his head. The picador continues to stab at the bull's neck leading to the animal's first major loss of blood. During this time, the bull's injured nape will fatigue—however, as a result of the enraged bull charging, the picador's horse will tussle with avoiding the bull throes at trying to lift the horse with its horns. The enduring loss of blood and exertion gradually weakens the bull further and makes it ready for the next stage. In order to protect the horse from the bull's horns, the horse is surrounded by a 'peto' – a mattress-like protection. Prior to 1928, horses did not wear any protection and a bull would frequently disembowel the opposing horse during this vulnerable stage. Banderillero The banderillero is a torero who plants the banderillas (lit. little flags). These are colorful sticks, usually colored with the flag of the banderillero's birthplace, with a barbed point which are increasingly placed in the top of the bull's shoulder. Banderilleros attempt to place the sticks while running as close to the bull as possible. They are judged by the crowd on their form and bravery. Sometimes a matador, who was a particularly skillful banderillero before becoming a matador, will place some of the banderillas himself. Skilled banderilleros can correct faults in the manner in which the bull charges by lancing the bull in such a way that the bull ceases hooking to one side, and thereby removing a potential source of danger to the matador by limiting the bull's offensive movements. Costume Because of the decorations and elaborateness of the costume, the Spanish refer to the torero's outfit as traje de luces, meaning the "suit of lights". Matador costume structure provides great ease of movement. See also Spanish-style bullfighting List of bullfighters List of female bullfighters Banteng References Further reading Poon, Wena. Alex y Robert, Salt Publishing, London, 2010. This is a novel about an American teenage girl training as a matador in contemporary Spain. External links "Haunted By The Horns", (2006) An ESPN online article about Matador Alejandro Amaya and Matador Eloy Cavazos. The article investigates why a matador chooses their profession. Female Matadors: A Fierce Beauty – slideshow by Life magazine Spanish fan with matador illustration, 1887, in the Staten Island Historical Society Online Collections Database Spanish culture Sports occupations and roles