Paella- a typical Spanish dish of rice, saffron and other spices, seafood and olive oil cooked in a shallow pan. It is probably the most well known culinary example associated with Spain.

Palafrénes- these are horse-sized specimens of poor quality that possessed the comfortable pacing gait. Palfreys.

Paleteada- this refers to the sport of “shouldering”, whereby calves are pressured between the mounts of two participants that have to guide the bovine at a full run over a narrow course defined by two parallel lines 60 m, or 65 yards, in length.

Pasitrote- a running walk gait that is common in the horses of the llanos of Colombia and Venezuela.

Pato- the word means “duck”, but it refers to an equestrian game the Chileans inherited from the Spanish. Originally, a large fowl was killed and placed inside a durable rawhide covering that was sewn tightly shut and four handles were added. Whoever had the duck was fair game for the other riders to attack as they tried to pry the duck away and have their turn at being chased. Usually the objective was to cross the opponent’s line, but the game had no limitations and covered a huge area of land. A modern version of the game is carried on in Argentina, where it is considered the national sport.

Payada de Contrapunto- singing duel between two South American minstrels that improvised verses aimed at insulting their competitor.

Peales- roping horses by the front feet.

Pecas- in human it means freckles, but in horses it refers to dapples. Dapples are also referred to as “pesetas”.

Pechada or Pechando- this refers to the sport of “chesting”. This was a particularly violent sport that was developed in the Americas whereby two horses would separate themselves by as much as 220 yards (200 m). On signal, they would charge towards each other until they crashed in a head-on collision. Usually this resulted in both contestants being downed from the first clash. It was expected that both horse and rider regain their stance and charge their opponent again and again, at continually closer range, until injury or exhaustion caused one of the competitors to give up.

Perulero- this is a Peruvian-styled wooden box stirrup. Each stirrup weighed an average of 2.35 kg (5.17 pounds), and it usually had flamboyant silver ornaments, including rounded corners that could also be used as a point of contact with the horse. It is known that “peruleros” were also used in Chile until the 18^th century, but no traces of them can be found today.

Peticero- grooms in charge of the daily care of Chilean corraleros, although the term has also been adapted in the Chilean polo and jumping horse worlds.

Pialar- dismounting over the top of a horse that has received a foreleg catch. The Argentine dictator Juan Manuel de Rosas was known to please the crowds with his skillful demonstrations of dismounting under these difficult circumstances.

Picadores- these were grooms of the parade horses in colonial days. These horses spent much of their time confined and overfed so as to be hyper energetic in their performances.

Pichanga- this is an informal practice or scrimmage session of Chilean Rodeo skills, which usually takes place among friends.

Polaina- these are leggings that cover the knee and lower thigh. Their use was not seen until the mid to late 19^th century. The modern-type of “polaina” is thought to be the result of encouragement by ranchers that were influenced by their attraction to military leggings and “granadero” boots. The fact is that by the early 20^th century this would become the official leg wear of the huasos. Certainly, it offered a distinguished, aristocratic look unlike anything seen in other stock horsemen wardrobes.

Poncho- a long, coarse poncho usually made of virgin wool that reaches the knees or mid thighs and which is used to stay warm or keep dry in cold or rainy weather. The poncho is ranch attire that would not be appropriate for use in the Rodeo.

Pontezuelo- this is a one-inch, flat arc that is fixed on both ends of the mouthpiece and curves around the front of the horse’s muzzle. In Chile, the bits that have “pontezuelos” are termed “frenos” (masculine) where as those that don’t use this appendage are known as “frenas” (feminine). Perhaps this distinction is due to the fact that it is more common to see the “pontezuelo” on stallions, since nowadays its use is meant to prevent horses from biting.

Pruebas Ecuestres- Chilean Horse Trials for registered Chilean Horses only. The winner is the horse with the most total points in a conformation score, walk-trot-canter gait evaluation, reining competition, timed four-barrel pattern and fence work with a steer.

Pulpería- this is a drinking shop in Chile and Argentina that is a combination of saloon and general store. Typically, the attendant stands behind iron bars since the environment is often rowdy. Owners often barter their alcoholic beverages for marketable goods.

Puna- this is an Andean term for an altitude sickness that can occur as low as 2,000 m (6,500 ft.) a.s.l. It can be felt when you are at high altitudes or sometimes when the descent from them occurs too fast.

Pura raza del país- means purebreds of the country and it was a term used by the SNA in 1890 when they proposed the idea of a breed registry for the Chilean Horse. In Spain, the term referred to the crosses of Andalusian and Castellano often implemented by migrant sheepherders in the area of La Mesta.