What tool did olden day cowboys use to catch cattle?

Cowboys used a lariat or riatta (the riatta is longer than a lariat) to catch cattle with. They also built pens out of trees or rope, or used natural barriers like box canyons to herd cattle into to sort them and work them to brand and castrate them. Today's cowboys still use the lariat or riatta to catch and treat cattle with, and use steel panels, board fences and the like to herd them into to work them such as during branding time.