Hacendados (Spanish) head or owner of the hacienda.
Barrial basin.
Bolsón flat land.
Hacienda de Nuestra Senora de la Purisima Concepcion (Spanish) Hacienda of Our Lady of the Pure Conception.
Roan a horse that has white hair evenly or sprinkled across its body so that its coat has a mottled appearance; usually red roan or blue roan when mixed with chestnut or black.
Dun a buckskin-colored horse. A true buckskin in decades past was a buttermilk-colored horse with a complete dark dorsal stripe and black points. (Now this sometimes refers to a dun.) The dun color comes from yellow hairs on dark skin. A dun can also have red points.
Bay a brown-colored horse with shades ranging from red and yellow to brown. Points (mane and tail) are black.
Paint commonly called Indian ponies. These are horses with large irregular patches of black and white or brown and white. Variations are designated pinto, calico, or piebald. Not to be confused with Appaloosa, which is an American breed with distinctive spotting. Roans, duns, bays, and paints are colorings of quarterhorses, although paints now have their own special registry. Originally registered as a color, now as a breed in the United States. In Spain, these horses are called mesquitoes and are special to the king.
greenbroke horses horses barely rideable and not yet completely trained. “Green,” not matured yet.
Sideline a method of tying up the horses to make them stop kicking and bucking (see the preceding Commentary section).
Mexican ringbit a Mexican spade bit with a ring under the mouth; very hard on a horse’s mouth.
media sangres (Spanish) medium bloods, or quarterhorses. Horses can be warm bloods or cold bloods as well. Cold bloods are European draft or work horses. Arabians, Barbs, and thoroughbreds are hot bloods.
Traveler-Ronda line Traveler-Ronda was a famous 19th-century Spanish stud, often referred to as a Mexican sand pony; he came from the New Mexico/west Texas region and created one of the Texas foundation lines. He was dun colored.
Amansadores (Spanish) horse trainers, but very special ones who talk softly to wild animals. This is a romantic west.
Amobs (Spanish) both.
Hay dieciseis caballos en el potrero. (Spanish) There are sixteen horses in the corral.
Podemos amansarlos en cuatro días. (Spanish) We will be able to break them in four days.
Bosalea (Spanish) called a bosal in the United States; a rope noseband used for training.
Hackamore a nose-fitting bridle without a bit.
Manilla special glove.
Maguey the century plant; a large cactus plant with big blue-green leaves or long stems that fan out from the base. A large needle appoints the end. They bloom once in seventeen years, when a huge stalk rises out of the middle of the plant. After the yellow-orange bloom dies, so does the whole plant. Smaller versions are called agave.
Ixtle rope made from a type of agave plant.
Mecates lead ropes that attach to the horse halter, used in training or leading the horse; here, made of hair.
certified peeler a real bronco buster.
Sackin sacking. A method of calming the horse with a piece of cloth. (See the preceding Commentary section for more information.)
Forefooted here roping the forefoot and thus tossing it to the ground. Also used in calf roping.
Grullo a black horse with white hairs mixed in so that it looks charcoal gray.
mesteños (Spanish) mustangs.
Potrero (Spanish) open lot.
Sulled balked, frozen up, cowboy lingo for a horse stopping.
Remuda (Spanish) round pen or corral.
un ratito (Spanish) a little while.
Como le convenga (Spanish) Whatever suits you.
Criollo A warm-blood Spanish stock horse, indispensable to the gaucho, or cowboy, of Argentina. A horse with Barb blood, the Criollo is know to be tough and is usually dun-colored.
Rechoncha (Spanish) round or bun-shaped.
Mescal strong Mexican liquor, often known for a worm in the bottom of the bottle.
Al contrario (Spanish) to the contrary.
mojado-reverso (Spanish) rebel, contrary.
Es una troca muy fuerte (Spanish) a very powerful truck.
Está un poco cansado de su viaje, pero es muy bonito. (Spanish) He is a little tired from traveling, but is still very fine.
Manada (Spanish) herd.
la única cosa (Spanish) the only thing.
Soy commandante de las yeguas, yo y yo solo. Sin la caridad de estas manos no tengas nada. Ni comida ni agua no hijos. Soy yo que traigo las yeguas de las montanas, las yeguas jovenes, las yeguas salvajes y ardientes. (Spanish) I am the leader (commander) of the mares, I and I alone. Without the charity of these hands you have nothing. Neither food nor water nor children. I am the one who brings the mares from the mountains, the young mares, the wild and hot-blooded mares.
Tules bulrushes, marsh plants.
Quinceañera (Spanish) fifteenth special birthday; coming out party.
Te espera. (Spanish) She is waiting for you.
Me quieres? (Spanish) Do you want me? (Do you love me?)
El cuatro. Catorce. (Spanish) Number four. Fourteen.
Ella está aquí. Desde ayer. (Spanish) She is here. Since yesterday.
Quien es? (Spanish) Who is it?
Armas (Spanish) firearm, rifle.
En el segundo puesto (Spanish) in the second stall.
