Buckaroo John's Blog

    Many working cowboy ranches embrace the traditions of the Old West Vaqueros. These cowboy ranches use traditional Vaquero horse tack and teach the Vaquero ways of horse training and horsemanship.In keeping with this traditional Vaquero style, the Get Down Rope has become popular with not only the old west working cowboy ranches, but the casual riders following the Vaquero style.The "Git Down Rope " is also very popular in the competitive ranch classes at rodeos and horse shows. These horse competitions demand the use of this rope as well as the Bosalito.The traditional cowboys used the “git” down rope to...

  The cinch (girth) has been in use for nearly 3000 years. The cinch made an appearance around 700 B.C. in the Middle East when Assyrian warriors added straps to their decorative saddle cloths. In western riding, the girth is referred to as a cinch. The cinch is a piece of horse tack used to keep the western saddle in place on the horse. The purpose of the cinch is to anchor the saddle to the horse as comfortably as possible.  The cinch should not interfere with the horse’s action. The cinch passes under the barrel of the horse. It...

Evidence exists that the predecessor to the modern saddle was in use by the Assyrians in 700-800 BCE. It consisted of a simple cloth fastened onto the horse with a surcingle. These early saddles had neither a solid tree nor stirrups. By 300 BC, the Samaritans added a breastplate and girth to keep the saddle on. The development of the solid saddle tree was significant; it raised the rider above the horse's back, and distributed the rider's weight on the animal's spine. This change greatly increased the comfort of the horse and prolonged its useful life. The invention of the...

Spurs can be traced back to the Roman Legions of Julius Caesar . The Romans developed the spurs in order to have a way to steer their horses with their legs, while leaving their hands free to fight. These early spurs had a single sharp protrusion. The revolving rowel, used in western spurs today, probably originated in France. During the age of chivalry, spurs became a mark of rank. Gold or gilded spurs were only worn by knights or royalty. To further indicate their rank and prestige the knights would adorn their spurs with jewels, thus becoming works of art.In...