Buckaroo John's Blog

The Great Basin buckaroos have many customs handed down throughout the years, and one such custom is the "war knot." The war knot is also called the mustache knot. It is practical, in that it's purpose is to keep the tail out of the way during brandings, where it could easily get caught up in the rope, and also to keep the tail out of the mud or from getting tangled in brush. I know I'm not the only one that has looked back to see a large tumbleweed dragging from my horse's tail! The knot should always be taken...

A popular type of saddle is a rough-out leather saddle. These saddles are popular for many reasons, including functionality for working cowboys. Let’s talk leather…Leather saddles are made from heavy hides known as saddle skirting. Skirting comes in different weights, or thickness, and grades, which is the quality. The thickest skirting is used for the heavy wear areas such as the fenders, stirrup leathers and seats. Skirting has two distinct sides – the grain side, which is smooth, and the flesh side, which is rough. A saddle can be made with either side facing out as the finished side. Most...

Saddle strings are actually a very useful piece of your saddle, and anytime I have ridden in a saddle without saddle strings, I seem to have a need for them.  Saddle strings are the long pieces of leather that hang off a saddle, typically from the back of the saddle. They are used tie up items such as jackets, saddlebags, lariats and other types of gear. They are usually attached to the saddle by slotted conchos, a D-ring or an O-ring using a slit braid.  As with all things exposed to the elements, saddle strings can become worn. Buckaroo Leather has...

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...

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!  ...