Making & Using the "Lassoo"
A Wanderer should be his own Manufacturer—The Way to Make a Lassoo and a Cabresto—Lassooing,
Saddling, Mounting, Roping Wild Cattle.

To lassoo, saddle, bridle, and mount a perfectly wild mustang is by no means an easy feat for a person to perform 
who is thoroughly up to its vicious tricks, who is at the same time an accomplished horseman, and who has again 
and again bestridden wild horses. Then what chance would a novice stand who did not even know how to throw a 
'lassoo?' or, supposing him sufficiently expert to catch a wild mustang, who was ignorant as to the proper way to 
saddle it or to get upon its back and sit there when it was saddled?
 
I have a few words to say, in the first place, concerning this instrument, weapon, rope, or by whatever name we may
be disposed to designate the lassoo, notwithstanding it has been so frequently described by almost all writers on 
sporting in the far West. In the first place, these writers never tell you how to make a lassoo; at any rate, I have never 
stumbled upon any work containing such instructions. This I consider of the first importance. All persons, in my 
humble opinion, ought to be able, that is, if they choose to be wanderers, to make for themselves everything they 
need, excepting such articles as require for their production machinery and skilled labour.

A lassoo is made from raw hide; the hide of a domesticated bull or cow furnishes the best material (by domesticated 
I mean animals really wild, which are nevertheless descended from a domesticated stock); a red bullock's hide is 
considered preferable to either a black, white, or spotted one. I am not able to give a reason for it; still I feel 
convinced a red bullock's hide makes a tougher and stronger lassoo than does a hide of any other colour. If neither 
a wild nor a tame bullock's hide is procurable, then buffalo, deer, or horse hide must be substituted in its stead. 

The hide destined to make a lassoo, stripped from off the animal (and great care must be exercised in skinning that 
not a single false cut be made, so as to weaken the fibre), is to be soaked in a river or a pool, in order to remove 
the hair; then staked out upon a level, piece of ground and well stretched, during which operation it must be 
constantly wetted; two days will be long enough to keep it pegged out. 

Now you must determine whether you are going to make a three or a four strand lassoo; it will require two large 
hides to make a three strand, and three large hides, or four small ones, to make a four strander. Bear in mind your
object is to manufacture a rope thirty feet long, without a knot or a join, from two or three hides. A moment's 
consideration will make it plain to any person that there can be but one way of obtaining a strip which shall measure 
thirty feet in length, and that the only way is to begin at the edge of the hide, and to cut round and round until the 
centre is reached, in the same manner as shoemakers cut a boot-lace from a small circular piece of leather, as Dido
did when she claimed the land whereon to build Carthage, and the Mansfeldt of old, by a similar trick, got both 
estate and name from the Emperor. 

The width of the strip should not exceed half an inch. If the hide is of sufficient size to furnish a strip sixty feet long, 
cut it in two, and procure the third strip from another hide; if short of that length, cut two more strips from other 
hides, and make your lassoo as long as the pieces will admit of. Each strip must be well wetted and wound round a 
small stick.

The next process is plaiting, which requires care and patience. A uniform circumference and exactitude in the 
tightness of the twist are absolutely essential to insure a good lassoo; neglect of due caution begets unequal 
flexibility, a fault fatal to accuracy when throwing it. The three strips should be fastened to a tree, and as the twister 
proceeds with his work, the strips and platted portion must be kept wet; this is best done by filling the mouth with 
water, and then squirting it slowly over the work and materials. The lassoo must be thoroughly stretched after 
completion, and then well greased. One end may be ornamentally finished off with a hair tassel; in the other end a 
loop must be woven by twisting together the three strips, and then finally covered with a piece of hide sewn tightly 
round it with tendon. This will be perhaps the best place to advise wanderers to procure the back tendon of a wapiti,
or moose deer, to dry it, and then divide it into threads fine or thick, as required. It is stronger than any twisted 
fabric, and is easily procurable, and as easily carried. For sewing leather or raw hides it will be found invaluable.

To make a 'cabrass,' or cabresto, as a hair rope or lassoo is styled, the hair must be first spun into a yarn. This is 
easily done by trenailing two sticks in the form of a cross, cutting a hole through the centre, and passing a round 
stick made smooth into it; a peg driven through the end will prevent the cross from slipping off. This long stick must 
be driven into a hole bored in a tree, or in the absence of an auger wedged betwixt heavy rocks or logs. A tuft of 
hair sufficient to form the yarn to be spun must be fastened to the cross and brought through a notch in one of the
arms; then, after making a few turns of the cross with the hand, keep it twisting round and round by swinging the 
yarn, add hair as it spins, walk backwards until the string becomes too long to turn the cross, then wind the spun 
hair round the arms and commence de novo. If you want a practical lesson, watch a rope maker at work in a 
ropewalk.
 
The same primitive machine will be found equally useful for spinning several yams into a rope. Riatas made with 
strips of raw hide can be easily twisted with a like contrivance if constructed on a somewhat larger scale. To acquire
a sufficiency of skill to throw a lassoo with force and accuracy needs a long and tedious schooling; skilled 
performers with the lassoo commence to use it during childhood, and every day and all day long the boys practise 
throwing it. Hence, wanderers, you must be content to spend several hours every day, on foot, throwing at a stake 
to begin with. Next practise lassooing a quiet mustang. Now you may venture to try it on horseback, but if you can 
succeed in gaining an amount of proficiency equal to 'lassooing' a mustang round its neck in a 'corral,' or a bullock
over its horns, it will be quite as much as you will be able to do. If you for one moment imagine that by any moderate
amount of practice you will be able to throw a lassoo round an animal's legs, whilst going at a raking gallop, or rope 
a bullock or a mustang on the open prairie, permit me to say you will be terribly mistaken. I can tell you the right way
to lassoo, saddle, bridle, and mount a wild mustang; but to insure your doing it is quite another question.

I have already told you the length of a lassoo is ordinarily thirty feet, and it must be kept flexible by continual 
greasing. One end of the lassoo is fastened to a ring provided for the purpose, or to the horn of the saddle; the 
other end, which forms a running noose, is, together with the remainder of the lassoo, coiled carefully and held in 
the right hand. Thus equipped, I ride in pursuit of a band of mustangs. 

Having espied the animals I seek browsing peacefully beneath the shadows of the trees, or on the grassy prairie, I 
craftily manoeuvre to get to windward of them; neglect this precaution and their keen sense of smell will betray your 
approach, and then you may make up your mind to wish the band of horses good-bye for that day. Slowly, and by 
riding in an angular course, I get as near to them as possible. As soon as I find myself within about forty feet of the 
herd I dash my spurs sharply into the horse, whirl the lassoo three or four times round my head to steady my aim 
and to keep the circle of coils clear, then I fling it over the head and round the neck of the animal I have selected, 
turn my own horse sharply round, sit firmly, press home the spurs, and gallop on, dragging my prisoner after me.

The powerful pressure of the noose upon the windpipe prevents the frightened mustang from offering any 
lengthened resistance; it soon either falls or throws itself upon the ground, breathless, motionless, and to all 
appearance nearly lifeless. When the horse is down I dismount and carefully gather my way along the lassoo until I 
can get close to the terrified beast, then I slip the blind over its eyes, slack the noose, and quietly await its recovery.

I am going to mount it at once, so I take the saddle and 'cabresto' from off my tame mustang, hobble its fore-legs 
firmly, and turn it loose to feed. By this time my captive has recovered its breath, a sharp slap on the haunches 
induces it to scramble upon its legs, but the blind prevents any attempt to escape. Now, by a little patience and
manoeuvring the double half-hitch already described is slipped on to the under jaw beneath the tongue, and the 
ends of the 'cabresto' tied for reins. I next softly put on the sweat-cloth, then the blankets, and lastly the saddle, (be 
at all times careful to cross the stirrups and 'synch' over the seat of the saddle, and lifting the saddle well above the 
back let it drop gently upon the animal). 

This done, I give the saddle a good slap, and hold on tight to the lassoo; this sometimes begets a vicious plunge or 
two, but as a rule the horse stands shaking and sulky. I have to be wary in getting the 'synch' under the belly, or I 
may get a 'cow kick,' in other words, a blow from the hind leg in a direction forwards. I have managed it safely, the 
leather strap is passed through and through the ring, and, placing my foot firmly upon the lassoo I haul up the 
synch as tight as I possibly can, and make it fast. 

'Synching' is always a risky performance, because the wild animal usually lashes out its hind legs, plunges, and not 
unfrequently throws itself heavily upon the turf, but so long as the blind is on it never attempts to get away. This 
paroxysm of rage over, I place my foot in the stirrup, give the horse at the same time a slap on the haunch, and rest 
my weight for a minute or two in the stirrup. If the horse is moderately quiet, I next rest my stomach on the saddle, 
jerk about and smack its sides with my open hand; if, on the other hand, it is a very bad tempered and vicious 
horse, I still keep on until it permits me to rest on the saddle. 

Now I slowly and cautiously get my leg over the saddle, settle myself firmly in my seat, place my toes in the stirrups, 
coil up my lassoo in my left hand, lean forward and jerk off the blind, and the battle begins in earnest.

It would be only wasting time to describe the pranks a wild mustang resorts to in order to unseat its rider; the worst 
thing, however, is buck-jumping, which it does with such vicious violence as to require every effort on the part of the 
rider to avoid being shot out of the saddle like a shell from a mortar. I sit tight, yell at the top of my voice, spur with 
all my might, and try by all and every means to induce the mustang to start at a gallop. If he does this he is mine, 
and I am his master for ever; if he lies down, rolls or gets me off by any other means, I turn him away and look for 
another.

A wild horse never forgets it if successful in throwing its rider at the first mounting. After the first gallop there is not 
much further trouble needed. If the mustang turns out sound and strong, I brand it, and a few more lessons suffice 
to convert it into what is known in hunter parlance as a tame or gentled horse.

It is rather singular that a dread of the lassoo is always retained by a horse that has been 'choked down,' saddled 
and broken on the prairie. The mere act of putting it round the neck ensures instant obedience. I have seen horses 
shake with terror when a lassoo was laid across their shoulders. Of course, this system of breaking applies with 
equal force to horses taken from out of a 'corral,' as it does to those lassooed on the prairie. 

The lassoo is used for catching wild cattle, just in the same manner as it is for mustangs or mules, only that bullocks
are usually 'roped' round the horns. It may prove of interest to mention incidentally, as a caution to the novice, an 
adventure which befell myself and a Mexican while lassooing wild cattle: 

	We came suddenly upon a wild Spanish bullock grazing some distance away from the herd. 
	Perceiving our approach, it dashed off with all speed for the timber. A rather exciting race 
	ensued, but the Mexican being the lighter weight, and having a better start, was the first to 
	head the bullock. He sent his lassoo over its horns, and attempted to wheel his horse round 
	in order to tighten the noose, but quicker than either he or his horse could move away the 
	maddened beast charged full tilt, caught the poor horse broadside on, and sent its long taper 
	horn to the root into its side. The horse dropped dead, and the Mexican rolled over and lay by 
	its side. The bullock, finding itself fast to the saddle of the dead horse, charged in upon the 
	man, and would have served him the same as it had the horse if an ounce of lead had not 
	thwarted its savage intentions. I merely relate this affair to show that lassooing is often a 
	dangerous pastime. 

As I have previously said, those who have never seen a lassoo used by a thoroughly skilled hand can form no idea 
of the accuracy with which they learn to throw it; indeed, on the large cattle runs in Texas and South America it 
would be quite impossible for the herders to manage either the bullocks or horses, unless they were most expert 
performers with the lassoo. To witness lassooing in perfection, and the systems adopted for driving, corraling, and 
branding where cattle run wild over large districts of country, the best plan is to visit a 'rodeo,' which takes place 
sometimes every year, at others longer intervals elapse betwixt the drives or rodeos. 

End of Excerpt.
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