Buckaroo John's Blog

The History of the Hackamore and Mecate

Posted by John Brand on

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...

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Four Key Points to Look for When Purchasing Leather Horse Tack

Posted by John Brand on

1. Start with the feel of the leather: Is the leather soft and supple? You want to avoid purchasing tack that feels dry because the quality will be subpar. If you bend the leather and you see it starting to crack, it is useless and may become very dangerous when riding. It should be bendable, soft and not stiff. Even if it has not been oiled, tack should still stay supple. However, when buying new tack, if the leather feels overly soft then this is not good either. This sort of tack has had too much oil applied and is...

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Halloween

Posted by John Brand on

Happy Halloween! We always enjoy seeing the creativity (and brokenness of horse!) that goes into these costumes. Here a few fun and scary ones! First we have a vintage photograph of horses and riders in skeleton costumes, making me firmly believe that Halloween in the past was far more creepy than it is nowadays!   This is Incredible!!    This is terrifying. A Nazgul from Lord of the Rings.    Dragons and fairies DO exist! PS can we appreciate that paint job?   The evil Cruella de Vil, just missing the other 100 Dalmatians.   Personally, I LOVE this one!  ...

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Mounted Patrol Gear

Posted by John Brand on

Did you know that Buckaroo Leather proudly makes tack for Mounted Patrol? In our eyes, the men, women and horses that make up Mounted Patrol are a special bunch. The horses go through rigorous training before being out on the streets, taking on crowd control, riots, protestors, and making friends with the horse lovers of the community, regardless of age. To our Mounted Patrol Units, we appreciate your service and all you do! Buckaroo Leather can outfit the whole unit, making tack for all horses and drafts. Head on over to www.buckarooleather.com for contact and ordering information!

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A Brief History of the Reata

Posted by John Brand on

The reata (or riata) was a long braided rawhide rope used by the early Mexican Vaqueros and was no doubt first introduced into Mexico by the Spanish conquerors. Reata is from the Spanish word "reatar," meaning "to retie," or "to rope," which ties one animal to another. Though the word reata is often used to refer to any rope, the genuine Vaquero reata was and is a special item. It was usually 40 to 80 feet long and made from twisted strands of rawhide. The finest riatas used rawhide strands, cut by experts, from the primest part of several young heifer...

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