Definition of "latigo"

He looked at the saddle and saw that both latigos, the straps that held the cinches, were broken. Both were old latigos instead of the good new ones that had been on the saddle the day before, and both had been cut halfway through with a knife.

1989, Hal Borland, When the Legends Die, published 2011, unnumbered page

Then they tightened the latigos on their horses and mounted up.

1994, Cormac McCarthy, The Crossing

These prices are for saddle with single cinch and two latigoes.

1999, edited by Victor M. Linoff, Saddle and Western Gear Catalog, 1938, page 41

"How am I supposed to learn if you aren't clear?""Watch. These metal rings beside the saddle tree are the rigging rings. These long leather straps hanging on 'em are the latigoes. Leave the off-side latigo done up and use the near-side strap."

2008, Linda Aksomitis, Longhorns and Outlaws, page 21

Cinches fasten with a latigo strap that is already attached to the saddle, using a special flat knot. Make sure the strap has no twists in it, then insert it through the cinch ring from inside to outside (figure 13.4a).

2013, Gincy Self Bucklin, The Gentle Art of Horseback Riding, page 142

A double-roller functions like a pulley system in that the latigo runs through the top roller and then down and through a bottom roller. […] Most riders today use latigos on the left side to tighten the cinch and off-billets on the right, but some horsemen still prefer to use latigos on both sides.

2013, Cynthia McFarland, The Horseman's Guide to Tack and Equipment: Form, Fit and Function, page 69