Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Traditional Old Vaquero Style Cinchas.....Woven with 100% Mohair





In true old Vaquero tradition, Buckaroo Leather offers new artisan handmade vaquero style cinchas.

The cinch (girth) has been in use for nearly 3000 years. The cinch didn’t make an appearance until 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 (girth) is a piece of horse tack used to keep the western saddle in place on the horse. The cinch passes under the barrel of the horse. It attaches to the western saddle by a single wide leather strap on each side, called a Latigo or Billet.



The latigo or Billet is a wide, flexible leather strap. The latigo is attached to the off (right) side of the western saddle at the saddle's cinch ring or "dee ring", doubled in thickness and knotted or buckled to the cinch, usually kept attached to both cinch and saddle at all times, except to make fitting adjustments.


The latigo on the near (left) side is attached to the saddle at all times, but the loose end is used to secure the saddle for riding by running it through the left cinch ring one or more times,back through the saddle's dee ring, and then finally buckled or knotted when tight. It is loosened and removed from the cinch to take off the saddle.


Cinchas, today are made from all kinds of materials. Including nylon, rayon, felt, cotton, and neoprene. The main objective of the cinch is to transfer sweat away from the horse's body and allow for evaporation. The above materials are strong, but do not absorb the sweat.

The old cowboys and traditional Vaqueros weaved their cinchas from horse hair. It was effective and strong. In much the same vane of the old Vaqueros, mohair is used in today's cinch weaving.


Mohair is a natural animal fiber and is grown by the Angora goat. The long silky hair is carded, spun and corded. The mohair is strong, flexible, and durable. The mohair is absorbent and comfortable for the horse because it is breathable.


The cinchas come in a variety of styles. They are either braided or woven and have different widths and include either brass or silver buckles or d-rings (dee rings).

The traditional vaquero cinch is a 19 strand style. The traditional cowboy and Vaquero woven designs are diamond shapes and have the influence of Native American symbols.


Buckaroo Leather carries these traditional Vaquero cinchas made from mohair and alpaca. These natural fiber cinchas are handmade with a custom design and a traditional cowboy look.

These vaquero style cinchas also have a traditional shufly hair tassel to keep the flies away!






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