remuda

[ruh-moo-duh, re-moo-thah]

noun

Chiefly Southwestern U.S.

plural

remudas 

1. a group of saddle horses from which ranch hands choose mounts for the day.

Word History and Origins

Origin of remuda¹

An Americanism first recorded in 1835–45: from Latin American Spanish (Mexico): “a change (of horses),” Spanish: “exchange,” derivative of remudar “to change, replace,” equivalent to re- re- + mudar “to change” (from Latin mūtāre )

Example Sentences

As top hands they had taken the pick of the remuda, the fleetest runners, the gentlest night horses, the best-reined cutting horses; but now in the reapportionment they found themselves reduced to "skates and bronks."

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He was certain that Nellie rode the same animal each time, because she would not trust any of the others that were now with the remuda.

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For a wonder the weather had been favorable; the windmills were all working, the bogs had dried up, the beef had lasted over, the remuda had not strayed—in short, there was nothing to do.

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He had seen admiration, desire for closer acquaintance, in many a fair face but such invitation affected him as the sight of a circling loop affects a horse in a remuda.

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The man to whom Cuchillo had given his orders, immediately saddled his horse and set off to collect the remuda.

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