Editing Lasso (section)

==Overview==
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]] to release the cattle because the rope is stiff enough to be pushed a little. A high quality lasso is weighted for better handling. The lariat has a small reinforced loop at one end, called a ''honda'' or ''hondo'', through which the rope passes to form a loop. The ''honda'' can be formed by a [[honda knot]] (or another [[loop knot]]), an [[eye splice]], a [[seizing]], [[Rawhide (material)|rawhide]], or a metal ring. The other end is sometimes tied simply in a small, tight, overhand knot to prevent fraying. Most modern lariats are made of stiff nylon or polyester rope, usually about 5/16 or 3/8 in (8 or 9.5&nbsp;mm) diameter and in lengths of 28, 30, or 35&nbsp;ft (8.5, 9 or 11 m) for arena-style roping and anywhere from {{convert|45|to|70|ft|m|abbr=on}} for Californio-style roping. The reata is made of braided (or less commonly, twisted) rawhide and is made in lengths from {{convert|50|ft|m|abbr=on}} to over {{convert|100|ft|m|abbr=on}}. Mexican maguey (agave) and cotton ropes are also used in the longer lengths.

The lasso is used today in [[rodeo]]s as part of the competitive events such as [[calf roping]] and [[team roping]]. It is also used on working [[ranch]]es to capture [[cattle]] or other [[livestock]] when necessary. After catching the cattle, the lasso can be tied or wrapped (dallied) around the ''horn'', a typical feature on the front of a [[western saddle]]. With the lasso around the horn, the cowboy can use his [[horse]] analogously to a [[tow truck]] with a [[winch]].

Part of the [[historical]] [[culture]] of both the [[vaquero]]s of [[Mexico]] and the [[cowboy]]s of the [[Western United States]] is a related skill now called "[[trick roping]]", a performance of assorted lasso spinning tricks. The Hollywood film star [[Will Rogers]] was a well-known practitioner of trick roping and the [[natural horsemanship]] practitioner [[Buck Brannaman]] also got his start as a trick roper when he was a child.

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File:2008 Kentucky State Fair Roping Show (2765926132).jpg|Riders carrying modern lassos for competition in [[team roping]] at the [[Kentucky State Fair]], 2008
File:25CharroFeria09.JPG|A [[charro]] with a lariat at a horse show in [[Pachuca]] northwest of [[Puebla (city)|Puebla, Mexico]], October 2009
File:Lasso1web.jpg|Lassoing on the prairie (from the book ''Prairie Experiences in Handling Cattle and Sheep'', by Major W. Shepherd, 1884)
</gallery>