Reining
Sliding stops, spins and rollbacks put the whole program on the hocks and stifles.
Read more → By Discipline
Roping
Headers load the front end on the turn; heelers sit down hard on the hocks. Rope horses make a lot of runs in a weekend, so recovery between them is the whole game.
The stop and the hocks
A heel horse stops dozens of times a day at a jackpot. We cool the hind legs after the last run, then go to hock support for the ride home: Back on Track hock boots in the trailer and XLR8 Redlight hock wraps once the legs are dry. Both are designed to support circulation in the joint that takes the brunt of the stop.
Front legs for headers
Head horses take the jerk through the front end and the shoulders. We run quick wraps on the fronts overnight and keep the Redlight tendon wraps for any leg that feels warm after a long day. The Velocity Sheet covers the shoulders and back while the horse stands tied.
Hauling and feeding on the road
Rope horses live in the trailer. A slow-feed net keeps hay in front of them, FLAIR Strips support the nasal passages on the run, and CEP supplements (Gut Check for the stomach, Revamp for recovery, Equi Mag for the horse that gets tight at the box) cover the inside. CEP is ordered by phone so we can match it to your horse.
CEP supplements are ordered by phone so we can match the program to your horse: 720-504-5536. See the full CEP line.
Questions we get a lot
What should I put on a heel horse's hocks after a jackpot?
Cool the legs first, then once they are dry use hock boots or red light hock wraps designed to support circulation. Any hock that stays warm or filled the next morning is a vet call, not a wrap call.
Do rope horses need different supplements than other performance horses?
Not different, but the hauling and the number of runs make gut support and muscle recovery matter more. Talk to your vet, then call us and we will tell you what we feed our own rope horses.
Can I use Back on Track and XLR8 gear at the same time?
Many of our customers use Back on Track overnight and XLR8 red light for targeted spots. Introduce each product gradually and follow the manufacturer's wear-time directions.
Talk to a rider. Text or call 720-504-5536 with your horse's age, workload and what you are seeing. We will tell you what we would use and what is on the shelf.
This page is general horsemanship from our own barn plus the manufacturers' product information. It is not veterinary advice. Products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. Work with your veterinarian and check your association's rules on gear and supplements.
More disciplines
Other sports we haul for
Cutting
Two and a half minutes of sitting down, sweeping and stopping on a cow is as hard as any work a horse does.
Read more →Ranch & Rodeo
The horse that sorts pairs Tuesday, hauls Friday and runs in a jackpot Saturday does not get a specialist's recovery plan.
Read more →Trail & Endurance
Miles do not hit like a sliding stop, but they add up in the tendons, the back and the gut.
Read more →Hunter / Jumper
Landing off a fence loads the front legs; pushing off loads the hocks.
Read more →Dressage
Collection asks the hind end to carry and the back to swing, every ride.
Read more →