A device for practising roping a cow / myLot

Rockingham, Australia

November 13, 2025 7:37am CST

So here’s something that I hope you will find interesting. Can you guess what it is? It was at our friend’s place on their farm near Merredin. Their daughter has taken up some Western horse-riding pursuits including barrel-racing. Now she is practising for roping events. The photo shows a pretend steer used so riders can practise their roping skills. The ‘horns’ are on the left. The contraption is pulled by a quad bike and the cowboy/girl gallops after the ‘steer’ and tries to throw their lasso over the horns. Our Bavarian visitors are going to a rodeo tomorrow. We’ve opted to stay home.

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9 responses

Fiacre Banks

@xFiacre (14100)

• Ireland

13 Nov

@judyev I've seen them recently on TV but they are more substantial than that one - more steer-like. I'm not so sure about all that rodeo stuff. It stresses out the animals no end in spite of the assurances to the contrary by those who want to do it. I know, I'm just a big spoil sport.

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Judy Evans

@JudyEv (368754)

• Rockingham, Australia

14 Nov

I agree really but not much I - or you - can do about it. They have much more realistic ones that they use for training bull-fighting horses which is an even more outrageous event.

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Anna

@LadyDuck (490315)

• Italy

13 Nov

Interesting practicing instrument. I would also stay home, I am not a bit interested in a rodeo.

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Anna

@LadyDuck (490315)

• Italy

14 Nov

@JudyEv - I am not sure we have rodeos here in Europe. May be in Spain, but I am not sure.

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Judy Evans

@JudyEv (368754)

• Rockingham, Australia

14 Nov

@LadyDuck There are dozens in the US of course and a lot in Australia too.

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Judy Evans

@JudyEv (368754)

• Rockingham, Australia

14 Nov

It has a big following here and of course all the young lady riders want to win Miss Cowgirl.

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@dfollin (27001)

• United States

13 Nov

That is interesting! I have never seen one of those before. It kinda' look like if you put a net on one side of it it could be a soccer goal, lol I hope she finds it useful.

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Judy Evans

@JudyEv (368754)

• Rockingham, Australia

14 Nov

It doesn't really look much like a cow but I guess it's okay for practising.

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@dfollin (27001)

• United States

14 Nov

@JudyEv I don't know how it would work. I don't know much about cows.

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Anne Marie Guyer

@LeaPea2417 (39354)

• Toccoa, Georgia

14 Nov

That is interesting but I think it would be hard to do.

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Judy Evans

@JudyEv (368754)

• Rockingham, Australia

14 Nov

I think it would take a lot of practice to be able to lasso a moving target.

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Anne Marie Guyer

@LeaPea2417 (39354)

• Toccoa, Georgia

14 Nov

@JudyEv yes, lots of practice.

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Eva James

@wolfgirl569 (127590)

• Marion, Ohio

13 Nov

I have seen them.

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Eva James

@wolfgirl569 (127590)

• Marion, Ohio

14 Nov

@JudyEv I think a lot of them are home made.

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Judy Evans

@JudyEv (368754)

• Rockingham, Australia

15 Nov

@wolfgirl569 I guess they would be.

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Judy Evans

@JudyEv (368754)

• Rockingham, Australia

14 Nov

This is home-made - which is pretty obvious but I guess it does the job.

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LindaOH

@LindaOHio (210169)

• United States

14 Nov

Interesting. I've never seen a rodeo except on TV.

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Judy Evans

@JudyEv (368754)

• Rockingham, Australia

14 Nov

I've got over rodeos in a way. It can be incredibly dusty sitting around the arena and it's pretty hard for the horses.

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Judy Evans

@JudyEv (368754)

• Rockingham, Australia

15 Nov

@LindaOHio I understand. I feel much the same way.

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LindaOH

@LindaOHio (210169)

• United States

15 Nov

@JudyEv I'm not crazy about how the animals are treated.

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Four Walls

@FourWalls (81670)

• United States

13 Nov

That’s cool, and very necessary. That isn’t something you can start doing with a real, 2,500-pound steer!

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Judy Evans

@JudyEv (368754)

• Rockingham, Australia

14 Nov

That's for sure. So many components have to come together in the right way - horse, steer, rider, rope.

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@DaddyEvil (165140)

• United States

13 Nov

My brothers and I practiced roping steers with real steers or, sometimes, older calves. (The momma cow will tell you if the calf is too young for you to be roping.