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Team Roping

This is an event performed while mounted on horseback by two separate riders. One rider is called the header and the other the heeler. The purpose of this event is for the header to rope a cow around his horns and the heeler to rope the both of the cow’s rear feet. Once the ropes are tightly rung around the cow's horns and rear feet, both riders wrap their ends around their saddle horns, known as “dallying off.” [23] The riders now turn their horses to face one another on opposing sides of the cow and back up drawing the ropes tight. This forces the cow’s neck to stretch out while his rear feet are pulled off the ground. This is the finale signaling that the riders have finished. The team with the quickest time is the winner. [ Rodeo, Equine ]

Tendonectomy

This procedure involves cutting a cat’s tendons responsible for controlling claw movement. A cat still keeps its claws, but will be forever unable to use them. Like declawing, they are totally defenseless after a tendonectomy. Because cats are unable to knead their claws after this procedure their claws must be clipped regularly. [65] Generally this procedure is not considered compassionate among the animal rights community. Some veterinarians will not perform this surgery. [ Companion Animal ]

Thoroughbred

This horse is considered to have the best combined traits of speed and stamina. Thoroughbred horses are said to have the desired traits of “increased lung capacity, long sloping shoulders that allow longer strides” and “a long body and hind leg.” Thoroughbred horses are also branded with the image of being “high-strung, nervous and temperamental.” “Thoroughbreds are bred to mature at an early age because of the economics of the horse racing industry.” Because of this, many of these young horses “breakdown” and are retired with injuries and physical difficulties. [26] [ Equine ]

Thumping

Also called packing; this is the procedure where a worker takes a small pig by her hind legs swinging the piglet overhead and slamming its head onto a concrete floor or against some solid object. This is supposed to kill the piglet but often this procedure must be repeated two or three times to complete what one attempt is supposed to achieve. [ Factory Farming ]

Tick

One or two white feathers at the rear of a pigeon’s eye. [66] [ Pigeon ]

Tie-down Roping

In a likely attempt to make rodeo events more palatable to the public, some rodeos have changed the name of “calf roping” to “tie-down roping.” See Calf Roping (on foot) for a complete definition. [64] [ Rodeo ]

Tines

Otherwise known as points, tines branch from the main beam of antlers. When someone refers to a deer as an “eight pointer” they are saying the deer had 8 tines long enough to be counted. What length qualifies as a “point” is subject to a variety of standards and scoring systems, but it seems as if most hunters count anything over 1 ½ inches. [ Hunting ]

Tossing

This involves taking pigeons some distance from their loft and releasing them so that they have to fly back to their home. This is used as a method of training. It is also called “road training.” [66] [ Pigeon ]

Trap

A contraption constructed so as to allow pigeons entry into the loft, but not an exit. [66] [ Pigeon ]

Treading

When a male pigeon mounts a female pigeon during intercourse it is called treading. [66] [ Pigeon ]

Tripping

One form of exercising pigeons is to let them loose to fly around their loft. When a pigeon ventures from the area of their home it is called tripping. It also referred to as “scouting” or “ranging.” [66] [ Pigeon ]

Trophy Animal

This is a animal that is thought worthy of acclaim and considered to have the best attributes that can be seen in its species. Usually this is in reference to the body of a (dead) animal because only then can a wild animal be possessed by a hunter (rendering it a trophy). In deer, an equal number of points on each side of its rack and a maximum number of points possible determine trophy status. Turkeys are judged on the length of their beards or the spread of their tail feathers and fishes on their size. [ Hunting ]

Tying Up

See "Recurrent Exertional Rhabdomyolysis" [ Equine ]

Typical Antlers

Typical antlers are tines (points) that extend upwards from the main beam with no other tines branching from them. There does not have to be perfect symmetry on each side for antlers to be typical, just ideal. Antler Types [ Hunting ]

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Posted/Updated: 7/09/04