T-Post or Tee-Post - A steel fence post which, when viewed from above, approximates the shape of the letter T. Also called a Star Post.
Tack - Gear used for working with a horse.
Tally-book - A journal or notebook used to keep track of livestock.
Tallyman - A ranch hand who keeps track of the brand markings applied to the various animals, as well as noting any ear marks or tags.
Talus - A sloping mass of loose rocks and boulders at the base of a cliff or waterfall. Also called Scree.
Tapadera/Tapadero - A leather hood which covers a stirrup - also called a "stirrup hood." It functions both as a stop to keep the foot from slipping too far into the stirrup and as a shield to keep brush from pushing the foot out of the stirrup. In Spanish, "tapadera" means a lid, or something that covers.
Team Penning - An event in which three riders are required to cut three specific cattle out of a herd and move them into pen at the opposite end of the arena, usually within a specified time limit.
Tenderfoot - a newcomer to the cowboy life; also known as a "greenhorn."
Texas butter - Beef gravy.
Texas Fever - An infectious disease of cattle transmitted by the cattle tick. Fear of Texas Fever caused many areas to the north to be closed to Texas cattle, effectively ending the cattle drive era.
Texas gate - A gate made of barbed wire.
Texas Norther - See "Norther."
Therapeutic Paper - See Gayetty's Medicated Paper.
Thorn Apple - See Jimsonweed.
Thoroughbraces - Heavy leather straps on which the body of a stagecoach rested. Combined with the rounded bottom of the coach body, these simple leather shock absorbers gave the passengers a rocking, swaying ride.
Throat Latch - The area where the underside of a horse's head joins the neck. The term is also applied to the headstall strap that runs through the throat latch area.
Thrush - A degeneration of the frog with a secondary bacterial infection. It results from poor management and hygiene that permit horses to stand in wet conditions for prolonged periods and from failure to clean the hooves regularly. The affected area is moist and contains a black, thick discharge with a characteristic foul odor.
Tie-Down Roping - Capturing a calf with a lasso and binding its feet. Also known as Calf Roping.
Tie Strap Holder - See Latigo Keeper.
Tinker - A craftsman who repairs or makes tinware.
Tobiano - A pinto of any color with some white crossing its back and a solid colored head.
Tom Thumb Bit - A curb bit with a jointed mouthpiece and swivel shanks. The combination of the jointed mouthpiece, leveraged rein attachment, and curb can make the Tom Thumb a very severe bit. It is so powerful (the name "Tom Thumb" being derived from the name of an early locomotive) that some heavy-handed riders have even broken their horse's jaw with it.
Top a Horse - To ride an untamed horseto a finish, getting him to submit to the rider.
Top Hand - A first-rate cowpuncher.
Top Railer - A supervisor or overseer; a person who sits on the top rail of a corral and advises the men who do the work.
Top-screw - A foreman or range or trail boss. Also called Big Auger, or Bull Moose.
Tow Sack - A bag made of course fabric ("tow"), such as a cloth flour sack.
Trace - A trail or path.
Travois - (Pronounced "tr-voy" -- derived from the French word "travail," a frame for restraining horses.) A frame slung between trailing poles and pulled by a dog or horse, formerly used by the Plains Indians of North America as a means of carrying belongings or even people.
Tree - The interior framework of a saddle, over which the leather or other covering is attached. Originally made of a light wood such as basswood, many trees are now made of composite materials such as plastic resins.
Treed - Cornered by an adversary; forced to turn and face attackers.
Trick rider - An equestrian entertainer, usually performing gymnastics and other seemingly hazardous feats on horseback.
Trophy Buckle - See: Buckle, Trophy.
Trot - A medium fast diagonal gait, with the forefeet each moving in tandem with the hind foot on the opposite side. One of the horse's three basic gaits.
Tuckered, Tuckered Out - Worn out; exhausted.
Twine Twirler - A calf or steer roper
Twitch - Any of several types of tools used to restrain a horse by exerting a clamping pressure on the upper lip. From an old English word, "twicchen," meaning to pull or pluck. The twitch is considered a humane method of restraint and is commonly used by horsemen and veterinarians alike.

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