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[RC] Fiesta De Las Tropillas ... - John Teeter

a tropilla is a flock of 11 horses. 9 matched (one for each day of the week + 2 
spares), 1 Beauty for dress up affairs, and a mama with the bell on the neck to 
draw the rest of the flock along. On the Pampas, there were no fences and not 
trees to tie to or anything but grass. So the gaucho would bring his flock with 
him - changing saddles on the fly etc. The groups are trained to follow the 
bells -- so they just flow through other groups of horses w/o intermixing (and 
w/o any strings attached!!)

the Fiesta had 22 of these flocks - they (the 9) were all mixed in a holding 
area (22x9=218 horses) and the mamas and gauchos were spread around a large 
field. W/O the bells - the flocks become VERY agitated - really lost w/o their 
binding influence! The mixed flocks were turned loose and the first flock to 
gather at the right bell were the winners!  It was truly amazing to be in the 
middle of it all --- It was a 2 day affair - with a full on parade of silver 
and woven tack and knives in belts etc. 

more later!

jt.

(p.s. after the main event, the bronc riding started ... and yes, they keep the 
mains clipped much differently down here. the bridle path is maybe 10-12" long 
in the norm. And check out the cut on the tails (WAY too short to be useful to 
the horse in most cases -- tradition and style ...)

http://www.endurance.net/2005PAC/images/fiestadetropilla/special/lead03.jpg

:)

At 05:51 PM 3/14/2005, heidi larson wrote:

Interesting photo's John!! All the horses have roached manes eh?  For better 
neck reining?  Also, interesting headstalls.  Top photo looks like a madhouse, 
how do they keep their own groups together, or do they?

heidi



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