Roping practice apparatus

A method for practicing animal roping comprising:

• providing a mechanical roping apparatus comprising:
• an animal assembly comprising a front, a rear, and a frame;
• a leg assembly mounted at the rear of the animal assembly and including leg members;
• one or more indicia mounted on the leg members, wherein the one or more indicia are a visual cue configured to indicate to a user a proper time to rope a leg member using proper roping technique, wherein the visual cue is selected from a light that changes colors, a light that traverses between a top to a bottom of a string of lights, lights that are red and green, or a light that dims and intensifies;
• and
• an indicia actuation assembly comprising:
• an indicia wheel rotatably mounted on the frame in contact with the ground;
• and
• an indicia switch connected to the indicia wheel and to the one or more indicia and configured to operate the one or more indicia, wherein the switch is configured to operate as the indicia wheel turns when the mechanical roping apparatus is moved;
• and
• practicing roping the leg members.

A mechanical roping apparatus for practicing animal roping comprising:

• an animal assembly comprising a front, a rear, and a frame;
• a leg assembly mounted at the rear of the animal assembly and including leg members;
• one or more indicia comprising a visual cue, wherein the one or more indicia are configured to indicate to a user a proper time to rope a leg member using proper roping technique;
• an indicia actuation assembly comprising:
• an indicia wheel rotatably mounted on the frame in contact with the ground;
• and
• an indicia switch connected to the indicia wheel and to the one or more indicia and configured to operate the one or more indicia, wherein the switch is configured to operate as the indicia wheel turns when the animal assembly is moved;
• two or more wheels or skids positioned to the right, left, or both of a longitudinal centerline of the animal assembly;
• and
• an arena float connected to the animal assembly, the arena float comprising:
• a float connector connected to the animal assembly;
• a float arm rotatably connected to the float connector at a proximate end of the float arm such that the float arm is configured to rotate in a vertical plane, the float arm comprising one float arm segment or two or more float arm segments, wherein the two or more float arm segments are rotatably connected in sequence such that each of the two or more float arm segments are configured to rotate in the vertical plane;
• and
• a leveler connected to a distal end of the float arm and configured to condition material of an arena surface ahead of the wheels or the skids.

A method of conditioning an arena surface for a mechanical roping apparatus, the method comprising:

• providing the mechanical roping apparatus comprising:
• an animal assembly comprising a front, a rear, and a frame;
• a leg assembly mounted at the rear of the animal assembly and including leg members;
• one or more indicia comprising a visual cue, wherein the one or more indicia are configured to indicate to a user a proper time to rope a leg member using proper roping technique;
• and
• an indicia actuation assembly comprising:
• an indicia wheel rotatably mounted on the frame in contact with the ground;
• and
• an indicia switch connected to the indicia wheel and to the one or more indicia and configured to operate the one or more indicia, wherein the switch is configured to operate as the indicia wheel turns when the animal assembly is moved;
• two or more wheels or skids positioned to the right, left, or both of a longitudinal centerline of the animal assembly;
• providing an arena float comprising:
• a float connector connected to the animal assembly;
• a float arm rotatably connected to the float connector at a proximate end of the float arm such that the float arm is configured to rotate in a vertical plane, the float arm comprising one float arm segment or two or more float arm segments, wherein the two or more float arm segments are rotatably connected in sequence such that each of the two or more float arm segments are configured to rotate in the vertical plane;
• and
• a leveler connected to a distal end of the float arm and configured to condition material of an arena surface ahead of the wheels or the skids;
• connecting the arena float to the mechanical roping apparatus;
• adjusting the height, angle, or both, of the leveler relative to the arena surface to contact the arena surface;
• and
• moving the mechanical roping apparatus on the arena surface, thereby conditioning the arena surface with the leveler.