Have you ever heard a particular cowboy term and wondered what it meant or where it came from? Well, if so, you’re in luck. Cowboys have their own language that can often confuse and confound those who aren’t members of the cowboy class. And, the ease with which two cowboys will speak this mystical language-dropping in exotic words with common ones-is part of what keeps the iconic image of the cowboy perched high atop the list of those we admire.
I’ve been asked to select from my on-line cowboy glossary the five most interesting terms used by the cowboy class. And, since so much of the cowboy’s lifestyle and equipment comes from the Mexican Vaqueros and old Spanish traditions, where applicable, the Spanish language name from which each term derives in in italics. So, let’s get to it!
ALAMAR KNOT
An Alamar knot is a decorative knot used to tie a around a horse’s neck. In traditional Old California horse training, when a horse had graduated to become a finished bridle horse, the Alamar knot was tied from two coils of a mane hair mecate rope draped over the horse’s neck and the knot worn on the horse’s chest to denote him as a true bridle…
