Thursday, December 20, 2007

Western Leather Breastcollars, What They Are, Why and How to Choose and Use.....

Western Breast Collars have a very simple but useful purpose....


To keep your saddle from sliding back and in the best fitting position on your horses back. Keep in mind it also depends
on how well your saddle fits your horse, the better your saddle fits
the less it will move around.
Your decision on which type of Breast Collar to use will be based upon the type of riding you do and personal preference.
The wider the Breast Collar the more the pressure
is spread out across the chest.

Styles of Breast Collars used for different types of riding:

-Narrow-1"style- Flat trail, Show ring, Light performance,
Endurance were lightweight is a factor...


-Mid size-1 1/2"-2"-Mountain trail, Barrel racing, Gymkhana,
Cutting, any med. to high performance events...

-Widest- 2-3"- Packing, Roping, Ranch branding work, High performance
were you will need to dally on your horn.




You have many styles available to match your
saddle or personal preference with beautiful hand tooling, stamping, and conchas or rawhide braiding.





Lets talk about fit. Most of the Breast Collars on the market today fit around on the shoulders and connect to the cincha ring. Riders are discovering
that is a little restrictive and rubs across the shoulder.


Many saddles now come with a dee rind mounted up higher on the front, for a better Breast collar position up over the shoulder at the base of the neck. Like an old harness collar for pulling a wagon...



An analogy would be the fit of your back pack....
if the shoulder straps fall down onto your upper arm it is very uncomfortable....


This theory over the shoulder at the base the neck is becoming very popular! Different styles are being made To fit this way--
 
Many now have an over the neck strap which connects at the upper rings on the Breast collar and goes up over the neck between the saddle and the mane holding the Breast Collar up for proper fit. This strap can be purchased separately......

Some are called Buckaroo style, Nevada style, Old Martingale style, and pulling style....

The pulling style as pictured on right is designed to fit any saddle as it wraps up through and around the pommel with one strap on each side of the horn fitting any saddle... even without upper front Dee rings on your saddle.


This style breast collar is ideal for all medium to ultra high performance events. 
Quality Finished Leather Breast Collars are extremely important
due to the pressure on the front of your horse. When manufactured
the edges of the Breast Collar must be finished off and rubbed down so there are no sharp edges to prevent chaffing. 
Always check your Quality Leather Horse Tack for safety reasons
and make sure there is not any build up of hair, sweat or dirt on
the underside against your horses hair as this can chaff and create problems.
The Brand family at Buckaroo Leather has manufactured the highest Quality safe and durable Horse Tack for 27 years and wants to THANK YOU for taking your time to stop by and be more informed.
We look forward to learning and answering your questions and comments.
BuckarooJohn
Buckaroo Leather

The Brand to Demand

Thursday, December 13, 2007

The Brand Family and Buckaroo Leather




Hello fellow Western Horse aficionados and all who
love the feel of Quality Leather horse tack.



WHAT IS THE BRAND

It's not a hot Iron, but attention to quality that marks every Buckaroo Leather Product manufactured by The Brand Family.

Bob and John Brand started the business 28 years ago in their barn in Diamond Springs, Ca.
John pulled the showroom trailer around the Western States to promote and acquire retail dealers to sell their products.They moved out of the barn and into our own building and hired more help in 1989.

Over the years John's wife Michele has ran the office and their children, Jason, Bryan and Kalyn worked in the plant on weekends and summers.

At the manufacturing plant some of their employees have been with them for more than 20 years hand crafting tack (from Quality Leather such as Tanned and Cured by Hermann OakLeather for the Western rider, from headstalls to reins, breast collars, hobbles, and all the training and pleasure riding equipment.

One of their most popular items are the Buckaroo Reins, which have gained respect in the training and show rings because of their unmatched quality and supple feel that enhances communication between horse and rider.

We are here to deliver to you the finest available to assure your peace of Mind of owning and using Quality Leather Horse Tack, Buckaroo Leather, The BRAND to Demand

Come back and Visit is Soon
John Brand, A.KA. BuckarooJohn

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Why we Use Quality USA Raised & Cured Cowhides....



Years ago when the family decided to manufacture Quality Leather
Western Style Horse Tack and Accessories the decision was made to begin with the Best Quality Leather available.

Our decision to choose only the finest American Leather led us
to engage Hermann Oak Leather to be our Major Supplier.

Lewis Charles Hermann started tanning in St. Louis in 1881 to handle the local harness trade and to supply the wagon trains of settlers traveling west along the Lewis and Clark trails.

The tannery grew, and Fred Hermann Sr. joined the company in 1907. He proceeded to supply leather for our soldiers throughout both World Wars.

Fred Hermann Jr. joined the company soon after World War II, in 1948. The country was experiencing rapid growth and development and the demand for specialized leathers increased. 

Using the firm's detailed knowledge of specialty vegetable tanning, he expanded into a range of leathers each of which share the superior tooling, carving, and molding characteristics leather workers have come to value.

Shep Hermann joined the company in 1985. He is also committed to the traditional tanning process of the past while investing in new technology for the future. Both Shep and Fred actively manage the business today.

Because Buckaroo Leather is also a Family Business, we were not only impressed with the Hermann Family's strong belief in Family, we knew we could rely on our Customers receiving the best Quality Leather money could buy.

With our hectic paced Lifestyle today, it is comforting to know when the Western Horseman tacks their Horse with Buckaroo Leather equipment, manufactured with Hermann Oak Leather, they can have confidence in the strength and safety provided by properly Tanned and Cured American Leather.

Most of our Working Tack originates from Harness Leather, which is tanned from a recipe of primarily Natural Organic waxes and oils to provide protection from the elements, horse sweat and the heat of the sun. It also naturally offers wonderful feel and heft to the hand, in the case of reins, and is supple to the Horse's Face and Body

Here is a chart, courtesy of Hermann Oak Leather to show the difference in the curing and tanning processes

The Leather Cycle

For further information on why we chose Hermann Oak Leather in the manufacture of The finest Western Leather Horse Tack, visit our Home Page, Buckaroo Leather

Next time we will chat about the care of fine Leather.
Your friendly family of leather workers

Buckaroo John Brand and Crew
Buckaroo Leather , The BRAND to Demand


Monday, December 3, 2007

Welcome to our Place of Western Tack Commerce


Hello friend of the Western Horse.

I am John Brand, a.k.a Buckaroo John, owner of Buckaroo Leather
The BRAND to Demand.

My family and I have enjoyed manufacturing Quality
Leather Western Horse Tack and Accessories for almost 30 years.

We are located in the beautiful foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in
California. The old Gold mining Town of Diamond Springs is where we
fashion the Finest in Traditional Western Horse Tack.

We buy the best cured Leather and Fashion it in the traditional "Vaquero Style"
of Old California to provide you with durable long-lasting Tack to enjoy your
Horse with the peace of mind of safety and knowing horse is "well-dressed"
for the Performance Horse ring or just out "for a day's Gather"


Enough Commercial......

The purpose of this blog is keep you informed on the state of the art
systems and procedures for the care of your Quality Leather Tack.
I will be posting tips and trick accumulated from our own experience and many
of our Happy Customers around the US.

Quality Leather will last along time if cleaned and stored properly,
and the their are different parameters based on your ambient climate.

Thanks for stopping by and subscribe to our Feed to stay Up-to Date.
John Brand