Buckaroo John's Blog

Did you know that we have customized and personalized award tack available for just about any equestrian group, club, sport and discipline?  We have hair on bags, spur straps, wither straps, breast collars and slobber straps, just to name a few. You can have your logo, motto, pictures, etc., lazer engraved in the leather! There's no limit to what you can do! Here are a few examples of what we can do! Is there anything we can help you or your group with this year? Give us a call or email us and we'll design just the right thing for...

Chaps, short for chaparajos, were originally worn by cowboys as protective garments.  Chaps are now used for decorative and practical reasons.  Chaps originated in the countries of Spain and Mexico. Riders wore them while working cattle. Chaps were originally made of two large pieces of cowhide.  They formed a protective shield over the rider’s legs and the horse's chest. While serving those purposes quite well, they were bulky and hard to work with; that is when today’s chaps were developed. There are several types of chaps.  Originally, the most common type of chaps were batwings. These consisted of an outer...

There are several types of Western Reins.  The type of riding you like to do and what type of headstall and bit or bitless bridle, hackamore, etc., that you use will determine your rein choice.  Of course, personal preference will factor into your decision as well.  Let’s look at some of the options available. Split Reins Split reins are usually 8’ in length.  They are single pieces of leather which are connected to the bit by loops which are tied, connected by Chicago screws or quick change, swivel and snap closures.  They typically come in 1/ 2”, 3/4”,  5/8” and...

The Vaqueros of the old west were skilled horsemen who valued their horses and their rawhide horse tack. The Vaqueros had many "tools" to assist them with their everyday tasks on the range. One of these "tools" was the rawhide reata (or riata). The word reata is from the Spanish word reatar, meaning to retie or a rope which ties one animal to another. The rawhide reata was a long braided rawhide rope used by the early Mexican Vaqueros and was, no doubt, first introduced into Mexico by the Spanish conquerors. Though the word reata is often used to refer...

Bucking rolls are two padded pouches that are added to the front of the saddle seat. Most bucking rolls are filled with wool, trimmed from bark-tanned sheepskin. Bucking Rolls supplement the swells on a saddle and help a rider stay secure in the saddle. They are designed to be used with slick fork saddles, which have very little width to their swells. Modern day bucking rolls seem to have had their start in the late 19th century in the Northwest.  Early models were made of a tube-like construction that extended from one side of the saddle to the other, just to the...