Old Paint: What's a hoolian?

Subject: RE: Old Paint: What's a hoolian?
From: GUEST,Clint
Date: 15 Feb 11 - 08:47 PM

In the song the singer actually says, I ride an old paint and I lead an old dam. A dam is by defintion the mother of a domesicated animal, in this case it's another horse actually a mare. A hoolian is a way to throw a lasso's loop perpendicualar to the ground. This throw is used in catching horses as many horses can see an over-head loop coming at them and will duck out it. The hoolian forms a loop that they run into.

Subject: RE: Old Paint: What's a hoolian?
From: GUEST,bboy
Date: 04 Aug 11 - 05:28 AM

Instead of saying riding he said ride an and a hooley-ann is a roping term.

Subject: RE: Old Paint: What's a hoolian?
From: Genie
Date: 04 Aug 11 - 06:23 PM

OK, but what are the "coulees" that the horses feed in?

Subject: RE: Old Paint: What's a hoolian?
From: Genie
Date: 04 Aug 11 - 06:25 PM

I guess that term refers to ravines or gulches where the horses feed.

Subject: RE: Old Paint: What's a hoolian?
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 05 Aug 11 - 06:37 PM

Coulee is generally considered to be a Canadian French term, variously applied to a shallow ravine or small stream, sometimes to a dry streambed.
Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary.

Versions have leading old Dan, Ball, Fan, or dam; take your pick. It is wrong to say that one is more correct than another.

Montana is a large and varied state, mountains and plains, good grass to semi-desert.

See preceeding posts re. hooleyann (hoolian) and hoolihan; usually the first is defined as rope work, the second as throwing a party (after the drive was over, etc.) or a rodeo type of roping, but both appear in versions and it is up to the singer.

Most of this has appeared in previous posts.

Subject: RE: Old Paint: What's a hoolian?
From: Martha Burns
Date: 06 Aug 11 - 03:27 AM

Dick, Your dad was a real live cowboy?! Is this true??

Subject: RE: Old Paint: What's a hoolian?
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Aug 11 - 12:10 PM

It's a loop to rope cattle

Subject: RE: Old Paint: What's a hoolian?
From: GUEST,Jim K
Date: 10 Oct 11 - 08:36 PM

Les B. is right on about the hoolian. I've been raised among cowboys and my brother-in-law is 84 and still cowboys some. He showed me how to throw a hoolian to catch a horse. It is indeed kind of a backward and overhand throw. You do this without swinging the rope. It is a difficult move to make with any accuracy.

Subject: RE: Old Paint: What's a hoolian?
From: Lighter
Date: 13 Oct 17 - 09:04 AM

refresh

Subject: RE: Old Paint: What's a hoolian?
From: leeneia
Date: 14 Oct 17 - 03:21 PM

All is resolved. Open this document:

https://www.loc.gov/folklife/LP/CowboySongs_opt.pdf

Go to page 3 and read all about it, including what a hoolihan is.