Popular Pulling Breast Collars and Alpaca Mecate Reins

Video- A visit to Buckaroo Leather Booth at Western States Horse Expo 2010

This video features our number #1 seller- the soft Alpaca Mecate Reins and our popular Leather Pulling Breast Collar. This Breast Collar has an old fashioned cowboy look with either basket stamp or wild rose hand tooled pattern. The shoulder fit is designed to wrap through the saddle swells, perfect for a pulling position.

Barns By Harrahs provided a 3 sided shelter for Buckaroo John Brand and Buckaroo Leather to introduce our USA Made quality leather horse tack.

Thank you to Barns by Harrahs- we had a great time talking to existing satisfied Customers and meeting many new ones.


Our family has been dedicated for 30 years in serving
the Western Horseman the safest most durable Quality
American made leather horse tack.......Buckaroo John Brand
Buckaroo Leather, The Brand to Demand
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An Old Cowboy Style Thanksgiving!

The Holidays are almost upon us- Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas!

Thought I would share a brief story of Mrs. Hulda Esther Thorpe-and her reason to be thankful!

And a cowpunchers Thanksgiving Day poem-


A Close Call
In 1938, Mrs. Hulda Esther Thorpe remembers the dangers that settlers faced on the prairie in the 1800s, and the many reasons settlers had for giving thanks:

One of the best Thanksgiving dinners we ever knew of was when a family of settlers had their nice wild turkey dinner taken by the Indians, who came in silently and just shoved the folks back and eat it up. They did not harm the white people though and after they were gone the women made a big corn bread and with what few things the Indians left, they had a feast, the best as the daughter tells, that she ever eat. This was because they were so happy and thankful that the Indians spared them. This is one of many stories Mrs. Thorpe remembers from her pioneer childhood. To read more, in American Life Histories, 1936-1940, search on Hulda Esther Thorpe to find the document entitled, "Mrs. Hulda Esther Thorpe."

The Cowpuncher's Thanksgiving Rhymes of the Range

By L. Maynard Dixon

Sunset Magazine, November, 1903

Yearlin's

Now swing your rope—and swing 'er wide! It's brandin' time,—and it's time, you bet

To swing a big loop and to take yer ride,— Thank God, there's cows in the country yet!

Cut out that yearlin' and take a chance;— Show how you can ride. Bets up! I say

He'll burn the earth and he'll burn your pants. (We must have some sport Thanksgiving Day!)He's risin' high and he's landin' hard,— Stay with him, Bill! or it's gals good night!

If you can't stick him, a sure thing, pard, You'll land on the only rock in sight!

Now ride straight up—you must ride him fair. He's risin' high and he's landin' far!

Bet I can ride 'im and not pull hair,— Fer that's the kind of boy I are!

With Thanksgiving around the corner- here are some Old West Cowboy ideas for Christmas!

Do you Love The Old Time Style Tack coming back in fashion...
Buckaroo Leather has The old west style headstalls that have tear drop cheeks, scallops and lots of beautiful silver conchos & buckles....

The Old Cowboy styles are coming back strong with horse tack and training methods by all the clinicians...

Rage of the Sage.....

Buckaroo Bridle

This 3/4" Buckaroo Old West Style Bridle Set is hand crafted of the finest Hermann Oak Harness leather, it features a shaped brow, scalloped cheek pieces with easy change buckles at bit connection on headstall & reins then is finished with Hand Engraved Silver Conchas, decorative stitching and nickel buckles. Matching harness reins are also finished with Hand Engraved Silver Conchas, decorative stitching Nickel Plate buckles; reins are available in 5/8" or 3/4" and 7' or 8' lengths.

Old West Headstall

"Old Time Cowboy" look makes a comeback with this Hermann Oak Harness headstall featuring a swell browband and adjustable & removable noseband/caveson. Leather conchas & blood knot ties add that "Old Time" detail to the brow and cheek, designed with a handy old style buckle on cheek connector for an easy bit change. Nickel Hardware. Can easily add on any Silver conchas and buckles!

Our family has been dedicated for 30 years in serving
the Western Horseman the safest most durable Quality
American made leather horse tack.......

Buckaroo John Brand

Buckaroo Leather, The Brand to Demand
Visit Our Unique Store Today
Buckaroo Leather Shopping Site

Women of Rodeo in the 1800's

Most women of the 1800's learned to ride out of necessity from helping on the ranch and practicing the skills of the range. From an early age, women could stay in the saddle, break a bronc and rope a steer.

In the late 1800's, the younger horsewomen began competing against males in a yearly gathering of herds -which progressed into participating in rodeo's.

The first rodeos began in the mid-1800 when thousands of cattle and horses were driven to town for the yearly round-up. The cowboys were eager for relaxation and would compete in tests of skills like roping, breaking horses, branding cattle and racing.

Women of the 1800, however, were not recognized in the arena until 1885.

The most famous cowgirl was Phoebe Ann Moses or Annie Oakley (pictured here).

Here are two stories of women who also helped start the movement of women in Rodeo's

(Stories are from the book "Daughters of the West" by Anne Seagraves.)

In 1897, Bertha Kaelpernick Blancett (pictured above) rode over 100 miles to enter a horse race in Cheyenne's Frontier Days and she was allowed to enter only because the arena was so muddy the cowboys refused to participate. Bertha was coerced into riding a bucking horse to keep the crowd from leaving. Once upon the animal, the petite girl had the ride of her life. Part of the time the horse was up in the air on his hind feet and once he fell backwards, but gutsy Bertha skillfully slid to his side and hung on. Although it was said at that time, that Bertha was a terrible bucker, she had managed to remain in the saddle, putting the cowboys to shame.

Later in 1904 Bertha became a star performer in Claude William's show and was a four time winner in Roman Racing at Pendleton. Bertha rode under men's rules, was seldom defeated and often beat such cowboys as Ben Corbett and Hoot Gibson.

Four years later Prairie Rose Henderson, an exuberant and talented daughter of a Wyoming rancher, rode to Cheyenne to enter a bronc busting contest. When the lady arrived, she was told, much to her chagrin that women were not permitted to ride. When Rose demanded to see the rules, she found there was no clause forbidding women to compete, and the officials were forced to let her participate. Her entrance into the arena created a sensation. Women had always been spectators, not competitors, and Miss Henderson was a colorful person. She came dashing out of the chute hanging on with all her strength and promptly lost the race. Prairie Rose, however, was really a winner, for she had opened the door to rodeo for other women to follow.

Later, Rose went on to victory in other rodeos and became one of the most flamboyant cowgirls of her era. In 1918, she entered the Gordon Nebraska rodeo wearing ostrich plumes over her bloomers and a blouse covered with bright sequins she had carefully sewn herself.

Rose eventually married a rancher and one cloudy day in 1932, Rose rode off to her last competition. This time, she faced her greatest fear, a storm, and lost her life during a blizzard. Prairie Rose's body was discovered nine years later and identified only by her champion belt buckle.

Our family has been dedicated for 30 years in serving
the Western Horseman the safest most durable Quality
American made leather horse tack.......

Buckaroo John Brand

Buckaroo Leather, The Brand to Demand
Visit Our Unique Store Today
Buckaroo Leather Shopping Site

Night Latch- Safety for the Old West Cowboy

In the old west, a cowboy may use the expression, “eatin’ gravel without stoopin’.” This means a cowboy has just been thrown from a horse!

Whether you are an old west cowboy or a “cowboy” of today nobody wants to be thrown from an out of control horse.

Part of the traditional cowboy’s bronc gear was a Night Latch or “Oh Damn strap”. This night latch is still very handy today.

A night latch is a safety strap attached to a saddle to help you stay on an out of control horse. You are using the strap to form a loop to grab like a suitcase handle (or bareback rigging.)

The saddle horn is an option, but with a night latch, you can pull yourself down into the saddle, which gives you greater leverage than holding the horn.

Try this experiment; next time you in your saddle-

First hold the horn, then grab the lariat rope strap or front saddle strings and pull yourself down, imagining the feeling if your horse were acting up. You should feel more secure.

But remember: the rope strap or saddle strings are too light to serve the real purpose.

This is one method used to rig a traditional night latch:

Use a four foot length of catch rope.
Double the rope.
Run the looped end of the rope through the gullet of the saddle from the front.
Run both free ends through the loop. Leave enough room to slip your hand between the saddle and the rope.
Twist the ends around the loop and back through themselves, as shown.

Buckaroo Leather has two night latch styles available- pictured to the right

3/4" harness leather with a stainless engraved buckle
and
1/2" cotton rope.



Our family has been dedicated for 30 years in serving
the Western Horseman the safest most durable Quality
American made leather horse tack.......

Buckaroo John Brand

Buckaroo Leather, The Brand to Demand
Visit Our Unique Store Today
Buckaroo Leather Shopping Site

The Women of the 1800's-Life on the Frontier

Women in the 1800’s took part in all facets of Frontier Life. The hardship of frontier life required that all members of the family take part to make ends meet. So, 1800 women mounted their horses to hunt with their husbands and also camp out for days. Some women even became cattlewomen. One such cattlewomen was Elizabeth E. Johnson.

*Elizabeth E. Johnson was born in Missouri in 1843. She moved to Hays County, Texas soon after her father had established the Johnson Institute there in 1852. Lizzie began teaching at the school when she was sixteen. Later she left to teach in schools at Manor, Lockhart, and Austin. Quietly she saved her money and added to her income by writing stories for Frank Leslie’s Magazine. As she accumulated money, she invested it. At one point she purchased $2,500 worth of stock in the Evans, Snider, Bewell Cattle Co. of Chicago. She earned 100 percent dividends for three years straight and then sold her stock for $20,000. On June 1, 1871, she invested the money in cattle and registered her own brand (CY) in the Travis County brand book along with her mark.

Lizzie Johnson’s wealth continued to grow. So did her responsibilities. In the summer of 1879, at the age of thirty-six, she married Hezkiah G Williams, a preacher and widower with several children. She continued to teach school in Austin, write magazine articles, and invest in cattle. She maintained control over her wealth, having had her husband sign a paper agreeing that all of her property remained hers. On his own, Hezkiah entered the cattle business in 1881, but he was a poor businessman who also liked to drink, and Lizzie had to keep pulling him out of financial trouble. At least twice Lizzie and Hezkiah traveled up the Chisholm Trail to Kansas. They rode behind the herd in a buggy drawn by a team of horses. This was about 1879, and Lizzie was the first woman to drive her own herd up the trail. For several years she and her husband, after coming up the trail, spent the fall and winter months in St. Louis, where Lizzie made extra money by keeping books for other cattlemen. When she died in 1924, at the age of 81 (her husband had died on 1914), Lizzie Johnson’s estate totaled more than $200,000, including large holdings in Austin real estate.

(*An excerpt from Emily Jones Shelton, “Lizzie E Johnson: A Cattle Queen of Texas” Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Vol L (1947) pp 349-366)

The old west is filled with stories like this of men and women and their adventures on the trail. They worked hard for a living and expected their horse tack to work just as hard and last.

The styles of the old west tack and durability can be found at Buckaroo Leather. Buckaroo Leather carries old cowboy tack like, the Old West Bridle, Old Cowboy Style Headstall, Old West Martingale Breast Collar, and the Old Time Breast Collar/Choker.

The styles of the old time horse tack are not only appealing to the “old time cowboy” but like the horse tack of the 1800, the durability and quality is essential to the cowboy and the horse.

Check back for more stories from the 1800’s on women, cowboys, horse tack and saddles.

Our family has been dedicated for 30 years in serving
the Western Horseman the safest most durable Quality
American made leather horse tack.......

Buckaroo John Brand

Buckaroo Leather, The Brand to Demand
Visit Our Unique Store Today
Buckaroo Leather Shopping Site