Frank Bell's Springtime Horse Check...

 

Frank Bell is a natural horse trainer and horse whisperer. His gentle solutions to training your horse are a wonderful method to make both you and your horse one.

Frank's journey with horses has evolved over the past two decades. When Frank comes from a perspective of genuine caring for the animal, and the horse understands that, you can accomplish amazing things. The symmetry of two living creatures interacting so each becomes a whole, is truly magical.

Frank's vision is to share this philosophy with mankind on every level as horses and humans heal each other and ultimately realize their full potential.

Whatever equine discipline you choose, English or Western riding, it will be greatly enhanced when you understand the theory, technique, and timing of this remarkable horse training system. 

"My mission is to help horses and humans on all levels become more grounded in a world that is ever more rapidly heading in the opposite direction."- Frank Bell

In Frank's new newsletter he gives some great springtime advice for horses-

          A few points about horses and springtime 

Be sure your horses continue to have unlimited access to ample water. Tank heaters are good insurance against colic and dehydration

Remember that one day can be warm, even balmy. . . the next full blown winter yet again. Continue to provide shelter from the elements

Do your horse’s feet need attention?

Spring worming and vaccinations are a good idea.  This is also a good time to have a thorough dental exam performed on your horse and take corrective action as necessary.  Deterioration in health and body condition of older horses can often be traced to improper dental care so they should receive particular attention.

Horses can handle cold and they can handle wet, but not both at the same time. If you live in such conditions, shelter is important. When it is cold horses need to eat hay to stay warm. Unlimited grass hay is optimum

Stallions and geldings develop beans that obstruct urination. Learn how to check for this condition

Tuning up your tack makes for a great winter/spring project. Clean your blankets, pads, girths, and tack.  Do a close inspection of worn leather parts and replace if in question. Both you and your horses will be real happy about this come spring
 
Warm-up in the spring is of utmost importance as horses can be quite frisky especially if not ridden for an extended period. 

Saddling up and climbing right on is not recommended. My safety system,  is the focus of my Discover the Horse You Never Knew DVD and Gentle Solutions Book. This logical sequence of exercises puts you in charge and that leadership follows into the saddle as the horse’s energy is used constructively and brains and feet connect. 

Feel what the horse is telling you on the ground and in the saddle. Are you on the same page? Is your horse well? Are you in a good place to ride and what is your plan? The more time we spend THINKING ahead of riding, the greater our accomplishments.

Frank invites your challenges and questions at: info@horsewhisperer.com

Be sure to join Frank Bell's Gentle Solutions Group on Facebook 

and follow Frank Bell on facebook and be sure to sign up for Frank Bell's newsletter.

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

Dog Collars and Leashes Then and Now

Not all dog collars and leashes are created equal. Buckaroo Leather's quality leather dog leashes and collars are not only unique and stylish but will be the only collar and leash you have to buy.

Let's talk history.  Dog collars have been around since Ancient Egypt. Dogs in Ancient Egypt were considered hunters or protectors not pets. The Egyptians used dog collars in all their dog training. The dog collars became quite artistic.

In ancient Greece dog collars were used more to protect the dogs. Farm dogs wore spike studded collars and sheepdogs wore a leather collar studded with nails. These studs protected both dogs from being bitten in the neck by a wolf.

An interesting fact is that sheepdogs needed to be white, so they could be seen at night. While the farm dogs had to be black, so they could be concealed to surprise intruders.

In the Middle Ages, dogs were used as hunters and shepherds. Their dog collars used were made from simple leather for boar and hare hunting.

In Europe, during the Renaissance, owners used plain dog collars, but added rings for leashes and name tags.

Leather Dog collars and leashes have come a long way.......through history.

The functions of the dog collar and leash are the same today as in ancient times. You can choose from all kinds of styles of dog leashes and collars but to find the same durable craftsmanship as in ancient times look no further than Buckaroo Leather.

Buckaroo Leather has quality leather dog collars and leashes. Our dog collars and leashes are all hand bench made in our shop in California. Both dog collar and leash are made from Hermann Oak heavy weight supple rein Leather.

Buckaroo Leather also has quality custom leather dog collars and leashes with your choice of conchas to suit your style (or your dogs!). Our western dog leashes and collars are crafted from the finest Hermann Oak Leather. It is a  supple heavy weight leather. The dog collars and leashes and the leather used are all American Made!!!!

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

Pioneer Women of the 1800's...Strong, Courageous, smart.

Women on the frontier in the 1800's were not the beautiful dainty wallflowers like their counter parts in Europe. The frontier women had to be strong, resourceful, hard working, and a great horseman.

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 cattle-women. One such cattle-women 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 to last.

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.

Breast Collar Old Martingale style "Choker"

Hand crafted from the finest Hermann Oak Rough Out Oiled Golden Bridle Leather with chap lining. This Old Martingale style shaped breast collar (some in the sage call it a "CHOKER") features an over the shoulder fit for a better pulling position. Also featured is the adjustable neck strap and billet.

Cowboy Style Headstall/ReinSet

This old time Traditional Buckaroo Cowboy Style Leather Headstall Set with Shaped Cheeks and Flair Brow is hand crafted from premium heavy weight Harness Hermann Oak Leather.


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

An Old West Cowboy talkin' About His Leather Reins

Found this in a book on Cowboys.....an old west cowboy describing his leather reins in true cowboy fashion........

Leather Reins

Reins are the two leather rawhide or horsehair lines runnin’ from the bit ring to the riders hand used to guide and control the horse.

There are 2 types of reins-but many styles –the flat leather, buckled onto the bit. The other’s braided rawhide with romal and is attached to the bit by “bit” chains or “bridle” chains. These are short pieces of chain fastened to the bit ring on one end and the reins on the other end. Some riders like chains because the reins don’t get wet when the horse drinks, also keeps the horse from chewin’ the reins.


Open reins are then not tied together each independent of the other, usually ‘bout seven ft in length” most cowhands prefer open reins because if the horse falls or if the rider is throwed the reins fall to the ground.

Tied closed or California reins are tied together at the ends or the entire reins are made in one piece often made of braided rawhide and worked into a romal at the horse end. Tied reins are not popular with most cowman, California is where the tied reins are used most, handed down by the early Spanish.


The romal (pictured here) is a flexible whip made on the bridle reins when they are fastened together. The Spanish "el romal" means literally "a branch road, a division or ramification thus attached" as it is by the loop to the bridle reins the romal becomes but a ramification of the rein, a handy addition that can be used as a quirt and dropped from the hand with out fear of it getting lost.

The romals’ removed when ropin and placed ‘round the roper’s waist which was the reason most old timers ordered romals to their waist measure.




A light romals no good if used as a quirt (pictured here) in windy weather for the lash’d be hittin’ the user in the face, a long romals no good either for it might cause the hoss to stumble and fall over it."

Buckaroo Leather carries traditional old west style western leather reins. Buckaroo Leather Western Reins have uniform balance through out the complete length Because we take care to cut them side by side. They are PAIRED together, BORN together for that exact same feel & weight for the ultimate signal and communication!

Most anyone can find Tack to meet their particular demands on the Buckaroo Leather website! Yet, for the rider who has needs for measurements, alterations or changes to bring their ideas to perfection, Buckaroo leather, has skilled craftsmen to meet their demands.

Famous Lined Ultimate Roping (one piece) Rein

Our Famous Best Selling Roping Reins, used for Roping or Rodeo Competitions.

Quality Hermann Oak Lined and Oiled Harness Leather for that superior soft and supple "broke in" feel-the best on the planet! Available in your choice of 1/2" width or 5/8" width, 7 1/2 long. Finished with Loop Ties. Great for roping and trail riding.

Click here to watch this proud video testimonial from a rein customer.

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

Bitless Training Video Liberty-Line-Mounted

Farah DeJohnette Horsemanship specializes in a unique Liberty-Line-Mounted approach. Dressage based, True Natural Horsemanship, Balanced seat riding, and Yoga principles are applied. Emphasizing Connection and putting the "FUN" back in Fun-da-Mentals!

Watch Farah's video....Liberty-Line-Mounted: Line Phase. A series showing the progression through all the elements of lateral work and Leg Yielding in a fun, creative way. She uses the Liberty rein for ground play and In Hand work.

I like to see the outline he chooses for himself with this work which is possible when he works in the Liberty rein.

Playing with half steps and collection with Mercury and my liberty rein.

For more training videos click here to subscribe to Farah's DeJohnette Horsemanship youtube channel to watch all of Farah's bitless training video's.

Click here to Purchase your Liberty Rein

The Buckaroo Bridleless Neck Rein Liberty Collar (Cordero) allows you to train your horse to ride without a bridle. Great for relief from the bit! This collar is made from premium Hermann Oak Harness leather for a smooth, rich, "broke in" feel. The rein upper hand part is 5/8" wide and bottom neck part is 1 1/4" wide with just the correct weight. It is very adjustable to fit most any horse. Longest at 79" to shortest at 55". Choice of Plain working Harness (pictured above) or Black Leather. Available in Plain or with engraved antique silver conchas.

Horses do require extensive training before the Buckaroo Bridleless Rein Tack Collar should be used alone.

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