riatta

Updated: May 28, 2025

Harrington, seeing that Uncle Kit was determined in the matter, said no more. Carson went out to where his saddle-horse was feeding, caught him and took a half-hitch around his nose with the riatta, jumped on him without any saddle, and by this time Shewman was on his horse also, with his rifle in hand.

William F. Drannan - Thirty-One Years on the Plains and in the Mountains, Or, the Last Voice from the Plains : An Authentic Record of a Life Time of Hunting, Trapping, Scouting and Indian Fighting in the Far West

We went on foot, taking a rope, or riatta, as it is called by frontiersmen, and on the way to the farm I could think or talk of nothing but my new rifle, and the buffalo, deer, antelope and other game that I would kill when I reached the plains.

William F. Drannan - Thirty-One Years on the Plains and in the Mountains, Or, the Last Voice from the Plains : An Authentic Record of a Life Time of Hunting, Trapping, Scouting and Indian Fighting in the Far West

When we reached the farm where the horses were, Uncle Kit pointed out a little bay pony that had both his ears cropped off at the tips, and he said: "Now Willie, there is your pony. Catch him and climb on," at the same time handing me the riatta.

William F. Drannan - Thirty-One Years on the Plains and in the Mountains, Or, the Last Voice from the Plains : An Authentic Record of a Life Time of Hunting, Trapping, Scouting and Indian Fighting in the Far West

For what with whistling, and coaxing, and swearing, and swinging his "riatta" over their heads, he had them as much under his command as ever a crack dragsman had his four-in-hand in the good old coaching times of my own dear England.

Henry Vizetelly - California : Four Months among the Gold-Finders, being the Diary of an Expedition from San Francisco to the Gold Districts