Buckaroo John's Blog

Cowboys of the old west were referred to as "vaqueros." (The Spanish word "vaca" means cow.) The term "cowboy" was rarely used back in the old west. It is more commonly used today. The word vaquero pronounced by American cowboys, was "bukera" and finally "buckaroo." For a period of time anyone working cattle, whether in Texas, California, or elsewhere was known as a "buckaroo". It wasn't until the late 1860's when the Texans began to drive their cattle north to the new railroads in Kansas that the term "cowboy" came into widespread use. Vaqueros were poor, owned no land, probably not even...

Let's talk about what makes a hackamore setup. The hackamore is comprised of three parts: the bosal, the hanger and the mecate. These three pieces together make a hackamore. The bosal is made of braided rawhide. It can be made in a variety of plaits, quality and price ranges. For green horses the typical sizes available are 3/4" 5/8" and 1/2". The smaller sizes, 3/8" and 5/16" are generally used for more advanced horses in the two rein.  The hanger is a thin piece of leather that connects on either side of the nosepiece of the bosal, goes over the poll and sets...

Pack horses (which can also be mules, donkeys or ponies) have been around for as long as the horse has been domesticated, however this blog post will focus on their history in North America.  During times when there were no established roadways, goods were hauled to remote locations by way of the pack horse.  Park horses were much more quick than wagon. Loads that would spoil, such as fruit, were sent via pack horses. Pack horses and pack strings were used by so many... Fur trappers: Miners: Native Americans: And even during times of war. The US Forest Service even had...

The hackamore was used by the Vaquero's in the beginning for horse training.  The Vaquero's quickly learned that this piece of horse tack was a must for every day riding too. Today, the hackamore is wildly popular among natural horseman and women and horse riders still true to the Vaquero ways.The unique part of the hackamore is that it does not have a bit. It uses a braided noseband called a bosal. The bosal is a special type of noseband that works on pressure points on the horse's face, nose, and chin.  The mecate is the rein portion of the hackamore.The mecate is a...

Spring is officially here.  The wildflowers are in bloom and the grasses are a beautiful green. The horses started blowing their coats and the weather has been absolutely perfect for riding. Before you spend your days in the saddle, take the time to go over your tack and your trailer so you know you’re prepared for riding season. First, let’s discuss tack. Pull everything out, take things apart and go over it. It’s helpful to take pictures of your gear fully assembled before disassembling. Check the tightness of any Chicago screws. Make sure all leather is cleaned and oiled. Is your...