BULL - Male un-castrated bovine (cow).
CALF - Baby cow.
CANTLE - The arched, rear portion (back of
the seat) of the saddle tree.
CATCH AS CATCH CAN - Phrase used to describe
rule that allows the cowboy to legally rope any portion
of a calf's body.
CATTLE - Collective term for multiple cows.
CHAPS - Long leather leggings cowboys wear
over their pants. Chaps offer protection against cactus,
mesquite, and other range plants.
CINCH - The strap which goes around the horses
belly to hold the saddle on. The cinch is tightened
around the horse's body just behind the front legs. Usually
it is fastened to leather straps (latigos) that hang from
the rigging on each side of the saddle. Also the
acting of tightening the cinch.
CONCHO - Metal disk, often of silver, set
on a leather rosette. Conchos secure saddle thongs
or are used as decoration.
COW HORSE - A horse that is trained to roping, cutting,
working a cow herd.
COW SENSE - A horse cow sense when it has a natural ability to use for
roping, cutting and general cow work.
CROW HOP - Stiff legged jumps by a horse.
CUT - Group of cattle separated from the herd for
a reason. Or the act of separating one animal from
a herd. Or the process of castrating a male animal.
CUTTING HORSE - Cow horse used to cutting out individual
cattle from the herd.
CHUTE - A narrow, fenced lane, usually connecting one
corral with another. Also a narrow passage used for loading
cattle. A rodeo chute rodeo terminates in a small
gated pen just big enough to permit the cowboy to adjust
his gear and mount.
DALLY - A wrap taken around the saddle horn with the tail
end of a lariat rope. DE-HORN - Remove the horns
from cattle.
DOGIE - A calf with no mother.
FLOATER - A bucking horse with little power. The bronc
jumps with all four feet up and just floats through the
air.
FLOATING - Technique used by some saddle bronc riders
to make them appear to be bucked off with every jump the
horse makes.
FENDER - Leather piece projecting back from stirrup leather
to protect the rider's legs.
FLANK STRAP - A padded strap placed in front of a horse
or bull’s hind legs to create a slight irritation
to initiate bucking action.
FORK - Saddle tree, bows of saddle tree.
GELDING - A castrated male horse.
HACKAMORE - A bitless bridle that works by putting pressure
on the horse's head.
HALTER - A loose headstall, usually with an attached rope
or strap, for holding and leading an animal.
HEADSTALL - Straps that go over a horse's head to form
the bridle, halter, or hackamore.
HEIFER -Young female cow that has yet to have a calf.
HIGH ROLLER - A bronc that leaps high into the air when
bucking.
HOBBLING - Rodeo term for the tying down of one or both
stirrups on a bucking saddle. Hobbling is not allowed in
ranch rodeos. Also the term for securing a horse's front
legs so that the animal can only take small steps or tying
up a back leg to prevent .
HONDO or HONDA - A metal, rope, or rawhide ring, through
which a rope slides to make a loop.
HONEST BUCKER - An animal that bucks the same way every
time out of the chute.
HOOLIGAN - A style of loop used when throwing a
rope.
HUNG UP - A rider that is still attached to a horse or
bull after dismounting from the animal.
JINGLE BOBS - The metal pieces dangling from the rowel
that make a bell like jingle when the spurs move, either
while the wearer is walking or riding.
LARIAT - A long rope that has a loop or eye attached at
one end (honda or hondo) through which the other end runs
MUGGING - Cowboys restrain a cow or calf by stopping it
in any way they can.
NO TIME - The term used to indicate that a cowboy has
gone off course, broken a rule, or exceeded the time limit
for an event and so will not receive a time for that event.
OFF SIDE - This is the right side of a horse.
OUTFIT - All the hands engaged in a given cattle operation
or the operation itself.
OUT THE BACKDOOR - Term used when the rider is thrown
over the back end of an animal.
OXBOW STIRRUPS - Narrow stirrups sometimes
made of metal.
PICK-UP MAN - The cowboy on horseback who assists the
bronc riders to safely dismount the horse following a qualified
8-second ride.
POMMEL - Forward, arched portion of saddle tree.
PUNCH - Term covering all of a "puncher's" direct work
with cattle; driving, roping, branding, cutting, earmarking,
etc.
PUNCHER or COW PUNCHER - A man who works with cattle. Also
a verb, "to punch cows.
REINS - Strap or cord that runs from the bridle bit around
the horse's neck, to be held and manipulated by the rider.
REMUDA - All the saddle horses on a roundup that are kept
together and constitute the remount horses for the cowboys.
RERIDE or RE RUN - A second change for a contestant.
A judge can rule the contestant did not have a fair chance
to score points the first time out.
RIM-FIRE - Rope caught under his horse's tail, usually
while the cowboy is roping cattle.
RODEO - A Spanish word used to indicate the round-up
of cattle and the term commonly used to indicate a public
exhibition of cowboy skills.
ROSETTE - Circular design on a western stock saddles. Small
leather disk with two slits for thongs or saddle strings
to pass through.
ROWEL - Disk or star set in the end
of the spur's shaft or post, which turns as the rider's
heel touches
the horse's sides.
RUNNING IRON- Circular or flat iron used to draw a brand
rather than stamp it on. It was used by rustlers
to quickly mark unbranded cattle. In some places
it is still illegal to carry a running iron.
SEEING DAYLIGHT - Rider rises high enough off an animal
that you can see daylight between the cowpoke and the horse.
SKIRTS - Large leather panels attached to the saddle tree,
to protect the rigging and give form to the saddle.
SLICK - An unbranded animal.
SPUR - U-shaped device attached to rider's heel to encourage
a horse to greater speed, to guide the horse, or get a
horse's attention.
SPUR STRAP - The leather band that holds a spur on the
boot.
STEER - Castrated male bovine (cow).
STIRRUP - Device hung from each side of a saddle that
holds the rider's foot.
STIRRUP LEATHERS - Adjustable straps that suspend the
stirrups from the saddle tree
STOCK CONTRACTOR - The person or group that provides the
livestock used at the rodeo.
STRING - A group of several horses designated for use
by a cowboy.
SULL - A cow which, in a state of shock, exhaustion, or
stubbornness, goes down on its front knees, or lays down
completely, and refuses to move.
SUN FISH - A buck in which the bronc bucks and twists
its body into a crescent, and throws head alternately to
right and left.
SWAP ENDS - A buck in which the bronc goes up facing one
direction but lands facing the opposite direction.
SWELL or SWELLS - Bulging shoulders of the saddle pommel
TAPADERO, TAPARDOS or TAPS - Stirrup covers that protect
rider's feet from brush and weather. They come in
different styles.
BULLDOG - Blunt nosed stirrup covers.
EAGLE BILL - Tapaderos with long pieces of leather hanging
below the stirrups.
MONKEY NOSE - Blunt nosed stirrup covers.
TOP HAND - The best.
TREE - The frame of wood or pressed rawhide over which
the saddle is constructed.
