Cowboy Dictionary

Around The Horns - In team roping and some other competitive roping events, around the horns is one of three legal head catches. Around the horns is sometimes called a "horn catch" or "a clean horn catch."

The other two legal head catches are a half head, and a whole head (sometimes called "around the neck").

An around the horns catch is pictured at right. The loop goes in front of and behind both horns.

At right: An around the horns catch, one of three legal head catches in team roping and some other competitive roping events.

The rider has the choice of turning either the right or left barrel first. It is most common to take the right barrel first because most horses are naturally more athletic when working to their left. By taking the right barrel first the horse will have one right-hand turn (the first barrel), and two left-hand turns (the second and third barrels).

If a barrel racer does not go around the barrels in the correct order, it is called "breaking the pattern" and results in a no time.

At right: This illustration shows shows the barrel racing pattern with the right barrel being turned first. 

The barrier has two parts. One part goes around the neck of the calf or steer, and the other part is a rope stretched across the front of the roping box. When the calf or steer runs into the arena and reaches the end of their pre-determined head start (called the "score"), the part of the barrier around their neck triggers the release of the barrier rope in front of the roping box, allowing the roper or steer wrestler to begin pursuit. Almost simultaneously, the part of the barrier around the neck of the calf or steer breaks away so they can continue down the arena.

However, if the roper or steer wrestler begins pursuit too early, they will run into the rope across the front of the roping box. This rope is actually two separate pieces that are tied together with string, and when it's run in to the string breaks. This is called "breaking the barrier" and the roper or steer wrestler is given a time penalty (usually 10 seconds).

Above right: The yellow highlights illustrate the part of the barrier around the neck of the steer, and the part that stretches across the front of the roping box.

A BLM brand is perhaps best known as the brand found on some feral horses (aka "mustangs") in the United States. The BLM applies their brand to the left side of the horse's neck. The brand begins with a special character to indicate the brand is registered with the BLM. After that, there is a series of the same character, turned at different angles, with each angle representing a different number. We explain a BLM brand in greater detail here: The Angle System For Branding.

At right: A BLM brand on a horse.

Bosal - A piece of equipment put on a horse's head to communicate with it while it is being ridden.

A bosal, when used with a hanger and mecate, is called a hackamore. The three main parts of a hackamore are:

• The bosal. The bosal goes around the nose of the horse and has a knot at the back, underneath the horse's chin.
• The hanger (sometimes called a headstall, this is the part that goes over the horse's head, behind the ears).
• The mecate, or reins. Traditional mecates are made from horsehair but some may be made from nylon or other synthetic materials. The nicer horsehair mecates are made from mane hair, but some are made from tail hair, which is coarser.

You can shop for bosals here.

Brand - A permanent mark on the hide of an animal. A brand is used for identification of ownership.

A brand can be a hot brand (made with a hot branding iron) or a freeze brand (made with a very cold branding iron). For more information:
- see freeze brand in the CowboyWay dictionary
 -see hot brand in the CowboyWay dictionary.

For even more information about freeze brands, please see our articles What Is Freeze Branding? and Freeze Branding Horses.

Bridle - A piece of equipment put on a horse's head to communicate with it while it is being ridden. A bridle is made up of two basic parts: 1) a headstall, and 2) a bit (or related piece of equipment).

The headstall's primary job is to hold the bit in place, but the headstall can also impart a "feel" and communicate to the horse from the rider. The bit, nose piece, or other piece of equipment that makes up a bridle is also a communication piece, and is connected from the headstall to the rider's hands through an additional piece of equipment called "reins."

While a headstall and a bit are collectively known as a bridle, headstalls and bits are almost always sold separately. There is a wide variety of both headstalls and bits, and each piece is purchased separately to meet the specific needs and preferences of different horses and riders.

Brock Face - A facial marking in cattle where there are patches of white hair and patches of hair of another color. Also called "brockle face," "mock face," and/or "mockle" face.

A brock face can be further described according to the color of the non-white hairs, as in "black brock face" (BBF) or "red brock face" (RBF).

At right: In front are two black brock face heifers.

Bucking Rolls - Bucking rolls are a piece of equipment sometimes added to the front of a saddle to help a rider stay secure during bucking or other rough riding.

Bucking rolls are most commonly found on "slick fork" styles of saddles. The fork (also known as the "swells") is the area of the saddle to the left and right of the saddle horn. While having a saddle with a slick fork (or low swells) has certain advantages in some situations, it can also sometimes allow for too much movement for the rider during bucking or other rough riding. Bucking rolls add swells to a saddle, taking up some of the open space to help a rider remain secure in tricky situations. Bucking rolls are easily attached and removed, allowing a rider to modify their saddle when the need arises.

You can shop for bucking rolls here.

At right: Bucking rolls.

Camouflage - The ability blend in with surroundings in order not to be noticed. In the animal kingdom, camouflage is an important safety factor many animals use in order to hide from predators.

At right: A Brahman, Simmental cross calf lies camouflaged in the grass.

Cattle Guard - A device set into the ground designed so that vehicles can drive over it, but livestock will not want to cross it.

At right is a common style of cattle guard. A hole was dug into the ground, then the cattle guard, a series of heavy, 2 inch pipes with gaps in between them, was set over the hole.

At right: A cattle guard.

Chestnuts - Horse chestnuts are normal, healthy growths found on most horse's legs. No one really knows why they exist, and they have been a subject of curiosity among horsemen for quite a long time.

Chestnuts appear on the front legs of a horse above the knee, or on the back legs of a horse below the hock. They can be large or very small. Some people call horse chestnuts "night eyes."

At right: A close-up look of a horse chestnut on a horse's front leg.

Chinks - Leather leg coverings. Chinks are worn by cowboys and cowgirls for protection against brush, kicks, rope burns, and other hazards inherent to a cowboy lifestyle.

Chinks are similar to chaps. Both chinks and chaps are buckled around the waist and are open in the back so a rider's seat is not covered. Chinks, however, are shorter than chaps, stopping somewhere between the knee and ankle instead of running the full length of the leg. Chinks are also usually designed to be fairly open behind the leg, whereas chaps, depending on the type of chap and their design, might be fully enclosed behind the leg. The fringe on chinks is also usually longer and more prominent than fringe found on chaps.

Whether a cowboy or cowgirl chooses to wear chinks or chaps is a decision sometimes based on weather (chinks are more commonly worn in warm weather), style associated with certain locales, or personal preference.

At right: Chinks.

Clotheslined - Running into, or being ran into by, a solid object. For example, if a rider gallops under a tree and runs into a branch, an observer might say: "Wow, he sure got clotheslined by that tree limb."

Working cowboys and cowgirls are sometimes clotheslined by ropes. If a roper catches a calf (or cow, etc.) and dallies, the rope between the calf and the horse can become a potential hazard. Other nearby riders or a ground crew on foot are sometimes clotheslined with the rope, spooking horses, or knocking people down.

To get clotheslined is usually an embarrassment for the roper and/or the other riders or persons that get clotheslined. Cowboys in and out of the saddle take pride in understanding, and avoiding, the potential dangers involved with roping.

At right: A cowboy getting clothslined.

Cow (Definition 1 of 2) - A mature female animal belonging to the genus Bos, which includes the species cattle. Some females of other large animals, such as elephants and whales, are also called cows.

• Cows are ungulates. "Ungulate" means they are a mammal with hooves. Cows are even-toed ungulates (called Artiodactyls) and horses are odd-toed ungulates (called Perissodactyls).
  • More examples of even-toed ungulates include pigs, goats, sheep, and camels.
  • More examples of odd-toed ungulates include rhinoceroses and zebras.

At right: A Texas Longhorn cow

You can shop for cruppers here.

At right: A crupper.

Crow Hop - A style of bucking where a horse arches its back and takes short, stiff hops. All four legs come off the ground, but usually not very far; with some horses the back legs barely clear the ground. When a horse crow hops all four legs hang straight down, i.e., the horse does not kick up high with the back legs.

Crow hopping is usually considered a milder form of bucking. For example: "My horse didn't buck hard today, he just crow hopped a little." However, it can still be dangerous and many riders have been bucked off by crow hopping horses.

At right: A horse crow hopping.

Dally - A "dally" is a wrap, or a series of wraps, around a saddle horn with a rope. After cowboys and cowgirls rope something (such as a cow, calf, etc.) they often dally the other end of their rope to their saddle (specifically, the saddle horn) as a means of holding whatever it is they have roped.

Dallying can be contrasted with "tying hard," where the rope is fastened (not dallied) to the saddle horn, often with the use of a "horn knot." You can see the definition of a horn knot lower on this page.

At right: Two wraps, or dallies, around a saddle horn.

Some animal colors are described as having a "dorsal stripe." A dorsal stripe is a stripe of color darker than the other surrounding body hairs that runs along the animal's dorsal side.

At right: The red arrow is pointing to a dorsal stripe on a horse.

Ear Tag - A tag placed in the ear of livestock to help the owner distinguish it from other animals in the herd.

Ear tags are commonly used in cattle, sheep, and other livestock (with the exception of horses). Ear tags help a herd owner or manager distinguish one animal in the herd from the others, and greatly aid in accurate record keeping.

The exact information that can be found on an ear tag is up to the owner or manager of the livestock, and varies from one ranch or herd to the next. Individual, identifying numbers are commonly found on ear tags, and sometimes the year or date of birth, a herd number, and/or other useful information.

At right: A black cow with a blue ear tag in her left ear.

Ergots - Normal, healthy growths found on most horse's legs. No one really knows why they exist, and they have been a subject of curiosity among horsemen for quite a long time.

Ergots are found on the back of the fetlock on all four legs, and are usually covered by hair. When you feel them, they feel a lot like an eraser on the end of a wooden pencil.

For more information about ergots, please see our article What Are Horse Chestnuts and Ergots?

At right: The yellow circles indicate where ergots can be found.

Ermine Marks

Ermine marks are black or dark spots on horses that appear in white markings just above the hoof.

At right: A horse with ermine marks.

Feathers - On horses, the word feathers refers to the long hairs on the back of the lower legs. Not all horses have feathers. Feathers are a common characteristic of draft horses.

Horses that have feathers also commonly have "spats," which are long hairs that hang down over the hooves.

At right: The blue arrows are pointing to feathers, and the red arrows are pointing to spats.

Float - The word float can be both a noun and a verb. It can refer to the tool used to rasp a horse's teeth, or it can refer to the rasping itself.

Floating a horse's teeth means to file or rasp their teeth to make the chewing surfaces relatively flat or smooth. The type of file used for this is called a "float," which is where the procedure gets its name.

For more information about floating a horse's teeth, please see our article Floating A Horse's Teeth.

At right: A tooth float in a bucket of disinfectant.

Freeze Brand - A brand is permanent mark on the hide of an animal, and is used for identification of ownership. A freeze brand is made by using a very cold branding iron (as apposed to a hot brand which uses a hot branding iron).

The process of freeze branding uses extreme cold to kill the cells in the animal's skin that produce pigmentation, or color. Therefore, a freeze branded animal will have white hair where the freeze branding iron touched the skin.

For more information about freeze brands, please see our articles What Is Freeze Branding? and Freeze Branding Horses.

At right: A freeze brand on the right hip of a horse.

Hack Rein - A hack rein is a long, thick rein used by certain types of competitive bronc riders.

The hack rein is attached to the bronc's halter, and the bronc rider holds on to it during the bronc ride. Saddle bronc riders use a hack rein in competition, but bareback bronc riders do not.

To learn more about the differences between saddle bronc riding and bareback bronc riding, please see this page: Saddle Bronc Riding Vs. Bareback Bronc Riding (the article is beneath the photos).

To learn about another competitive bronc riding event that uses a hack rein, please see this page: About Ranch Bronc Riding (the article is beneath the photos).

At right: A rider competing in ranch bronc riding uses a hack rein.

Hackamore: A piece of equipment put on a horse's head to communicate with it while it is being ridden. A hackamore consists of a bosal, a hanger, and a mecate.

• The bosal. The bosal goes around the nose of the horse and has a knot at the back, underneath the horse's chin.
• The hanger (sometimes called a headstall, this is the part that goes over the horse's head, behind the ears).
• The mecate, or reins. Traditional mecates are made from horsehair but some may be made from nylon or other synthetic materials. The nicer horsehair mecates are made from mane hair, but some are made from tail hair, which is coarser.

At right: A hackamore.

The other two legal head catches are a whole head (sometimes called "around the neck"), and around both horns (sometimes called a "horn catch" or "a clean horn catch").

A half head catch is pictured at right. The loop goes behind one horn, underneath the chin, and in front of the other horn.

At right: A half head catch, one of three legal head catches in team roping and some other competitive roping events.

Halter - A head collar for leading, tying, and general handling of horses and cattle.

In horses, a halter is commonly used so the handler can catch, lead, tie, hold, transport, or handle the horse in any manner. A "lead rope" is a rope that attaches to a halter, whether temporarily or permanently, and gives the handler a lead to hold on to and use for directing the horse. A horse that willingly accepts a halter and allows itself to be led by the handler is called "halter broke."

In cattle, a halter is commonly used for the same reasons as in horses. However, it is far less common to halter break cattle than horses. Cattle that are commonly halter broke are those that compete in the show ring.

At right: A horse wearing a style of halter called a "rope halter." The lead rope can be seen coming down from the bottom of the halter.

Hand - A unit of measurement for measuring horse height. One hand is equal to four inches.

To measure horse height a horse is measured from the ground to the highest point of its withers. This measurement, taken in inches, is converted to hands to describe a horse's height.

We have a more detailed article on "hands" and how to measure horse height here.

At right: The height of a horse is measured from the ground to the highest point of its withers.

Honda - A honda is the small loop at the end of a lasso or lariat type of rope.

When the opposite end of the rope is passed through the honda, a larger loop is created. This larger loop is used by cowboys and cowgirls to rope cattle.

A honda can be made by forming a small loop in the end of the rope, then tying the loop in place with a special knot (a honda knot).

A honda might also be a separate piece that is added to the rope. This type of honda might be made of metal, braided rawhide, or other materials.

At right: The blue arrow is pointing to a honda.

Horn Knot - A "horn knot" is a small piece of equipment used for attaching a rope to a saddle horn. A horn knot is used when the roper wants to "tie hard" instead of dallying. (You can see the definition of dallying higher up on this page.) In the photo at right, the horn knot is the metal object, not the knot you see in the rope.

A horn knot can be made of a variety of different materials such as metal, braided nylon or rawhide, plastic, and others.

For more information about horn knots, including how to put one on your rope, please see this page: How To Put A Horn Knot On A Rope.

Horns - Horns are growths that protrude from the skulls of some animals in the family Bovidae. Horns are made of bone and keratin. Animals that have horns include cattle, sheep, goats, gazelles, antelope, bison, and buffalo.

As stated above, horns are made of bone and keratin. The bone is the center, or core, of the horn and is fused to the bone of the skull. The bone core is covered by a resilient sheath (protective covering) made of keratin. Horns are a permanent part of the animal, which means the horns an animal is born with are the same horns it has its entire life. In other words, horns are not shed and re-grown like antlers.

Horse - A hoofed mammal best known for being used by humans as a riding animal, beast of burden, and companion.

The domesticated horse is classified by science as being:

• A member of the genus Equus and the species Caballus
• A mammal (meaning among other things that they are warm-blooded vertebrates, have hair, and nurse their young)
• A quadruped (they have four limbs used for walking)
• An herbivore (their diet consists mainly of vegetation)
• And an ungulate (having hooves)

At right: A horse

Hot Brand - A brand is permanent mark on the hide of an animal, and is used for identification of ownership. A hot brand is made by using a hot branding iron (as apposed to a freeze brand which uses a very cold branding iron).

At right: A brand on a horse.

Hypsodont Teeth - Hypsodont teeth are teeth with high crowns that slowly continue to emerge from the gum for most of the animal's life. As the top of the tooth is worn down, more tooth slowly erupts from the gum line to replace what has been worn away. Horses and other grazing animals like cattle and deer have hypsodont teeth.

At right: A horse skull with teeth.

Interdental Space - An area in a horse's mouth, both on the upper and lower jaws, where there is not any teeth.

The interdental space is between the front teeth (the incisors) and the back teeth (the molars). When a horse is bridled, the interdental space is where the bit rests. On the bottom jaw, most horsemen refer to this area of bare gums as the "bars."

At right: The yellow arrows are pointing to the interdental space.

Kid Broke Horse - A horse that has been trained to be ridden and is considered to be gentle and safe for inexperienced riders of any age.

At right: A kid broke horse.

Latigo (Definition 1 of 2) - A strap, usually made of leather or nylon, used for securing a saddle onto a horse.

A latigo is found on the left side of the saddle. It is attached to a "D" ring on the saddle, then is laced through the front cinch to secure the saddle to the horse.

Latigos have been traditionally made of leather. Today, however, nylon latigos are also common.

At right: The blue arrow is pointing to a latigo.

Mark Out Rule - A rule used in the rodeo events of saddle bronc riding and bareback bronc riding that requires bronc riders to have the rowels of both spurs in front of, and touching, the break of the bronc's shoulders on its first move out of the chute.

The rider's feet must still be in this position when the bronc's front feet hit the ground for the first time. This is called "marking a horse out."

For more information about the mark out rule, please see our article The Mark Out Rule.

At right: This saddle bronc rider's left foot is in the required position to mark the bronc out. His right foot cannot be seen in the photo, but needs to be in the same position on the right side. His feet must remain in this position until the bronc's front feet hit the ground for the first time.

Mecate - A type of rein, which is a piece of equipment used for communicating with a horse while it is being ridden.

Although mecates are sometimes used with other types of equipment, such as a bit, their traditional use is with a bosal.

Mecates are made in one long piece, which, when they're not tied to a bosal, makes them resemble a rope. When properly tied to a bosal a mecate will have two main parts: 1) a loop that goes over the horse's head to make a rein on each side of the neck and 2) a lead that is used to lead the horse with from the ground.

Although mecates have traditionally been made of horsehair they are also made from nylon or other synthetic materials. The nicer horsehair mecates are made from mane hair, but some are made from tail hair, which is coarser.

Medicine Bags - A type of saddle bag designed to hold medicine and supplies for doctoring cattle in the pasture.

Medicine bags come in a variety of styles and designs. They are typically designed to hold such items as a syringe, bolus gun, and medicines for treating sick cattle after the cowboy has roped them in the pasture.

At right: Medicine bags.

Muley - A casual or slang term for "polled," which means an animal that is naturally, or genetically, without horns.

An animal that was born with horns but had them removed at some point would be described as "dehorned," not polled.

For more information about horns, please see our article Cow Horns.

At right: A polled, or muley, cow.

Mutton Bustin' - An event in which children ride sheep. Mutton bustin' is an event usually reserved for children too young to compete in other events commonly associated with the sport of rodeo.

In mutton bustin' the sheep are released from bucking chutes similar to the way a bronc or bull is released from a bucking chute. However, the sheep do not buck, but instead walk, trot, or run down the arena. One or more adults are in the bucking chute with the child to hold onto them until the bucking chute gate opens. In the case of a very young or timid child, an adult helper hangs onto the child during the ride and lifts them off before they have a chance to fall off. Older or less timid children attempt to ride on their own.

Mutton bustin' is also sometimes called "wool riding."

Above: A young mutton buster rides a sheep.

You can see mutton bustin' pictures here. (<<<This link will open in a new window.)

Night Latch - A leather strap (or something similar) attached to a saddle for the rider to use when a horse is bucking.

A rider grabs onto, and pulls on, a night latch when a horse is bucking to help pull themselves deeper into the saddle. A night latch is typically a leather strap, a short piece of rope, or something similar, that has been run through the gullet of the saddle.

You can shop for a night latch here.

At right: A pony ranch bronc rider uses a night latch.

Oxbox Stirrups - A kind of stirrup that is narrow and has a rounded or "U" shaped appearance.

Oxbow stirrups (often simply referred to as "oxbows") are used by all types of horseback riders but are primarily seen among working cowboys and cowgirls. Fans of oxbow stirrups like them for several reasons, including describing them as easier to "keep" (less likely to slip out of them) during hard or rough riding than other types of stirrups. In addition, riders that prefer oxbows say that their design helps to prevent a rider's foot from hanging up when the rider is "in a storm," such as when a horse is bucking.

You can shop for oxbow stirrups here.

At right: An oxbow stirrup.

Pair - A way of referring to a mother cow and her calf. For example: "How many pairs did he buy?" It is sometimes a cowboy's job to "pair up" cows and calves, which means to observe them until they determine which calves belong to which cows.

At right: A cow and her calf, or a "pair."

Polled - The word "polled" means an animal that is naturally, or genetically, without horns.

An animal that was born with horns but had them removed at some point would be described as "dehorned," not polled.

The word "muley" is a casual or slang term sometimes used to describe cattle, and means the same thing as polled.

For more information about horns, please see our article Cow Horns.

At right: The skull of a polled cow.

Reins - Reins are a piece of equipment used for communicating with a horse while it is being ridden.

Reins are attached to the bridle and extend from the bridle to the rider's hands while the horse is being ridden. Reins are used to communicate such things to the horse as when to stop, turn, speed up, slow down, and more.

Reins can be made of leather, horsehair, nylon, or a variety of other materials. They can be one rein (that extends from one side of the bridle, over the horse's neck, and down to the other side of the bridle), or two reins (one rein on each side of the horse's neck). What reins are made of and whether or not there is one or two depends on the riding discipline and/or the personal preferences of the rider.

At right: Leather split reins (two separate reins, one on each side of the horse's neck).

Return Gate - In a rodeo arena, the return gate is a gate near the bucking chutes that the broncs and bulls use to exit the arena.

That the return gate is located where it is - near the bucking chutes - is very important. Broncs and bulls that buck while covering very little ground usually buck better - and therefore earn higher scores - than those that travel down the arena. If a bronc or bull knows that the return gate is near the bucking chutes it adds to their incentive to leave the chute and buck right where they are at, close to the gate they know they're going to use to exit the arena.

On the other hand, if the broncs and bulls were to be let out of the arena through a gate at the opposite end of the arena from the bucking chutes, they would quickly learn to travel down the arena toward the far-away gate while they bucked, thereby earning lower scores for themselves and their rider.

Rimfire - In roping, a rimfire is when the rope that runs from the mounted roper to the roped animal comes into contact with another horse(s). Rimfires are considered dangerous and most good ropers try to avoid them.

In competitive roping, the rules as to what constitutes a rimfire vary, and may be different than the definition above. Frequently, a rimfire is grounds for disqualification.

Rimfire is sometimes spelled "rim fire" (two words).

At right: The rope runs from the mounted rider, around the hindquarters of another horse, and to the roped steer on the other side. The horse between the roper and the steer is being rimfired.

Saddle Riggings - On a Western saddle, the term "rigging" can refer to the position of the front cinch, and/or to whether or not a saddle also has a back cinch (sometimes called a "flank cinch"). Here is a quick breakdown of some common rigging terms.

Full Rigging: The front cinch position is the full distance from the cantle to the pommel. This puts the front cinch directly beneath the pommel of the saddle.

7/8 Rigging: The front cinch position is 7/8 of the distance from the cantle to the pommel. This puts the front cinch a little farther back than a full rigged saddle.

At right: Common saddle rigging positions.

Spats - On horses, the word spats refers to the long hairs that hang down over the hooves. Not all horses have spats.

Spats are a common characteristic of draft horses. Horses that have spats also commonly have "feathers," which are long hairs on the back of the lower leg.

At right: The red arrows are pointing to spats, and the blue arrows are pointing to feathers.

Straw - Straw is the dry stems of certain plants. Straw is usually considered to be a by-product left over after the plant's main product, such as grain, has been harvested. After harvest the straw remaining is the field is sometimes burned, plowed under or otherwise disposed of, but it is often allowed to dry and then baled for easier transportation so it can be used for a variety of purposes.

Perhaps the best-known use for straw is for animal bedding, although other products, such as sawdust, have become more common in many areas for this purpose. Other uses for straw include erosion control, construction, as a product in animal feed, crafts, and more.

Stripping Chute - A chute at a rodeo arena used to take equipment off of broncs and bulls, and roping steers.

At a rodeo arena there are usually two stripping chutes. One stripping chute is located near the bucking chutes and is where the broncs and bulls, after they have finished bucking, have their bareback riggins', bronc saddles, or bull flanks removed.

The other stripping chute is located at the opposite end of the arena from the roping boxes. This stripping chute, sometimes called the "steer stripping chute" is where the roping steers, after they have been roped, have their head ropes and/or their heel ropes removed.

At right: A steer walking into the stripping chute to have his head rope removed.

Tapaderos - Tapaderos (or "taps") are stirrups that have a hood over the front of the stirrup that covers the front part of the rider's foot. Tapaderos are sometimes called hooded stirrups.

Tapaderos serve several purposes: They deflect brush to help keep the rider's foot from being pulled loose from the stirrup; they prevent the foot from being stabbed with cacti or thorns; they provide protection from weather, including to help provide extra warmth in cold weather; and they prevent the rider's foot from going through the stirrup, helping to avoid potentially serious accidents.

While riders of all types sometimes ride with tapaderos, they are particularly favored among working cowboys and cowgirls, people that ride in cold conditions, and trail riders. They are also frequently used with young riders, as many parents and riding instructors feel they are an essential safety precaution to keep children's feet from accidentally going through the stirrup.

You can shop for tapaderos here.

1 - A whole head (the loop goes behind the entire head, or around the neck). A whole head catch is sometimes called "around the neck."

Whole head.

2 - Around the horns (the loop goes around both horns). This catch is sometimes called a "horn catch" or "a clean horn catch."

Around both horns.

3 - A half head (the loop goes behind one horn, underneath the chin, and in front of the other horn).

Half head.

At right: Calf hooves. Cattle have a hoof that is split into two toes at the bottom of each leg. Since two is an even number, cattle are even-toed ungulates.

In the photo to the right you can see this cow's udder (or "bag") is enlarged with milk. She gave birth to the calf standing next to her about two months before the photo was taken.

The other two legal head catches are a half head, and around the horns (sometimes called a "horn catch" or "a clean horn catch").

A whole head catch is pictured at right. The loop goes behind the entire head, or around the neck.

At right: A whole head catch, one of three legal head catches in team roping and some other competitive roping events.

Wild Rag - A cowboy or Western scarf worn around the neck.

Wild rags are worn by working cowboys and cowgirls for warmth in cold temperatures, and for protection from sun, wind, and dirt anytime. In many regions wild rags are a popular fashion accessory and are a standard part of cowboy dress whether it be for work or social occasions. Wild rags come in a wide variety of colors, sizes, and fabrics. Silk is a popular fabric choice because of its light weight, softness, good looks, and other qualities.

At right: A wild rag.