Buckaroo John's Blog — leather

Well, I think I may speak for all of us in the West when I say we are more than ready for spring. Winter was ROUGH. Flooding in the lower elevation and a snow pack in the higher elevations that we haven't see for awhile. Rain, snow, ice, and now....MUD. Sigh. I am ready for the horses to slick out, to get in the back country and ride, although still trying to calculate how long it takes 50+ feet of snow to melt....? While we still have some more storm in the forecast, the weather has been leaning more towards spring, so with that...

I remember one really wet winter we had, where unless you had a covered arena, no one was riding. Once we had a few sunny days I happily went out to my trailer, where I stored my saddle and tack, eager to throw a leg over my mud clad gelding. However, much to my horror, when I opened the tack room door, my saddle and bridle were covered in mold.  Seeing my beautiful saddle and bridle covered in a layer of mold was devastating. However, it doesn't mean that your gear is ruined! While we don't seem to have any...

The purpose of a breast collar is to prevent the saddle from sliding backwards on your horse’s back. Saddle fit is obviously very important, but it’s nice to have the security and peace of mind a breast collar provides, especially when climbing hills, packing, roping or branding. The style of breast collar you decide to use will be based upon the type of riding you do and personal preference. The wider the breast collar is, the more the pressure is dispersed across the chest. Here are a few styles of breast collars and a few types of riding they are...