What instrument (tool), banned in Mexico in 1574,...

[Capt. Hamp Cox]

... led to the development of the lariat and roping as we know it today.

[Russ T Chambers]

1574?       That's even a bit before my time!   

[Four-Eyed Buck]

The whip?...........Buck

[RattlesnakeJack]

Bolas?

[Capt. Hamp Cox]

Not even close yet.  In Spanish, the tool was known as a "media luna", or as a "desjarretadera".  See where those take you.  Saw one at the Bob Bullock Museum in Austin, TX last week.  Had not previously been familiar with the item or its use.

[Four-Eyed Buck]

well, luna should mean moon, I believe. After that my Spanish goes right out the winder. Probably have to pas this one to my more Linguistically edjucated pards..........Buck

[Bar Stool Billy]

 Its a hocking knife on a stick used to cut the hamstring of the animal that he chose to butcher.

BSB

[Capt. Hamp Cox]

'Bout as right as you can get, Billy.  Nice goin'. .  Shore didn't think old Russ T an' Buck would let me down like that .  Thanks for givin' it a shot, Jack.  Related info can be found at:

http://www2.sjsu.edu/faculty/watkins/cowboyculture.htm

http://www.cowboymagazine.com/Roping.html

http://www.pr.state.az.us/text/featurestories/ranchstory.html

[Russ T Chambers]

'Bout as right as you can get, Billy.  Nice goin'. .  Shore didn't think old Russ T an' Buck would let me down like that .  Thanks for givin' it a shot, Jack.  Related info can be found at:

http://www2.sjsu.edu/faculty/watkins/cowboyculture.htm

http://www.cowboymagazine.com/Roping.html

http://www.pr.state.az.us/text/featurestories/ranchstory.html

Wasn't letin' ya down, just didn't want to show my age! 

Here's what mine could'a looked like 

[Capt. Hamp Cox]

What is also interesting to me was the descripton of using a loop on the end of a long pole to catch cattle, before they became adept at using a lariat in the manner to which we are accustomed.  Sounds kind of like a modern-day dog catcher.

[Silver Creek Slim]

I read about that thing in a book about the development of the cowboy. I can't remember the name of the book though. 

Slim