Category Archives: Library

“I ride an old Paint/Lead an old Dan/I’m goin’ to Montana/For to throw the hoolahan.” —lyrics of the traditional song Leaving Cheyenne.

The houlihan is a lasso throw used in various ways, on horses and calves, though it seems to have been designed to capture a fleeing wild horse by roping both its forelegs at the same time. Ideally, not to make it stumble and fall, but to slow it down and gradually turn it toward the roper.

“The houlihan is swung counter clock wise, opposite a traditional loop, and opened at the throw with the flick of an agile wrist. It was not an easy throw and required years of practice to perfect.”

Hollywood’s preferred neck-shot was considered too iffy by real cowboys. The horse could lower its head to escape the loop, or, in continuing to run without escaping, be injured by a loop around its neck. Although it would seem that catching its forelegs might cause it to fall and break its neck.

Leaving Cheyenne, of course, is also a novel, one of my favorite Larry McMurtry pre-Lonesome Dove stories.