tie my goat at home, I practice in the lawn since I don't have an arena close by. It seems like I slip alot, but I think of it as sandy dirt and stay quick and light on my feet. While doing this, I have a goat that sucks back really bad as I'm running towards him. I don't get rid of him because I've tied some nasty goats that suck back bad in rodeos. The problem I run into is creating enough space so I can flank because the rope is so tight. Is there anyway to create enough slack in the rope so I can correctly tie to be fast? Thanks.

A: I love tying on grass (other than the stains!) as it's good because since it really encourages smaller steps getting into your goat which does help keep you from slipping, even on dirt.  Goats that are really tight on the end of the rope- notice where your shoulders and hips are lined up in comparison to his shoulders and hips BEFORE you flank.  You'll be in position and ready to flank but then really stop and LOOK where his body is and where your body is.  As you pick him up out of the ground (using your lower body :)) have your hands bring him into the center of your body- so your hands will bring him inline with your hips and shoulders. Now as you go down to the ground with him, you should have more slack in the rope allowing you to finish the rest of your run quickly.  

Q: When I run down the rope to the goat, sometimes I wind up kinda running over the goat. I'm thinking it's because I need to be lower, but I'm not sure. Also I tie left handed and I've noticed I have trouble getting to right "spot" to flank when the goat runs left and it's costing me time. What can I do to fix this?

A: As a lefty, I STRONGLY encourage to flank right handed and ty left.   Because goats are 'familiar' with being flanked from one side, flanking them from the opposite side, puts a left hander at a great disadvantage, it also makes it difficult to get into position to flank on left running goats, as it is awkward for right handers on right running goats to some extent. If you flank right handed and ty left- put the goat's front leg on TOP of the back legs, as your right thumb will be able to grab it quicker than your fingers will on your right hand.  To keep from running past the goat, yes get lower, but also 'rate' your goat as you get into him.  Make your last step into the goat's chest STOP you, and then square up to the goat into flanking position with the rest of your body.  It's like a basketball pivot getting into the goat so that you're in position to flank. Come to a clinic & I'll teach you how to flank right handed, so you'll love it and you'll love left running goats by the time the clinic is over!!

Q: When I am getting off, am I supposed to get off directly at the pin of the goat, or at least 10-15 feet before the pin to get a good start? I am also having a hard time keeping my horse lined up directly with the goat when I start and my horse stays left but continues to go straight. What do you suggest?

A: You need to be stepping off before the pin/stake so you are landed 10 or 15 feet before the stake. Now the faster you are going on your horse, you may need to step off even sooner so you land even sooner, so you have time to slow your momentum down as you get to the stake, so you don't fall if the goat moves.  There's no "set" spot to land, because so much depends on your horse speed and your ability.  To help line up look at a spot on the fence behind the goat and look at it until you are atleast half way to the goat, to where you need to start getting off.  It will help you RIDE straighter, so your horse goes straighter in the run. Practice this at home because it'll feel funny for a while, not looking at the goat (you'll use peripheral vision to see the goat). 

Q: When I throw the goat,I'm not hitting the ground at the same time as him and it's causing him to get up.Any advice?

A: You need to be making contact with the goat all the way to the ground with your legs, so when he's on the ground, he can't get up.  Go slow until your muscle memory gets the hang of it.  As you flank your goat, your hands should roll into your hip pockets as you push the goat to the ground, your left hand should slide down your left leg and your right hand down your right leg, your legs/knees will follow your hands as you place the goat to the ground.  You will land on the goat with the inside of your left knee on the shoulder of the goat and the inside of your right knee on the thigh of the goat, next to your right hand.  Your toes turned out and you in a squatting position so you don't put too much pressure on the goat. 

Q: So I want to start goat tying and was wondering what type of string I should get? Do I need one with out a eye and are those just for guys? Also 2ply or 3ply hard or soft? Also is it called a piggin string or a goat string? What is a decent brand also?

A: The strings with the eye is for the boys, called a piggin string. So you need a "goat string" . 3 plys are better as they will stay tighter once you get comfortable tying with them.  Rattler Ropes makes goat strings in four different lays- the softer the string the more 'forgiving'. The stiffer the string, the fast you can ty.  Technique is important in learning how to ty fast as well- so strings can help with speed, but it's not all the string. Rattler Ropes makes goat strings in a soft lay, a medium lay, a medium hard and a hard lay.  They have also worked with me in customizing a string to my specifications but those strings are made in Medium and hard lays.  You may order those strings on this website.   You may order other Rattler Rope Goat Strings from National Ropers Supply, or any business that carries Equibrand (classic equine, classic ropes or rattler ropes products).  Great questions!

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Q: The girls attended your Springfield, SD Clinic, and thank you, because it was awesome! We practice with quite a few young and beginning rodeo kids, so my question is: do you teach the same tying and roping techniques to the little boys? Both the girls were excited to come home with the tying and roping drills for our group, but I thought I had better ask if the boys were taught the same.  Thanks for your time.

A: Yes, I teach the same to boys.  The exception is if boys ty with a piggin string instead of a goat string.  Every association is different on which boys can ty with.  Goat strings are faster than piggin strings, so if they are competing against girls, then I suggest a goat string if that's an option.  If they are required to ty with a piggin string, then they will have to learn to string the front leg before the gather, so I work alot of flanking & stringing instead of how the girls work on flanking & gathering.  But both ways, goat tyers need to sit in the middle of their goats while they are tying- don't let them fall off the goat's butt, since it allows the front leg to slip more easily.  For older boys that are still tying goats, I'll introduce flanking from the lead rope more since it'll transition to calf roping. And thank you for enjoying Springfield!

Q: When you tie your foot what should your time be? And what do your college girls tie? Thank you! 

A: Under a second.  My competitive college girls ty around 0.7 seconds to 0.6 on their foot.

Q: I've had a couple different amateur pro ladies help me with my goat tying. They all do it a little differently and i was wondering what your opinion was on exactly where my hands should be on the dismount ex.left hand on reins the whole time, left hand in the air for balance??

A: Left hand needs to be with your reins until your right foot touches down.  I don't want to turn loose of my reins prior to that so I can keep my horse under 'control' until I'm touching down. Some horses need "support" while dismounting to stay straight, so on those horses I'll pick up on the reins while I'm stepping off.  It's natural for the left hand to go down to the horse's neck and that's ok if your horse is honest and straight.  Once my left foot is coming out of my stirrup, I'll try to push my left hand out to the side to help for balance in keeping my feet in front of me and my shoulders back. 

Q: Hi,I was wondering, should you stretch before you compete?

A: Definitely!!!  Stretching is important to keep from injuring yourself.  It also helps loosen you up to help give a better performance.

Q: I have trouble flanking my goat and gathering the legs. When I flank the goat it seems like it's out of control. When I scoop I'm grabbing a handful of dirt along with the legs. What can I do to get my gathering and flanking better and under control?

A:  You're probably not into position before you flank.  You need to be close to the goat with your lower body before getting them out of the ground.  Then using your lower body to flank and you hand to keep the goat close to your legs as you go down to the ground will 'set up' the gather so the legs aren't everywhere including smashed into the dirt. 

Q: well I started a new horse this year for goats and he was fine doing slow work and we have been doing all the procedures you taught at your goat clinic i went to last spring, but now that we are going fast he is good until i start to get off and he speeds up and turns to the right and its hard for me to stay up. When we are slow he runs along side me with no problems and we always have used a grain bucket at the end so what else can we do to get him over that?

A: I believe he's scared, that's one of the reasons horses speed up and duck out.  So at a fast enough pace where he wants to not work, you must have EXCELLENT body control and ride your horse in various phases of your dismount while keeping control with your left hand (reins).  Riding down to the goat- slide out into the frog position and hold it and ride past the goat.  If he's doing that well, then ride down again, slide to the frog position, hold it and then slide down into the hip position (right hip on the side of your saddle right below the seat) this is where horses usually get scared.  It's can be hard to hold, if you are not controlling your body's weight and momentum.  But it's important to stay put and ride him as straight through as possible without landing on the ground (with your feet or body :)) When you get him doing that well, then you can add stepping off and LEADING HIM through.  Don't let him loose or you'll be creating bad habits again.   Keep your dismount really smooth and slow, pausing after each step so it will not scare him to where he wants to speed up or leave you.  If at any time, he's not correct, just ride him through in the position.  This is vital to correcting the problem.  You'll have to do a lot of training runs and very few practice runs for you- that's part of getting a new horse going- sacrificing practice time for training time. 

Q: i had a really good horse last year that i was dirty fast on, but we ended up selling her for other reasons in the fall. i started another horse this spring but i just cant make myself go fast -- i dont know if its me or just having not practiced dismounts fast in a while. what suggestions do you have?

A: Practice going down the fence and stepping off fast to get your confidence up without having to think about the goat.  Set a lead rope out where the pretend goat is so you will have to be stepped off and in control running by the time you get to the lead rope. As you get more comfortable with the speed on the fence (challenge yourself!) then add a goat.

Q: I am going to high school and local rodeos where there are 50 to 65 pound goats without flanks and im geting slow times because i cant get into my flank and when i do they suck in their legs and start to kick. How do i deal with trying to flank and gather these heavy goats and get a fast time?

A: To solve both problems you must be LOW and have good position prior to the flank.  Be close with your right knee in the belly of the goat and left leg in the chest area before you flank. This will help make your hips more effective when you pop with your lower body and keep the goat close to you as you push him down to the ground.  Fank with the lower part of your body- Rotating your hips under the goat will get the goat out of the ground and then as you push the goat down to the ground, make sure that you are making contact with the goat's body with your legs all the way to the ground which will keep him from kicking and struggling on the way to the ground.  In your pin position, don't let your right knee be too wide, it must be up on the thigh and your weight has got to be back in your hips- pushing from your hips to your knees to help hold the goat's legs straight and really bend at the waist for your quick gather. Careful not to drop pressure in your knee as you gather, get the legs moving 1st then lower the right knee.  Gathering low and all the way into your left thumb will help keep all the legs together and not loose one before or during your ty.   

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Q: When i ty it tight i always get my hand in the ty what should i do?

A: Make sure your left hand is reaching UP to your mouth and not around for your string.  Also make sure your right hand isn't crossing too far over before your left hand gets the string out of your mouth.  So both hands should really be at your face at the same time for the completion of the ty.  Your right hand will be more by your nose and your left hand by your chin, so your right hand will be crossed over slightly as your left hand pulls the string from your mouth.  You'll need to have your head low, so you can perform this quickly and tightly.

Q: I am really struggling with how to get the most out of my practices. I do one, two, and three skill drills before running at them on the ground. How can I get the most out of my practice so I end on a good note? I feel like I just wear myself out and start getting sloppy and make lots of mistakes towards the end instead of continually making progress. What is the best way to organize my practice time to help me succeed and feel like I am improving? How much is enough or not enough to make a strong practice?

A: Pick one thing that you want to work on for each practice (or that week of practice) and focus on improving that one thing.  For example: It may be getting into position better - so practice running into position on the ground on several different goats, some that run, some that stand. But just run into them and either get ready to flank and then after several times then add only the flank.  Don't put the rest of the run together.  Practice stepping off your horse and running into position  on the goat and then again after a few times add the flanking only.  If you are working on speed- have someone time you on your ground work.  Set a goal that you want to accomplish before you quit for the practice and then once you've reached that goal either 2, 3 or 5 times (whatever you decide) then go back and do two perfect in a row without timing.  You're just trying to accomplish too much in your practices, which wears you out.

Q: When I get off to goat ty,I sometimes get hung up. What boots do you recommend to use when getting off fast?

A: I like lace up boots (ariat or justin) for goat tying only.  They fit close to the foot without a big sole and the laces offer extra support on the ankles.  Regardless of boot, it's IMPORTANT  to ride tip toe in your stirrups goat tying.  Stand tippy toe on the floor and the toes touching the floor should be the only ones in the stirrup, so very little of the toe of your boot shows threw the front part of the stirrup. Make sure you apply a little pressure in your tippy toes to hold their spot & If your foot moves in the stirrup on the way to the goat, shorten your stirrups so you can hold your toes in position.

Q: After I dismount I straddle the lead rope so the goat can't run away from me, but it is costing me time when I reach for the front leg to flank.  What can I do to change this?

A: I'm not sure I fully understand the question or situation that you are in.  Straddling the rope shouldn't cost you time and going for the front leg on a straight goat should actually save time.  Is the lead rope getting tight when your goats are straight making it hard to flank?  One thing that will help is being LOW.  Getting your hips down to the goat's back line level and underneath you with your chest up and butt down will help you be stronger and more stable when flanking. 

Q: during the winter i find it harder to exercise and i feel lazyer than ever any tips on keeping my leg strength up and feeling more active.

A: Once you get started with an exercise program you'll feel more energetic and it's easier to be motivated to work out.  Schedule it in, so you make time to do it and try to find work outs that are fun, so you'll want to do them and stick with it.   Wii has fun programs, I also like Kettleworx if you are doing them at home. 

Q: I am preparing to come to your clinc in Springfeild, SouthDakota the first weekend of March. I was just wondering what i need to do to prepare myself and be fully ready to learn as much as I can? Thanks

A:  Good question!!  I think tying will help you prepare the most as it will callus your hands some so that you shouldn't get the blisters during the clinic.  Try to be in shape.  You'll still get sore, especially the lower body, but it will help some to be in shape.  Have your horse rode and in shape, that way he can work without being silly because he's fresh.   See you soon!

Q: How do you stick to your healthy eating plan (my weakness is chocolate) in the weeks up to the rodeo season?

A: It's a choice for me.  I look at it as "Do I want to win or do I give in and get the chocolate?"  After a while, you'll lose your taste for it and it wouldn't seem so appealing.

Q: What kind of practice do i do during the winter ?

A: I really like to break things down in the winter time & work on performing each task (flanking or tying or gathering or just getting into position) separately  I work on doing each thing correctly first and then work on SPEED.  Gradually I'll put two things together (flanking & gathering, getting into position & flanking, gathering & tying.) Again working on perfection & SPEED.  It doesn't take a lot of space, so if you can heat a small area and even put down an old rug on the garage floor to practice. 

Q: How is the best way to dismount in goat tieing?

A: One foot at a time- literally.  You are going to STEP off, not jump off.  First tippy toes in both stirrups.  Then right foot slides to the horse's hindquarters, while pushing back on the saddle horn to keep your chest up and your right leg down near horse.  Left knee bent.  Right leg then swings under your body & reaches for the horse's front legs while keeping your right hip next the saddle  (so you stay close to your horse). Your right arm will hold you close to your horse & control your body's momentum- as it will WANT to swing away from your horse. Your right foot needs to be reaching for the front feet so you land heel- toe not flat footed.  Your left leg will slowly lower your body down to the ground.  Right foot will touch down and then left foot will slide out of the stirrup. So your feet are touching down right foot then left foot.  Then hustle your feet :)  

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Q: Is there any benefit to coming to a clinic to just observe? (The clinic is already full.)

A: It is more beneficial to participate in a clinic, but you can learn from observing as well.  If clinic  is already full, sign up anyways, and you will be put on a waiting list incase all of the deposits don't arrive by the deadline, you may still be able to get in.

Q: At rodeos I usually match my performance to the competition, meaning; I only do what's a little better than the winning girl. But I know that my ability has the potential to go far beyond that. How do I make sure I'm only paying attention to my best and not the rodeo's best?

A: For me competiting is about doing my best.  I don't look at times as they don't matter to me.  I have to make the very best run that I am capable of that day, regardless of what other times have been posted.  I control my eyes & ears and don't allow myself to listen or watch other competitors, especially when I'm up, because I need to be focusing on me, not my competition. 

Q:    I attended your clinic in gordonville, mo.  can you tell me when your goat tying dummy will be available and where i can order one at?

A: The folks making the dummy for me switched manufactures in attempts of making the dummies (they are making a calf dummy 1st, then the goat dummy) more affordable.  I believe the calf dummy will be produced fairly quickly and then the goat dummy will follow.  I'm hoping for late spring, early summer with the goat dummy.....

Q: Do you ever practice tying a dummy and if so which one do you recommend for young girls?

A: There isn't a dummy that builds GOOD technique for goat tyers on the market right now.  SSRoping & I are currently working on designing one that will fill this void. Hopefully by March it'll be available to the public.

 For right now to work on tying, you can ty your left foot.  Make sure the foot rests completely over the right thigh and that you hold the arch of the left foot as you would hold the goat's legs.  You'll have to rotate a little at the waist to keep both shoulders square over the ty. Work on getting your head low at the start of the ty and then keeping it still throughout the ty. A low head will help place the 1st wrap correctly and add speed and tightness to the ty.  I like to practice in a stocking covered foot so I can feel how tight the ties are actually getting.

Q: What advice can you give for girls tying in the cold winter months? Staying warm, strings, goats, etc?

A: You should do everything pretty much the same.  Don't practice with gloves on.  It's NOT realistic!  And baby I know it's cold out there!!  The only change I make is that I ty with a slightly softer string. In summer I usually ty with a hard string and in winter I'll switch to the medium.  It doesn't sting as much when it hits your cold left hand while it's holding the legs. 

This is a great time to work on breaking things down and working on this separately and getting FAST at one  or two things at a time. 

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Q: I don't have any goats to practice on in between rodeos so I ty a dummy.  My get offs are really smooth and my tie is quick.  I'm running 9's right now, but it seems that I am loosing time from getting to the goat, flanking, and gathering.  I can get to it fast, but my transition from that to flanking and gathering isn't smooth.  What can I do and is there anything I can do to practice?

A: Most dummies aren't realistic.  To get the task done on a dummy, you sacrifice the proper technique because of how the dummy is made. SSroping & I currently are in the process of developing a realistic dummy for goat tying.

But for now, I'd practice with an imaginary goat and work on getting your body control in the flank.  Get into flanking position on your imaginary goat. Then pop with your hips to flank and then slowly squat down to the floor. Make sure your toes are turned out so you can be keeping your weight in your hips.  Don't let  your knees touch the floor.  Your knees should be parallel to the floor about 8 inches to a foot off the floor, your toes turned out so all your weight back into your hips.  This is very difficult to squat like this, especially at first.  You've got to train your body control before adding a goat, so this is a great opportunity to do that.

To start out, you may find it's slightly easier to start from the floor and go up.  Kneel on the floor, feet together, toes in the floor, butt sitting on your heels.  Now turn your toes out, which will transfer your weigh into your hips (very uncomfortable at first!)  Now hold your ankles and rock back to get your knees off the floor.  Hold yourself there for a second or so to work on muscle memory. Then rise up into the flanking position keeping your knees bent.  Do this several times for starters and then work on going back down to the floor with control.  It's leg work out!!

Remember the goat is in-between your knees and the floor and you don't want to put a lot of weight on him, so that's why working on controlling your body is important.  It gets way easier with practice!!!

To work on your gather, get a three round objects- like wooden dowels.  If they are between 12 - 18 inches that's perfect.  Assume the position on the floor, but let your knees touch at first.  Put two dowels for the back legs on the floor in front of your right knee and hold the other in your left hand. Bend down at the waist.  Make your right hand sweep the two dowels into your left hand, so start behind the dowels and make a sweeping motion with your right hand, fingers touching the floor. Your left hand should be pushing your dowel down so that the back dowels can get into it easier.  Sweep them together and hold in your left hand.

As controlling the dowels get easier, then keep your knees off the floor.  After your right hand moves the dowels past your right knee then drop into your knees on the floor, as that's how you would on a real live goat.

Q: What advice can you give to teens about resisting the use of alcohol?

A: Alcohol a poor choice that losers make, trying to find a way to feel better about themselves.  Losers don't like to be lonely, so they will encourage others to join them.  Don't look at it as a favor- it's not for your benefit, it's for theirs to have the extra company.

I believe teens know right from wrong.  The first time you save "NO" is the hardest, but stick to your guns & your beliefs and it becomes easier; as they party crowd will know where you stand.  It is definitely an IN or OUT deal. You can't ride the line and do it sometimes.

Becoming a champion/winner is sometimes very lonely.  You will have to overcome obstacles that are based on jealously because "they" don't want to sacrifice what you do to become a winner. Instead it's easier for them to bitch and complain or think you are lucky or have an unfair advantage.  You will give yourself an advantage if you practice, are in best physical shape you can be, think positive and do the right things. 

There is absolutely no benefit to drinking, drugs or smoking.  When we try to so hard to win though practice, expense of equipment, horses, fuel, entry fees; why would anyone jeopardize their chances of competiting up to their abilities by making a poor choice with substance abuse. Saying NO will give you MORE CONFIDENCE and help you BELIEVE that you deserve to win.  Believing that you can win and hoping that you can win are two very different things. 

I also believe that teens do look up to their parents for guidance and to be examples.  They may NOT understand the difference between a 40 year old making the choice to have a drink and them making the choice to have a drink.  As a coach, I see that the kids that have grown up with their parents drinking in moderation, have a more difficult time making the choice not to. 

Q: How can I make my tie tighter?

A: To get tighter ties, get your head low.  It'll help speed up your ty, place your ty correctly and keep your ty tighter.  The shorter the legs on the goat the more important being low with your head is.  Once you spin your first wrap on, then make sure you are pulling it tight with your right hand by pulling a little bit to your hip pocket.  Keep that same tension with your wrist as you finish your ty.  Make sure your head doesn't move down into your ty as you are reach for your mouth with your left hand, as that will really loosen a ty.  Staying still in the body & letting your wrist and hands do the work will also keep tys tighter.  Practice on your foot, as you should be able to feel your ty be tight on your stocking foot. 

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Q: How and when do you decide that its time to take a break? What do you do when you get burned out? Do you get burned out?

A: Rodeo can be very demanding depending on your commitment so taking a break is very important.  A good time for a break is after a rodeo season is complete.  (like the fall rodeos). Rest is good for you AND your horse, that way you come back rejuvenated and with a passion.  If you play another sport, it's good to take a break from rodeo during the other sport season.   The length of your break depends on the individual.   It's important to be practicing for the upcoming rodeo season at least 6 weeks prior to the first one, so you'll be at your peak when the rodeo season starts.  However long your break is, make sure you completely take a rest from rodeo- don't mess around with roping the dummy or tying your foot, because if you are not trying to get better, than you can be building poor habits.  Sometimes a break can be doing something else with your horses other than your rodeo events.

 Know yourself and if you need to take a break to prevent feeling burned out during the rodeo season, schedule a 'rest' in on our calendar year.  Figure out when works best for you and how long the break should be (anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months) and then do it :)

Q: Is smoother  faster? And what is your fastest time?

A: Trick question!!  Sometimes smoother is faster.... depending on your level.  At beginner level, yes smoother is faster.  At the more advanced level, it's important to remember that 1st goes to the fastest time, not the smoothest run.  Sometimes you can make a smooth run & not be fast enough.  Sometimes you can make a run with a mistake in it & keep hustling & win or place.  Fastest time for me: 5.6 seconds. It was a nice smooth run. My Fastest run though was 8.8 on a 200 + foot score line, my horse was hauling!

Q: When i practice at home im really smooth and it feels really fast.. but when i get to rodoe something goes wrong.. and im never as fast as i feel... what i do at practice never transfers to my rodeo runs... so what am i doing???

A: Time yourself if possible in practice.  It'll put a little more pressure on you that is there at the rodeos, also you'll KNOW how fast you are going rather than just feeling fast.  Then start pushing for a certain time in the practice pen, to be faster so you get comfortable making runs under more pressure.  Make sure at the rodeo, you stay focused on you, rather than the stuff going on around you.  In practice it's easy to think about ourselves, because there are no distractions, so work on getting into the same frame of mind at the rodeos that you are in practice.  Also with running on the clock at home, it'll give you more confidence in knowing that you can make fast runs.

Q: LEFT or RIGHT side dismount? I have noticed some goat tyers running by on the left side of the goat and getting off on the right side of the horse. (similar to a tie down calf roper.) Which side do you recommend and why?

A: Left.  It's easier to learn (for horse & girl) to step off fast on the left side, since that's the side we normally get off and on.  The only girls I've ever seen step off the right due that to injury on their right leg; that way their left leg has to step down first taking more of the 'impact' during the dismount.  Correct technique dismounting also helps reduce 'impact' and injury.

Q: It used to be that whenever I made a bad run I would get really mad, cry, or even throw things if it was really awful. This year I've gotten a lot better at controlling myself and letting it slide off my back. However, at state, I fell in the second go run and lost, undoubtedly, a state title. I felt nothing after my run because I knew it would mess up my barrel run and roping run later that day. I'm wondering if I'm now taking my runs too lightly and kind of went from one extreme to the other? I could be unsure of myself because I'm still adjusting to a calm, cool, and collected personality after a run, but I don't know. What do you think is a happy medium?

A: Not throwing a fit is maturity.  Confidence in ourselves will allow us to shrug off a poor performance.  We still may be mad, but don't act out in a childish way. To prevent the  snowball effect for the rest of the rodeo, we have to 'let go' of mistakes so we can get ready for the next event and do our best.  Often later, we'll realize the "importance" of the mistake which may have cost us a "big" prize that day.  Maturity helps with realizing that nobody is perfect and that we can learn from our runs (good or bad) so we can become better for the next run, the next rodeo and the next 'big' prize.  If it still burns your butt a little bit about not doing well, you're not taking it too lightly.   It should become a motivator to practice and become better so you are more prepared for the next chance. 

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Q: Lynn when I go to flank my goat it feels as if the goat takes a step away from me what am I doing wrong. Also when I swing my rope does it matter if my elbow is up or down?

A: 1st make sure you are running all the way into the goat with your lower body.  Sometimes we cheat a little bit & don't get our left knee in the chest & our RIGHT KNEE in the belly.  So we are actually about 6-12 inches from the goat.  Then we end up reaching, bending at the waist which drops our shoulders down & makes our butts come up  & then loose our balance.  It can be a bad habit when trying to be fast.  But it is a REALLY bad habit.  So make sure you are running into position to flank with your lower body.  Once you are close with your lower body & you have your hands on the goat, make sure you keep your elbows bent & close to YOUR body so that you are more powerful & can hold the goat close to you before & throughout your flank.  Some goats learn to lean or roll there body away without even moving their feet- kind of bracing for the flank.  But if you are close with your lower body & your hips are underneath of you, you should be able to control him pretty easy :)

Swing my rope, I want my elbow to be about even with my shoulder. It may come down a little bit in the back part of your swing, but for the most part even with your shoulder height.

Q: In practice, all of my goats have horns. Sometimes they pull the rope tight and the collar/rope is stuck in between their horns so my left leg cannot get into position. In other words, it's impossible to get my leg under the neck of the goat because the rope can't come out from in between the horns while the goat is pulling tight. What can I do about this?

A: As you are running into your goat & see his head is stuck under the rope, try to use your right hand to adjust his head.  Your hand will contact the goat on his left eye, try to push down and left to 'unlock' his horns from the rope, then with your fingers under his jaw, pick his head up so your left knee can get into position, just like you would for a goat with his head down. You'll have to be LOW running into your goat & really reaching for his head with your right hand.  Put your goat into that predicament & do it slowly a few times so you get the hang of it when actually running to the goat.

Q: My horse has always ran straight but he has recently started cutting me off /ducking in front of me. What should I do to keep him straight? He never does it in practice only at the rodeos.

A: If at all possible ride in the arena before hand.  Show him where you want him to go by riding him down (where the goat would be staked) and directly into the fence behind the goat. Have a grain bucket there & reward him with a little grain when he gets there.  You can do this by trotting & slow loping down the arena & stepping off where the goat would be & LEADING him into the fence.  Make sure you run to keep up with him by his neck/head  DEFINITELY no farther back than his shoulders.  Then he can see you, then he has to respect you.  Don't under any circumstances, ride/lead  him in or out a gate that would be to the left of the stake. 

On horses that push left while dismounting, keep the horse's focus on you & what you are doing.  Don't let them 'drift off" with their attention. Especially nickering or pricking their ears at something outside of the arena.  Keep their focus on what you're doing. Usually horses that cut in front of you are looking for a way out (literally). So every time you ride him, don't allow him to wonder with his attention, especially nicker at another horse.  When they do, I get my horses in a soft feel (Collected in the bridle) to remind them to listen to me.

The other big thing is space respect.  I never let my horse get into my space.  If he does, I shove him with my arm to get him out of my space (imaginary circle around you), Shove, or slap; whatever it takes, but when he moves, I quit.  I don't want to make him scared of me, but I don't want him walking on me either.  He needs to respect my space when I catch him, grain him, lead him, load him in the trailer, ty goats on him- whenever I handle him! Once they gain respect, the cutting in front problem usually stops.

Q: My daughter wants to start goat tying and has never done it. Would your clinic in Florida be a good place for a first time starter? I want her to learn the right way she had started late as she is 15 years old. She can ride very well just never goat tied

A: You bet that would be a great place to start.  She'll learn quickly with no bad habits to break; you'll be amazed!

Q: When I gather I sometimes end up losing one or two back legs out of my left hand.

A: Usually you are not gathering all the way into your left hand, just tapping the legs instead of actually getting them over & down  into your left hand.  You'll think you have them, but one (usually bottom one) drops out when you are tying.  This is common in girls that are trying to get fast- but make sure you finish 1 before doing 2 (finish your gather before starting your ty)

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Q: When I first gather, the front leg of the goat is going between the two back ones. What do you think I'm doing wrong and how do I fix it?

A: Push the front leg DOWN & UNDER more on your gather & it'll be where it's supposed to be.  You're just not using it enough to help your gather.

Q: I'm a couple states away, and have been raised on none other than 4-H. I'm so tired of having to do all the slower pleasure classed-and my horse hates it too. I've been teaching my self and picking up on others for about 4 or 5 years now in gymkana, but it's definitley not enough. I want more than anything to do high school rodeo, or junior rodeo, but i don't now how to start into either, or what i need to learn before  start. I run barrels, poles, and goat ty, but I'm not going to lie-I am an amatuer. I have have a good starting horse, but I know that if I really get into gymkana, I'll have to get a younger, faster horse. What do you think? What do I need to do? How do I start?

A: You need to go to clinics so you get the right technique from the start & don't have bad habits to break, whatever event(s) you choose to do.  Get a seasoned horse in the events that you want to compete. It may not be one that will win you first, but an honest horse will teach you a lot & be less frustrating!  Even if you have to get a horse with some age and needs some maintenance (injections), it's cheaper in the long run than buying a green/young horse and trying to make it yourself, especially at the beginner level in rodeo. Let the experience horse teach you & then you can move on to a younger/faster horse.  The seasoned horse will teach you how things should 'feel' which is really important when training your own horse later on. Seek QUALITY help- so go to clinics of people that are QUALIFIED to be doing clinics.  There is a lot of 'advice' out there, but not all of it is good.....So get good help, so you can get good!

Q: My daughter's horse is kicking out when she dismounts, it is not all the time but it seems to happen after she makes 2-3 practice runs on him.  What can we do to stop this!!!!!?

A: This is a very serious matter, as it is VERY Dangerous to have a horse kick after you dismount.   Horses kick for several reasons;

1- is being 'fresh', so warming up a goat horse is very important & keeping them rode other than practice really helps.  When warming up, I see a lot of girls that slow lope around, barely at a lope (especially when getting ready to rope) and then think their horse is warmed up.  Slow loping around for a few circles in ok, but get your horse moving before you complete your warm up.  It fully stretches their muscles out and gets them more ready mentally. Your horse should  have be breathing harder after you're warmed up.  (I have my college girls sprint/race before we ty in practice, as it gets them fully warm up physically and mentally to make good runs at the start of practice, so they don't 'waste' their first five practice runs getting warmed up)

2- they hurt.  Some horses are getting pinched by the saddle, so check equipment, check for soreness or lameness.  Try changing equipment or Bute them if necessary to make them more comfortable.

3-  It's their way at 'getting even". I see a lot of horses that are getting pulled on a lot prior to the dismount (on the way to the goat),  kick up after the dismount is  like they're way of getting back.  This can become a habit or turn into an "attitude".

4- They have an 'attitude".  Which then needs adjusted.  Most horses that kick up believe that they are "free" and their is no way of getting in trouble because the rider is already off & a little bit away from them, so they can get away with kicking up. 

To fix the attitude problem, attached a rope/ extra rein to the left side of the bridle where the reins clip.  Have the rope long enough that the rider can hold it while riding down to the goat in their right hand (and the horn) or I like to tuck the end of the rope into my right butt pocket, so as I step off I grab my right hip & catch the lead rope.   Make sure the rope/rein is on the LEFT side of the saddle horn, so you don't  get a jerk line affect after you step off.  You want a lead rope affect.  Make sure the goat tyer RUNS to try to get up to the head/neck area of the horse, don't hang back by the saddle or the hindquarters where you can get kicked (LIFE OR DEATH SO RUN) When the horse kicks up, jerk them with the rope/rein that is in your right hand. Get after them.  They'll be surprised at first that you still have control over them even when you are on the ground.  You may have to do this several times for them to understand.  You can practice with this extra rope/rein in your hip pocket; I've even competed in competition with it for a different reason, but it shouldn't get in the way of your goat string.  Most horses won't kick unless you are going fast, so practice half speed at first along a fence to get the timing of grabbing the rope/rein from your hip  a few times before making a run in practice, in hopes that they kick up so you can fix the problem. Timing is everything!!! So you don't want to miss grabbing that rope when you need to be correcting a problem. 

Q: Say you're at Nationals, you need to put together three good runs. The first one was pretty good. It didn't win the round but it sat pretty high. You know you've got to make two more runs just like that and you'd have a good chance to win. What do you think in between runs at any rodeo that takes averages?

A: I only think about my very next run- I don't think about the average or the outcome or the first run.

Q: My daughter is starting a new horse, and I'd like to know how you get the horse to "fade" off to the right after the dismount. He stays running right beside her and she has to push him out of the way. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

A: You don't want a horse to fade off to the right!  It's makes the dismount so much more difficult & dangerous!  Horses need to respect your space, so they don't push into  you, but that is something that should be worked on with everyday handling; keeping them out of your space, then it will be no different when goat tying.  But to help him have a "target" to run to, I like to use a grain bucket (with grain in it) and/or a buddy horse at the end of the arena;  That way in practice your horse will run to that "target" to be caught.  It gives him a better understanding where to be.  I put the 'target' straight behind the stake/goat.

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Q: Every time I pull up to a high school rodeo I get really nervous to tie but i can pull into a junior rodeo and win it every time with an 8 or 9 but at a high school rodeo im a second off the leader every time, how can i get over this nerve?

A: Always find the root of your nerves.  There are good nerves & bad nerves. The bad nerves are the what ifs and are along the lines of negative thoughts or things you can't control (your competition for example).  Good nerves are just being excited to compete, the feeling of being alive & wanting to do well.  So find the root of your nerves at the high school rodeo.  If they are bad, control your thoughts so you aren't allowing yourself to focus on the negative energy that's getting into your way of doing your best. 

Always remember:

1)almost EVERYONE gets nervous. 

2) NO ONE is automatically going to win.

3) DON'T beat yourself before it even starts!

4) Keep positive thoughts- (The Little Engine That Could-  simple little phrases like  "I can do this, I can do this"  "Go Fast, Go Fast" can help you refocus when you start to feel to nervous-  You can talk yourself into anything & you can talk yourself out of anything!!

Everyone makes mistakes- it's how you handle your mistakes that will determine how much you'll win.  (You can still place with mistakes in a run, if you keep hustling through it)  & Replay your runs in your mind to figure out what you need to work on and then make it better (at home in the practice pen & in your next run!)

If you aren't beating yourself mentally & you make your very best run & still don't do as well as you would like, figure out your weaknesses & go work on them in the practice pen.  Practice is for the things you don't do as well, so you can get better. If it's your flank, then work on flanking.  If it's your dismount, then work more on dismounting. If it's just not being fast enough- then work on hustling in practice :)

Q: I remember one time you mentioned that 90% of the time you make it easy for your horse in practice and sometimes you challenge him by running diagonally. I'm not really sure what this means. If there are any other ways to challenge your horse in practice sometimes, please let me know

A: Sometimes I'll go from corner to corner of the arena instead of just straight down it.  It's a little different set up and can add length if you have a short arena.

Q: My horse has recently been ducking off to the right when I step off to tie the goat. I am trying to figure out what to use as a blinder for her right eye. What would you suggest I use?

A: A couple of things work good, but you want to cover the whole eye & then practice very little with it so your horse doesn't become too comfortable with the blinder.   A bra works well- cut out the left cup so your horse can see & the right cup will cover the right eye.  An underwire works well, as it helps hold the material away from the eye some.  Also a fly mask with the left side cut out & some material glued to the right half also works well.  They both can be put on & taken off quickly.

Q: Lynn, I have been having some trouble with my horse wanting to duck to the left, when i throw my rope. What are your tips?

A; Ride square - equal pressure right & left stirrup, DON'T LEAN, and use your left hand (reins) to help hold him in.  They learn from habits (repeating something) so you'll have to work at it for a while before he'll correct the bad habit, but if you ride correctly, it'll help him stay straight.  I'd start off trailing first, so you don't have to think about coming out of the box & you'll feel like you have more time to think about riding correctly.

Q: We have been watching your video and trying to learn to change some things.  When you run down the rope how to do flank without the rope pulling on your left leg.  This is only when the goat is straight not when you flank from the rope.  This seems to make  the rope tight on the goat and then harder to seat right on the goat.  Any suggestions.

A: Being really low is really helpful with a tight lead rope.  But once you are in position to flank your goat, with your left knee in front and your right knee in his belly, look at where his hips & shoulders are & where your hips & shoulders are.  I like to draw lines in the dirt  where the goat's shoulder is & where his hips are.  Then I draw two lines where my hips are (your shoulders will be in the same spot). It's usually only a couple inches different.   Now you'll have to bump the goat with your legs to get him up out of the ground in the start of your flank.  When he's legs are clear of the ground, use your arms to bring him into where your hips are shoulder's are so he's square to you.  You won't have to move your feet. Then when you go down in your flank to the pin,  you can sit correctly without the lead rope being extremely tight on your left leg.

Q: Is there any way that you change up the routine a little bit with your college girls to make practice fun like games or different drills?

A: We do a lot of different drills, especially early on in the seasons so we don't put a lot of runs all  the way together.  At the end of the season or even post rodeo season, we do a lot of games in practice to keep the competitiveness up.

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Q: Going to the Jr. Nationals in Gallup, I was amazed at the girls that were stuffers, they had less trouble with the kicking goats and tied much quicker.  I have your video that teaches scooping.  Do you teach stuffing?  Do you prefer scooping and why?

A: I didn't see Gallop this year, but I do know the gal the won the goat tying was a scooper- Jessica Gray from Florida.  She's been to several clinics over the past couple of years.  I know at the high school finals, the stuffers seemed to have a little more trouble (same goats), as the gals that won 1st, 2nd and 3rd are all scoopers  ( gotta brag- that have been to my clinics) 

I've worked with stuffers over my 10 years of doing clinics & coaching a college rodeo team, so I am very familiar with the style and understand how it needs to be done to be successful at it.  I wouldn't stay that I "teach" it though.  I'll work with the gals that have a good start on it, as I don't want to change all their muscle memory that they've work hard to attain. 

Scooping is way easier to learn, it's just as fast and the consistency with scooping is way greater & it comes way sooner on the learning curve. The body type of goat doesn't effect scooping as much; if you learn the basics of scooping, it's the same on every goat.

With contracting the CNFR goats for 10 years,  I've seen a lot of talented goat tyers that stuff, but many of them didn't win as much as they should have because being consistent at it when it really matters is tricky.  I can name 5 that were great at stuffing in my 15 years of goat tying experience, but they would have been good in any style because of the work ethic they had/have.

Q; What do you do when the goat is standing there and pulled the rope tight? I usually find that after I flank I'm not in the right position--too close to the stake because my leg is in the tight rope.

A: Being low really helps.  Also learn to pull the goat IN to you (to the left) WHILE he's in the air of your flank.  So you'll pop with your hips and then bring that goat a little to the left to square up to your body, his shoulders & hips should be in line with your shoulders & hips before he goes down to the ground.  But being low is a major part of this to stay strong with your lower body & get into good position to flank.

Q: My state finals is approaching and I know that I'm capable of doing well, but how do I stay focused to perform at my best before my runs? I tend to be focused on the prize I might get.

A: Coach yourself- I talk about the two voices in my head at clinics- the devil (who wants to focus on the outcome) and the angel (who wants to focus on the process).  When you catch yourself daydreaming about how it turns out, change your train of thought to what you need to do during your run.  Some people find a way to relax by not thinking about the run at all- think about totally unrelated things to rodeo, so it's more of a reaction when they compete.  (I know one gal that thought about how to decorate/organize her college apartment :)  )

Q: How can I speed up the gather? Also-I don't have trouble gathering (one skill drill) but I usually miss both legs off the bounce on the flank and gather (two skill drill).

A: Getting more bent at the waist (get low with upper body) & learning how to stay back in your lower body (for the pin) will help you gather off the bounce.

Q: Lately I've been roping and missed at the past couple of rodeos. Now, I'm afraid to throw the rope at all. How can I train myself mentally to get over this?

A: First realize missing IS part of roping, but it's not the end of the world.  Don't ever be afraid to miss, or you'll miss!  Next keep in mind Michael Jordan's quote- You'll miss 100% of the shots you never take. Third- if you are roping good when taking the 1st shot at home, you've got to toughen up mentally & not doubt yourself in competition. If you're not roping good at home, get back on the bale practicing a low number of swings.  Even have some (or do it yourself) tell you when to throw- it works more on reflex.  Then start roping out of the box again.

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Q: Lynn, what is your best advice on goats that get up? Normally I don't have to much of an issue with this, but my goat got up at Nationals and I have a practice goat at home that no matter how tight I try to tie it, it gets up.

A: The tightness of your ty is in your first wrap & where you're knot is ending up.  Make sure your first wrap is tight by pulling to your hip pocket after the wrap is on & KEEPING that tension as you finish your ty.  Also get your knot on the bottom by keeping your left shoulder square to the ground as you finish your ty.

Q: If the goats head is bending under my left knee when I'm done flanking, what am I doing wrong?

A: You're not coming down with your goat with your left leg, allowing him a moment to poke his head in the wrong spot.  Stay closer to your goat all the way down to the ground.  Do it slow & make sure you have contact always with your legs & you'll see that his head can't get in the way.  So as you are going faster, you're loosing position.

Q: How fast should me and my horse run down to the goat?

A: Depending on your age and your experience will determine how fast your ready to run down to the goat.

 For seasoned competitors high school aged and older, on a 100' score line, I like to see them clock under 2 seconds from where the time starts to where they step off.  For seasoned competitors in jr. high this should linger close to 2 - 2.5  seconds at the most.  Jr competitors, 3 seconds is ok.

 If your ground work is up to par, add 2 seconds for your flank & ty (high school aged & up) 2 - 2.5 seconds for jr high aged, about 3 to 4 seconds for jr. kids .

And then about 2- 3 seconds running yourself from your horse to the goat.

So that will add up to mid 6's to 7 flat for high school & up age group;  about 7.5  to 8.5 seconds for jr. high competitors,  and about 9 seconds for jr competitors...

.Something to shoot for...... (but don't sacrifice being correct for speed. Get it RIGHT 1st then add the speed- for tips on how to be correct & fast scroll down)

Q: me and my horse are new to breakaway we are just getting started what are some things I can do here at home in the practice pen to prepare both of us physically and mentally for what's going to happen in the arena?

A: First get comfortable roping the bale on the ground.  Take a different number of swings  each time before you throw, so you don't get stuck in a comfort zone of x amount of swings- every calf is different, so be prepared.  Next stack two bales on each other & rope them off your horse.  This will add a little more difficulty as you got to be able to stand up & see over your horse to rope the bale, as you would a calf.  Position should be straight behind the bale (on the ground & the horse).  If you have access to a pen and a calf; turn a calf loose in a pen & track him around with your horse.  Get your horse to 'latch on' straight behind the calf.  Once this is good (may take a while) then add roping off your horse.  Do this A LOT.  This is a great teacher!!!  Try to rope only on the straight aways- not the corners as it teaches bad habits. 

If you don't have a pen (arena) or a calf (or even if you do)  practice riding your horse around & swinging your rope.  Get comfortable standing up while doing so-- keep your knees bent & toes down. Get your thighs into the swells of your saddle, but don't lean too far forward with your upper body.  Learning to ride standing up is important and then it's important to learn to ride standing up & swinging your rope. 

Q: How many runs could you get out of the classic hard strings as compared to the old ones?

A: The big difference in longevity in the new Classic strings you notice in the practice pen, I'll ty with it until it doesn't feel good anymore- which is around a month or so depending on how much you practice.  For competition strings, I'll use about 10 times compared to 5 times of the King strings. So they last way longer than the King Strings.

Q :Every time I pull my knot tight and go to put my hands in the air, the "head" of the string hits my left thigh. It really stings and I've had welts, but I know it's not right-I just can't figure out what I'm doing wrong

A: Keep your left shoulder down while you are tying and finishing your ty- it'll make the head end of the string hit the ground and not your thigh.

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Q: I'm really losing confidence in ground work; sometimes I have a problem and blow it up to an hour long session then my head isn't in it at all and I didn't get anywhere in the practice session. I'm wondering how I can keep it simple, gain confidence by tying different goats, and learn something from every session.

A: When you have a problem in your ground work, single that problem out & just work on it.  Slow it down & get it right, then add speed again.  Often I will tell myself in practice to "GET IT RIGHT".  It's our body, we have control over what it does so I can MAKE myself get it RIGHT.  I can also let myself be sloppy & make mistakes- my choice....

Once you get it right several times- QUIT for the practice session.

Q: What kind of bit would you recommend for a horse that has no rate when coming to the goat?

A: I like a correction bit.  You can get different lengths of shank for a little more "whoa" power if needed.  I like the Dutton bits, they make are variety of bits with the correction mouthpiece and several different shank lengths.

 Q: I am tying in 7s  8s and 9s with little mistakes but I want to be  faster! how can i add speed?

A: To add speed, work on one thing at a time. Sit & ty & do it as fast as you can.  Gather as fast as you can, Flank as fast as you can.  Then start putting two things together.  Gather & ty- try to do it near 1.0 second.  Flank and gather, and then flank, gather & ty (try to do it under 2.0 seconds).  Getting your muscle memory fast is important, so to get everything to speed up, you need to break it down & get one thing fast by itself, then start adding too it.  Don't worry about mistakes- if you continually make one-focus on doing it right, but don't slow down.  If it keeps being a problem, then slow it down & work on it before you wrap up the practice session. Think HURRY!  :)

Q: I had commented earlier on how I am having trouble with adding speed going down to the goat and stepping off. Does your goat tying DVD talk about your dismounts?

A: Yes it does

Q: What size goat would you recommend for the college girls to tie on?

A: Generally I would say goat that weigh between 40 - 55 lbs. are a good practice size goat.   But if you know you may be tying smaller or bigger goats at an upcoming rodeo, then try to practice on that size so you are better prepared.  If  possible try to have a meat goat and a dairy goat for practice, since their bodies feel different.

Q: How do you stay motivated to work out?

A: The wonderful quote: Motivation is what gets you started & habit is what keeps you going! 

You schedule working out, practicing, roping the dummy, tying your foot, riding your horse (whatever)  into your day if it's important to you.  Making it a routine (every day, every other day, whatever that matches your goals & commitment) and then being DISCIPLINED to do it. Finding fun ways to work out help as well- a work out buddy, or Wii, change where you bike/run, change what you are doing to work out.  Be creative.

Keeping your goals in mind help with the motivation part.

 At the of a season like the National Jr High Finals or High School finals, feeling burned out is common- especially if it didn't go the way you wanted it too.  Taking a break (one month or so off) doesn't hurt anything either.  Or find some other rodeos to go to so you continue to have something to work for.

Q: I have problems flanking from the leadrope; I'm not sure what's wrong-maybe I'm too far away or not low enough, but I always miss the front leg in the air. I think I lose my confidence if I have too much slack in between the collar and my hand when I jerk the goat. Right then I'm not sure what my body should be doing, either.

A: Most problems with flanking from the lead rope is caused from not getting the goat close enough to you- that's one of the reasons you JERK him to your LEFT HIP- it brings his front end into your lower body.  Being low on your part really helps too.  Also popping the lead rope BACK across your leg will keep the goat's front end close to your body- sometimes just flipping the lead rope with your left hand will cause the goat to 'float' away with it's front end.  Actually keeping tension on the lead rope while flipping it back over your left leg, should keep the front end in line with the left side of your body-making it easy to catch the front leg & come down without the goat turning underneath of you.  Do a lot of jerk & stepping, then popping & catching.  Then pause to make sure you are getting the front leg before the goat falls to the ground. Once you are good at that, then make sure you are still pushing the goat down to the ground equally left and right hand- so the goat lands square for a "flat flank".

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Q; How do you train yourself mentally to go on from a mistake in a competition run?

A: This is something that you learn in practice.  You make sure you keep going with a run in practice (ground work, horse work, or a full practice run) so that you get better at going on with mistakes.  Too many girls think they need to be perfect to place/win, but that's not the case- FAST is what counts, so keeping forward momentum in a run after a mistake is crucial time on the clock. Knowing that they also give places, points and money for more than 1st place too keeps me hustling through a run after a mistake. (even thought I'm GOING for 1st :)

Q: Do you ever do one on one lessons?

A; Yes, if I'm traveling to or from clinics & someone's location isn't too far out of the way, I will do one on one lessons.

Q: My horse is ducking to the right of the goat when I run down there. How can I make my horse run straight to the goat?

Getting your horse into the arena before competition is important. If possible, ride him where he would be going during the goat tying run.   I like to do a few practice dismounts, (slow usually) and then lead him to the fence behind where the goat will be staked.  I'll have a grain bucket & his buddy horse there as well, so he has more incentive to go straight & all the way to the fence.  Make sure you are stepping off early enough so that you're not pushing him away in the dismount. If your left hand comes up to help support him, he may stay with you better as well, so don't let your left hand drop to his neck as you step off.

Also if the ducking off problem isn't helped by working your horse prior to competition in the arena & or supporting him with your left hand (reins), then I'm not opposed to a blinder on the right eye.   A bra works well for a quick blinder- cut out the left cup of an underwire bra.  The strap can go over his right ear & it will buckle under his throatlatch.  Practice a LITTLE with this to make sure he's ok with it.  Don't cover his eye for long periods of time- just immediately before your runs- wearing it too much can take away the effectiveness of it.

Q: I just graduated form high school and will be starting college in August. Right now I am tying 11 and 12's, do you think its possible for me to be tying 8's by the time I start college?

A; Any thing IS possible,  but to knock that much time off over a period of two months it will take a lot of hard work.  Breaking things down & working on each element separately until you are consistent and fast at that one thing will help. So sit on a goat & work on your ty.  Ty correct, then ty as fast as you can.  Don't get frustrated with mistakes when you are trying to go fast.  Just think about what you are doing & try to do it correctly & fast. 

Just work on your flank.  Flank your goats over and over again, until is perfect and then start working on doing it perfectly and fast.  Most time is lost once the girl gets to the goat- so flanking, getting your gather & tying is EVERYTHING! 

To work on being more consistent from your horse- start off slow- trot down to the goat, step off & run into & flank the goat only.  If you can flank perfectly from you horse consistently, then adding the gather and ty is no big deal.  You can do this a lot at a lope, fast lope and even a few rodeo runs until you feel awesome with the dismount, timing, and the flank. 

Putting too much together will cause muscle-mind confusion, frustration and isn't not good for staying positive!

Best of luck & work hard!

Q; I have my flanking, gathering and tying down great but when it comes to stepping off my horse at a run or even a fast lope I am always afraid I will trip or fall at a fast speed. What can I do to help me with this?

A: Break it down, so you're just working on your dismount & you can get confidence in that.  I like to go next to a fence.  Pick a spot where you want to step off, lope down & do it.  Gradually add speed.  Remember the faster you are going on your horse, the sooner you'll get there, the sooner you'll need to start stepping off.  Don't change anything in your dismount (speed) just because you're going faster on your horse. Then start stepping off at the goat, but don't ty it.  Just work on your dismounts by the goat so you get your timing down.  Make sure you hustle to your horse's head when you touch down on your landing (run) and get your reins so your horse doesn't learn bad  habits of ducking away or speeding up.  Plus running up to his head will help you keep your feet moving; also it's a safer spot to be! TALK YOURSELF INTO IT INSTEAD OF OUT OF IT- watch your' thoughts & think only positive thoughts!!!

Q: What do you do when a goat tries to horn you and/or run in between your legs?

A: The horning part, I don't worry about.  That's their way of defending themselves.  So it's part of the game.  Running between your legs- he should never get there.  If you are low running into your goat, it'll be harder for him to see an "out" between your legs.  Also if your right hand is pushing his head away (to the left) as you are coming into him, it'll re-direct his attempt. 

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Q: Where can I find a can for goat strings?

A: Personally I don't like goat cans for strings, as they are too small and put circles that you don't want in your strings.  Storing your strings straight is a better bet, as they'll function correctly.  I offer "String Saver" Tubes at clinics for sale for $25.00 that are very useful for storing strings.  If you'd like to order one I could ship you one with the cost of the tube & $15.00 in shipping.

Q: We were told by a goat director that since Jordan's  horse circles before he takes off she'll be DQ'd at Nationals? 
I've looked thru the rule book and didn't see anything that says this. Can you tell me if this is something we need to deal with.
Thank you!

A: From my understanding, you are allowed to take one SPIN or PIVOT if a central gate is not in line with the goat.  I would check with a judge and the national event director PRIOR  to the start of the event/rodeo for complete clarification from the officials.  BEST OF LUCK AT NATIONALS!
 

Q: When you're at a rodeo and the goat isn't across the gate you come in, so you ride down along the fence until you're straight across from the goat. Do you have your horse face the fence and turn him around before you run down or do you go ahead and take off?

A: Usually my horse is pretty excited, as they are used to running from the gate.  But I'll keep him close to the fence and moving forward, even if his butt is tipped/pointed toward the goat.  I like to make a turn or a pivot to the left & then go, so if the gate that I came in is to to the left of the goat, I'll just turn & go, since I'm turning to the left.  If the gate is to the right of the goat, I'll ride by the "point" that is straight with the goat & then turn to the left back to the "spot" and go.  I like to find landmarks (banners, arena post) something to help me know what is straight & how far I need to ride down the arena fence to make sure I'm lining up correctly.  When you're horse is hopping around & is excited it's sometimes easy to let him become the boss & tell you when to go, but it might not be straight.  So a landmark will help you get lined up without having to look down the arena for the goat. 

Q: My horse works great for me in practice, but at the rodeo, he is slow and ducks off. After that in practice it is hard to build both of our confidences back up for the next rodeo. I've struggled with this for two years.

A: Getting your horse into the arena before competition is important. If possible, ride him where he would be going during the goat tying run.   I like to do a few practice dismounts, (slow usually) and then lead him to the fence behind where the goat will be staked.  I'll have a grain bucket & his buddy horse there as well, so he has more incentive to go straight & all the way to the fence.  If he's been dogging it running to the goat- I'll run him down there & not step off- just ride him past & into the fence/bucket/buddy.  Doing this once or twice should get him a little more excited for what will happen during the run.  Doing this will help both problems, but make sure you are stepping off early enough so that you're not pushing him away in the dismount. If your left hand comes up to help support him, he may stay with you better as well.

 I do like short spurs as well,  that way you're feet are more effective.  1" spurs with blunt rowels are nice rodeo spurs.

Also if the ducking off problem isn't helped by working your horse prior to competition in the arena & or supporting him with your left hand (reins), then I'm not opposed to a blinder on the right eye.   A bra works well for a quick blinder- cut out the left cup of an underwire bra.  The strap can go over his right ear & it will buckle under his throatlatch.  Practice a LITTLE with this to make sure he's ok with it.  Don't cover his eye for long periods of time- just immediately before your runs- wearing it too much can take away the effectiveness of it.

Q: I have been having to tie by myself a lot lately, which sometimes I think helps me to deal with  goats in any situation, but I was wondering if you had any advice on this since it sometimes gets frustrating?

A: Well, I guess sometimes you just have to make due with what you've got.  (I never tied/practiced with anyone until my sophomore year of college) But "coach" yourself.  Make practice plans- plan out what you're going to work on for a week & make it different each day. 

For example: Monday- Ty five goats 10 times. 

Tuesday- Flank and gather 5 goats 10 times each. 

Wednesday: Ground work- run at the goat on the ground. When you notice yourself slacking or messing up, do two perfect in a row before you can quit. 

Thursday: Practice runs off your horse and whatever gave you the biggest problem repeatedly, do 10x perfectly after you are done with your horse.

Friday: Flank, gather and ty five goats 10 times each.

Q: How many practice (roping) runs do  you make during a week with rodeos on the weekends?

A: I'll rope more calves during the beginning of the week, like Monday & Tuesday.  Wednesday I take fewer & make sure they count.    If I have a practice horse, I'll rope only five or six on my rodeo horse Monday & Tuesday, then get on my practice horse and rope more. Wednesday I may rope one or two on the rodeo horse, then finish out on the practice horse with maybe five more. Thursday, I really rope for my horse, scoring, tracking up, whatever needed to give him the best chance of working good at the rodeo and rope very few. I might not even rope on the practice horse Thursday.  I'll rope the dummy to get more practice in. (that's with going to the rodeos Friday- Sunday).  If it's a long haul, Monday the rodeo horse may get the day off.

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Q: My new horse is afraid to run toward the goat. Do you have any suggestions?

A: I would stake a goat out & lope a lot of circles around the goat.  Starting with big circles down to small- totally ignoring the fact that the goat is there & just ride, get your horse broke & exercise him. I would only go to the left, since that's the side your horse should see the goat when using him for goat tying.   Hauling horses with goats is an amazing quick, "get used to".  With hauling to clinics, all our horses have learned how to haul with loose goats in the trailer, therefore none of them worry about the goat when he's on a rope in the arena.

Q: At a rodeo this past weekend, I found my muscles cold and I wasn't able to warm up because of lack of space. My run wasn't great. Do you ever warm up before your runs?

A: Always!  I like to warm up by stretching, jogging some, flanking & tying (I bring one or two  goats to every rodeo- bring the easiest, most confidence building goats you own!) And then an event before, I'll stay off my horse, leading him around & jumping around to stay loose until one or two girls before me.  I don't want to ever sit still & let my muscles get cold- no matter what the weather.  You don't need a lot of space.  I've often flanked & tyed my practice goat in the trailer, as it was the most suitable (driest, softest) spot at times.  You can be creative in finding spots to stay loose that are still close to the arena gate!

Q: I have a problem, my horse is ducking to the right as i am hanging off the side to get off. I've tried the bucket of grain for him to run to, that's not working. What do i need to do to fix this ? Is it him or me? I am clueless. By the way I loved your clinic it really helped me.

A: First of all make sure your left hand is holding the reins UP in efforts of guiding your horse straight while you are dismounting.   If it's going down to his neck, you are allowing him to move out on you. Your reins need to be snug enough so that you can guide him easily.  If they are too long, he'll still be able to step out on you. You also want to make sure that you are staying really close to him with your body (right hip) during the entire dismount so that you are not pushing him away. 

Next I would ride down (trot first, then gradually add speed) slide out to the frog position, hold it & ride by.  Make sure you guide with your left hand/rein  hand.  If he's doing good when you are frogging, hold the frog position for a stride or two, then slide down into the hip position- hold that & ride by.  If he does good in the hip position then start lowering yourself down.  Eventually frog for a stride or two, hip for a stride or two and then lower yourself down & lead him by. Anytime he wants to step away, stay in that position & ride him through.   I'll do this at all speeds in various spots on the way to the goat. 

I'd also check for soundness.  Sometimes as the rodeo season goes on, horses will get sore, causing them to move out.   If we are correct in our position, this usually helps support our weight, but they still can get sore.  Maybe change saddle pads, saddles (if possible) and see if that helps him at all.  Run your fingers down his back and see if he's sensitive anywhere.  Sometimes butte will help get you through the rest of the season.

I'm not opposed to blinders either., as a last resort.  If it'll help me win or give me confidence that I can win, I'll use them.  Covering the right eye can sometimes help a horse that's not hurting stay straight.  An easy blinder is a bra.  Get an underwire bra of decent cup size, cut the left cup out & the bra strap can go over his ear & the straps connect under his throatlatch.  Practice with it once to see how he reacts. He may hang tight to you, so lining up is really important. If he's ok with it, use it in competition, but try to let him wear it too much at home or at the rodeo, so it doesn't loose it's effect.

Q: Did you switch your goat strings to Classic? Are they the same as your original ones?

A: Yes, I'm switching strings.  Going with Classic.  They are similar to the 'old' ones but should be will be more consistent in lay and have more longevity.  I've (we've)  tried & tested the final "drafts" this week (April 12th) and were very pleased with them, so the "mass production" of strings should be under way. I'm picking up 200 -500 strings for starters this upcoming weekend (April 23rd) so I should be able to start sending them out the 27th to those of interest.  Price is TBD, but should be in the same range as the old ones.  I will be sending out postcards to everyone on the mailing list to notify of where you can purchase the new strings- right here will be one spot, but there may be others Classic dealers able to sell them as well (?)- Will work out that detail Friday with Classic. 

I think we'll all be pleased with the switch!

Q: Now that correctness and consistency is mastered, my main concern is speed. How can I make goat tying runs faster?

A: I like the stop watch :)

 I'll time just my ty, (try to get it under .7 seconds)

just my flank, (try to be under .7 seconds)

my flank, gather & ty, (try to be under 2 seconds)

 running to the goat (10 feet before the stake to the goat), ( a little over 1 second)

 time how fast on the ground (10' from the stake), (3's on a straight goat, low 4's on a runner)

how fast my horse is going down (from 100' to where I step off)  ( under 2 seconds for sure)

 to my whole run. (go for 7's on 100' run)

The stop watch doesn't lie so it's a great motivator to get you going!

I'll set personal goals- have to do something under such a time 2x before I quit for the nite. (usually do this a lot with ground work, not so much on the horse to keep him from getting silly)

One thing I did with the college girls, time their whole run & If they clocked over 7.5 seconds, they had to run the same distance on foot & ty the goat under 10 seconds before they could try again on their horse.  It was very effective!

Winners will keep challenging themselves, so the stopwatch is a great tool.  Those that don't like to be pushed will dread the stopwatch!

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Q: I have my dismount down good but when I get to the goat my flank doesn't go good. I can never get the legs right. When I get the legs and start to tie then everything goes good. Can you help me learn how to work on my flank?

A:  A good flank starts with good position.  If you are close to your goat before you attempt to pick him out of the ground, it helps ALOT.  I like my left foot IN FRONT both of the goat's front legs, bend in my left knee and in his chest so that he's head is over my left thigh.  I want my right foot behind his back legs, but my knee is turned in so I can get it under his belly.  Your right ankle will be close to touching the ground to get your right knee is position.   My right hand is in the flank area (my right knee and right hand  are  like a magnet- opposite side of where my right hand is- with the goat in between like paper).  My left hand is on the forearm above the knee cap.  My hips are down & chest up, so I'm strong.

 I'll rotate my hips under and through to the goat's body  to pop/bump which will  knock the goat's legs out from under him.  If you are doing this right, you'll actually be getting lower or going down a little while you pop his legs.  Then I push with both hands to make the goat land flat,  my knees follow him down so there's no space between the goat's body & my knees.  Both of my knees land on the outside of my hands- so left knee will be on the shoulder, right knee on the thigh of the goat.  My toes are turned out so my weight is back in my hips, not in my knees- helps keep the goat's legs out and  straight.

Do this slow alot to gain body control of yourself and  the goat. Once it starts going good slow, then start speeding it up.  When it falls apart again, go slow to get it right.  Flanking is everything, so spend time on it!

Q: What does it mean if you drop your string from your mouth too fast in the tie? I do this and end up losing it.

A: A couple of things can be going on.  The main one could be your left hand is probably not coming up to your mouth, you may just be reaching around for your string instead of UP to your mouth.  Also you could be sitting too upright, causing you to reach around for your string instead of up.  So try getting your head lower (or keep it low- you may be rising up a little bit in anticipation of being done!) & really work on your left hand coming all the way up to your mouth.  (I once gave myself a fat lip while working on this :)  But I knew I was definitely reaching up to my mouth then! )

Q: Hi Lynn after you clinic Maddy and I have this debate as to where to line her horse up if she has to spin him to go. A lot of arenas set up two goats so she has to get him lined up and he is too excited to just walk and face the goat so she spins him. What should be her focus point, she said you said two steps to the right of the goat but now she is confused if that is facing away from the goat or  facing the goat? Also do you spin the same way right or left each time?

A: I always turn my horse to the left and then go.  So if my goat is on the right side of the arena, I can walk in along the fence, and find my landmark on the fence then turn to the left & go.  If I'm on the left goat then I'll ride past my landmark so when I turn to the left, I'll be lined up. 

To find my landmark, I'll stand where the goat would be & look down the arena to where I'll be coming in  and find a land mark (a certain panel, banner, etc..) that's a little bit to the left of the stake.  So when I'm mounted on my horse, I'd actually be a tiny bit to the right of the goat's stake, so my horse has a straight shot by the goat.

Q: Hey Lynn this is LeighAnn from New Mexico. I'm getting better at the flanking and everything, but when I'm gathering, it seems that when I bring the back legs across to cross the front leg, the back legs are hitting the front leg that is on the ground, and or splitting between the front leg, so it like a back leg, then a front leg in the middle, and a back leg on the bottom. It also seems that the back legs are hitting the ground and staying there, they aren't really bouncing, so I'm probably not pushing the goat all the way down to the ground or not sitting in my but enough, but I'm not positive, but I don't know why the legs are splitting like that. Well my next junior high rodeo is this weekend, but we are leaving tomorrow, so talk to you later! Thanks!!!

A: Hey LeighAnn! :) You're kind of on the right track- the back legs aren't bouncing because of where your weight/pressure is.  It's too far forward in your right knee, rock back into your hips more & those back legs should bounce a little bit better.  Also make sure you are using your hips at the beginning of your flank, since it's easier to land 'in your butt' then instead of your knees. 

Then to quit splitting the legs- If you are splitting them with the bottom back leg on top, the front leg & then the top back leg on bottom- it's because of weight in your knee.  Don't drop pressure into your right knee when reaching for the back legs- stay back in your hips, but really bend at the waist to get those legs THEN drop to your knee after your right hand moves the back legs past your knee.  Make sure you use your front leg too- drive it down & under the back legs.

If you are just splitting them with the front leg in the middle- it's because not using your front leg enough to help the gather- so drive it down & under the back legs.

:)

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Q: I'm having trouble pulling my slack in breakaway practice. This is really slowing me up. How can I improve my times?

A: Usually girls miss their slack because they sit down too soon.  If you stay up right after you deliver your rope, your slack will be out in front of you, near your right hand.  But if you sit before you get your slack it will be too far out in front & you won't be able to pull it.  So instead, sit WHILE pulling your slack.  Once the slack gets tight on the calf's neck, pitching it back will help your rope break quicker from your horn, but you've got to get your slack completely tight on the calf's neck or you could pitch your loop off from the calf's neck.

Q: Cost of clinic?

A: Total goat tying clinic cost is $250.00  The deposit is $100 & the remaining balance of $150 is paid at the start of the clinic.

Q: I am having trouble getting my string out quickly from my belt loop.  I am only 11 an small for my age, so I realize my loops are not as big as others.  I was starting a bad habit of sliding from my mouth down to my hip then pulling it out to get leverage.  When I pull straight out from my mouth, it hangs.  Do you have any suggestions?  I have been working hard and improving since my clinic with you in Vernon, and this is just a small problem I am having.

A: You will have to slide a little bit from your mouth down to the mid section of your body or to your waist so that you're pulling at the tail end of your string to get it out of your belt loop. Your hand can go from your mouth, down your body & then out to the side without wasting time.  Just make sure your hand isn't sliding behind you, as that is wasted time.  Make sure if you are doubling your string over in your belt loop that it's a small bubble back there, so you're not having to pull so much string through it.  Or just run your string through without doubling it over will help it not get stuck as well, especially for smaller goat tyers.  It's not as quick as doubling it over, but it's quicker than not being able to get your string out! :)

Q: Most horses have a problem of ducking off to the right, but my horse tends to duck in front of me to the left. He normally ends up running in front of me as soon as I step off. Any suggestions on how to fix that??

A; I would work with my horse the same way basically either direction he ducked off.  I would start off by loping him down, then sliding out into the frog position (right foot on hindquarters, crotch to saddle, good bend in left leg) & I would RAISE my left hand (rein hand) up to guide him straight though.  Usually if we pick UP on our rein hand, we are able to direct our horses in the correct direction.  Our reins need to be short (not tight) so that we have better control of what our horses do.   With ducking horses, we have to learn how to ride WHILE dismounting.

 After my horse did good with frogging by & going straight, I would slide from the frog to the hip position (right hip into fender of saddle,  lean upper body over saddle slightly for more balance if needed) & ride him by that way. Again keeping left hand up on reins guiding him straight.

If that's going good, then I could go from the frog, to the hip to sliding down to step off.  When I touch down with both feet, I hustle to get up to my horse's head & if he's pushing into me there, I'll stick up  my right arm (bend it but make it stiff & strong) & push my horse's head out of the way if he's pushing into me.  If he doesn't respect my space, I'll be more forceful, but only enough to make him respond as I don't want to scare him, just make him respect my space.  My horses have to respect my space everytime I handle them-- from catching, to graining to loading in the trailer- if they respect my space in everyday handling, it makes it easier for them to respect my space when goat tying.

Also on horses that push left while dismounting, keep the horse's focus on you & what you are doing.  Don't let them 'drift off" with their attention. Especially nickering or pricking their ears at something outside of the arena.  Keep their focus on what you're doing. Usually horses that cut in front of you are looking for a way out (literally).  But if from my experiences, if we learn how to ride WHILE dismounting & then make them respect us, the problem of cutting in front is taken care of.

Note on frogging - start your frog position where you normally start to dismount.

Q: How can you practice for goat tying when you haven't stepped off a horse all winter, there is still snow on the ground, and indoor arenas are limited? Is there a different way to look at practicing?

A: 90% of my practice is ground work; so you don't need much space for that.  Back in High School, I used to flank & ty in the corner of the hay barn in the winter time in Minnesota. I'd practice for as long as I could stand being cold, then go warm up and come back out and practice some more.  I have a good friend that put a cheap Wal-Mart rug down in a corner of their garage & she flank & tied in there all winter.  So you may have to be creative in finding a place to practice, but there's always a spot.  I practice flanking and tying IN the goat pen rather than taking them to the arena if I'm just going to flank & ty, that way I can do several goats & not have to take the time to get them all to the arena. Practice sessions don't have to be long- 10 to 20 minutes of flanking & tying is a pretty good work out.  If things are going good- work on getting it faster.  Everyone can always work on SPEED.  As for stepping off, I'd rather work on being in shape.  Usually if you are in good shape & you've already master the dismount technically, you can step off no problem even without practicing it. 

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