184 EQUESTRlAJf FEATS. 



■ b 



The muleteers, as well as the vaqueros 

 (cow-herds), are generally mounted upon swift 

 and well-trained horses, and in their manage- 

 ment of the animals will often perform many 

 surprising feats, which would grace an ecjues- 

 trian circus in any countr)- ; such, for instance, 

 as picking up a dollar from the ground at 

 every pass with the horse at full gallop. But 

 the g7-eatest display of skill and agihty con- 

 sists in their dextrous use of the lazo or lareat* 

 which is usually made of horse-hair, or sea- 

 grass tightly twisted together, with a conve- 

 nient noose at one end. Their aim is always 

 more sure when the ammal to be caught is 

 running at full speed, for then it has no time 

 to dodge the hreat. As soon as the noose is 

 cast, the hzador fetches the end of his Jazo 

 a turn round the high pommel of his saddle, 

 and by a quick manoBUvre the wildest horse 

 is brought up to a stand or topsy-turvy at his 

 pleasure. By this process, the head of the 

 animal is turned towards his subduer, who, in 

 order to obtain the mastery over him more 

 completely, seldom fails to throw a hozal (or 

 naif-hitch, as boatmen would say) around the 

 nose, though at full rope's length. 



If the object of pursuit happens to be a 

 cow or an ox, the lazo is usually thrown about 

 the horns instead of tlie neck. Two vameros, 



Lasso and lariat, as most usually written, are evidently cor- 

 Jtiptions of the Spanish lazo and la reata (the latter with the arti- 

 cle la compounded), both meaning kinds of rope. I have there- 

 in preferred retaining the orthography indicated by their etymo- 



