What is the difference between a head horse and a heel horse?

Head horses and heel horses are trained for fundamentally different jobs in the same run, and while the foundational qualities overlap, the specific demands of each position shape how the horse is developed and what it needs to do well. The head horse runs beside the steer on the left, closes the distance aggressively, holds position at the steer's head and neck for the header to make the catch, then turns left in a controlled arc after the catch while the header dallies and draws the steer into position for the heeler. The head horse needs to be forward and competitive — it must want to close on cattle — and it needs a smooth, controlled turn that keeps the steer moving at a consistent pace without jerking or stumbling it. The stop on a head horse is less critical than on a heel horse because the header is dallied and turning rather than stopping hard. The heel horse runs behind and slightly to the right of the header, times its approach to the steer's hind end, and must stop hard, straight, and deep the moment the heeler's rope is delivered and the dally is set. The heel horse's stop is everything — a late, crooked, or weak stop costs the heeler time and creates dally danger. The heel horse also needs to face up squarely after the stop and hold steady tension on the rope without the rider micromanaging it. A good heel horse tends to be a horse with a naturally strong stop instinct and the patience to rate behind the action rather than wanting to charge to the front the way a head horse does.