Cowboy Glossary
Beyond chaps, following is a cowboy glossary:ALLIGATOR PLIERS: a tool used to clinch off nails in a horse’s hoof during the process of shoeing.BATWING CHAPS: Loosely fitting chaps that provided full leg coverage. Their “bat wing” name is derived from the style of the loosely fitting chap that resembled that of its namesake.BRONC BUSTER: a cowboy who was responsible for “starting” colts on their path of being able to be saddled and ridden.BUCKLE ROPING: An event where the first horse and rider is responsible for roping a calf’s head while the second rider ropes the hind legs. Also known as “header and heeler” roping the first prize is typically a decorated buckle something coveted by the cowboy.CHINKS: Short chaps that are fringed and reach to just below the knee. Chinks are said to have been born out of desperation a cowboy’s full length chaps wearing thin and resulting in them being cut down while still providing some form of protection and usefulness. Also, a lot of wearers prefer chinks in warmer weather since there is less coverage.DALLY: a technique used in roping where the rope is wound around the saddle horn and relies on friction from the first roping as a method to secure it (opposed to hard-and-fast roping).HAIR CHAPS: a style of shotgun chaps where fleeces from hides were often used to provide warmth (see woolies chaps).HARD-AND-FAST ROPING: a technique in which the rope is tightly tied to the saddle horn (opposed to dally which relies on friction from the first pull to tighten the rope).HOBBLE: A method of typing or fastening the front legs of a horse together so that when camp was set up the horse could be unsaddled without wandering off.LATIGO: the strap used to tie the rigging straps of the saddle to the saddle’s cinch.MOTHER UP: the process of reuniting calves with their cows after having been separated due to activities such as branding.RIATA: The rope used to lasso cattle (cross used with lariat).ROWEL: The disk on a pair of spurs that revolves and is frequently honed to pointed or sharp edges.SHOTGUN CHAPS: the traditional cowboy style working chap which derived its name due to their design straight as a shotgun.WOOLIES CHAPS: See hair chaps.
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