Lasso

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For other uses, see Lasso (disambiguation).

Lariat redirects here. For the wrestling move, see lariat

A stray bull is lassoed by staff during a rodeo

Lassoing on the prairie (from the book Prairie Experiences in Handling Cattle and Sheep, by Major W. Shepherd, 1884)

A lasso, also known as a lariat, is a loop of rope that is designed to be thrown around a target and tighten when pulled. It is a well known-tool of the American cowboy.

The rope is now mainly used in rodeos as an attraction, but it is still used to catch fleeing cattle or other livestock. After catching the cattle, the lasso can be tied around the horn, a typical feature of the western (or cowboy) saddle. With the lasso around the horn, the cowboy can use his horse as the equivalent of a towtruck with a winch.

A lasso is made from stiff rope so that the noose stays open when the lasso is thrown. It also allows the cowboy to easily open up the noose from horseback when releasing the cattle because the rope is stiff enough to be pushed a little. A high quality lasso is weighted for better handling.

Part of the historical cultures of both Mexico and the Western United States, "trick roping" (lasso spinning tricks) was, and is, a well-known cowboy athletic activity. Will Rogers was a well-known exponent of trick roping. Lassos were also used by Tatars and the fictional character Indiana Jones. The Mongols use a variant of the lasso called an uurga consisting of a rope loop at the end of a very long pole.