Wednesday, June 29, 2011

The Old West Cowgirl Spirit......

Old West Pioneer Women branding cattle- from the book "Cowgirls Women of the wild west” by Elizabeth Clair Flood


The cowgirls of the old west had spirit, courage, drive, strength (both physical and mental) and could ride a horse, take care of a homestead, brand cattle and shoot a gun!!!!




This post is for all the Cowgirls and the Cowgirls at heart who share that same independent feisty spirit of the old west, today........

The story below is from the book "Cowgirls Women of the wild west” by Elizabeth Clair Flood

“One afternoon in 1888 trail driver Samuel Dunn Houston of San Antonio Texas hired a few men in Clayton New Mexico for a spring drive to
Colorado. He found “a kid of a boy” at the livery stable who wanted to go up the trail.
Named Willie Matthews, he was 19 years old, weighed 125 pounds and was from Caldwell, Kansas. Houston soon discovered that he was also a good hand. In the Trail Drivers of Texas Houston reported:
“The kid would get up the darkest stormy nights and stay with the cattle until the storm was over. He was good natured, very modest, didn’t use and cuss words or tobacco and was always pleasant……I was so pleased with him that I wished many times that I could find two or three more like him.”

Houston wrote that the drive went smoothly until they reached Hugo, Colorado when Matthews approached him after dinner on the trail and asked if he could quit. “He insisted, said he was homesick, and I had to let him go.”
About sundown, all the cowboys were sitting around the campfire when a young lady “all dressed up” approached from the direction of town. Houston was baffled as to why a woman would visit his camp. When the lady was twenty feet from him, she laughed. “Mr Houston, you don’t know me, do you?”
Houston’s mouth dropped open. “Kid, is it possible that you are a lady?” He and the rest of his men were dumbfounded. All Houston could think of was what was said on the trail over the last three weeks.
He ordered her to sit down on a tomatoe box and explain herself. She told Mr. Houston that her father was an old-time trail driver from Caldwell. When she was 10 or 12 years old, she used to listen to his stories about he cow trails in the 1870’s. Fascinated, she vowed that she too would drive the cattle one day.
“Now, Mr Houston, I am glad I found you to make the trip with, for I have enjoyed it, “ she said as she left for home."

A traditional cowgirl outfit in the old west consisted of:

A typical pair of Victorian gauntlets, a short skirt, tall lace up boots, and a red scarf. The sash was probably a style adopted from Charlie Russell who, inspired by the vaquero costume always wore a red sash.
The Victorian riding gauntlets featuring embroidered roses were often sold at Western trading posts. Inspired by cavalry gauntlets, cowboys and cowgirls adopted the style of the work glove embellished with various Indian designs.
(the 2 pics are both from the book "Cowgirls Women of the wild west” by Elizabeth Clair Flood)
Cowgirl riding gauntlets (pic to the left) came in a wide variety of commercial designs. Many were embroidered with horse shoes and whips, others were decorated in buckskin fringe. Cowgirls wore gauntlets for work and in the show arena.

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

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Sheekaroo Belts from Buckaroo Leather

Exciting New Product from Buckaroo Leather-




You have seen our new hand tooled leather belts- now check out our Sheekaroo belts for all you Cowgirls!!!

These new Sheekaroo belts will bring out the fashionista in all you cowgirls!!


These belts are at a great Price too!!!
$49.75



Our SHEEKAROO belts are 100% American made on premium USA tanned and cured leather.

All our belts are made in our shop the old fashioned way with hand quality and workmanship.

Our belts are straight 1 1/2" width. These are stitched and lined with soft BLACK chap leather making them reversible.

The Zebra and Leopard are a foe print on hair-on cowhide hide.

Normally your belt length is 2 inches longer than your pant size- Or hip size if worn down lower for a fashion look.


For measurement, it is from where the fold is around the buckle to the center hole.


Please call for shorter or longer sizes.


You have an option for the buckle pictured or NO buckle to use your own. Chicago screws to make it easy to add or change a 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

Monday, June 13, 2011

The Chuck Wagon-The Cowboys Home on the Trail



The Chuck Wagon of the old west was a home, the dinner table, "the water cooler" and a traveling store.

The Chuck Wagon on a cattle drive or roundup served all these requirements.


On the cattle drives the cook or "cookie" as he was called was second in rank to the trail boss. The cookie and the chuck wagon had to outpace the drovers and have the cowboys meals ready on time.

The chuck wagon was usually a converted army wagon with iron axles tough enough to withstand miles of rough western trails. There was a canvas cover that stretched over bentwood bows to keep out the rain and the midday sun.

There was also a tail gate. It served as a table and had drawers and shelves that carried food like corn meal, flour, potatoes etc. Under the tail gate was the "boot" where cooking pots and utensils were stored.

(the picture is from the book "Cowboys" by Martin Chandler)



Stuffed into corners of the tail gate were assorted items such as plugs of tobacco, bandages, needles and thread, a razor and strop and a bottle of whiskey used for medicinal purposes.

The chuck wagon also had a barrel on one side that contained 2 day supply of water and on the other side of the wagon, to counter balance, was a toolbox. It held branding irons, horseshoes and nails. And of course you could find the cooks staple- a dutch oven

The wagon bed itself carried bedrolls, war bags, corral ropes, guns, ammunition, lanterns, kerosene, and slickers. If a cowboy or lame calf was injured they would ride in the back of the wagon.

The Studebaker Company was one of the major companies manufacturing the chuck wagons. They sold for $75-$200.

A chuck wagon weighed 1600 lb empty. It could haul 3 tons.

The chuck wagon was a virtual store on wheels-it carried everything from eggs to long guns and ammunition.




Here is a list of some of the items you could find in the chuck wagon-

bedding
salt pork
beef
bread
500lbs of dried beans
200lbs of green coffee beans
20 sacks of flour
10 sack of sugar (considered a luxury on the trails)
potatoes
onions
500lbs of bacon
2 sacks of corn meal
500 apples
6 boxes of dried prunes
15 boxes of canned corn
10 boxes of tomatoes
30lbs of raisins
100lbs of rice

(the picture is from the book "Cowboys" by Martin Chandler)

there was also spices such as cinnamon, salt, all spice, pepper, ginger, and of course syrup.

an extra wheel (to prevent iron rims from coming off the wooden wheels in hot and dry climates, it was best to find a shallow stream & soak the wheels until they swelled)



The Chuck Wagon of the old west could have been considered the "water cooler" of its day. Cowboys met there after a roundup or other event. They laid down by the chuck wagon at night to sleep and sat around it for every meal.

At the center of this chuck wagon was the "cookie". He cooked the food, helped the injured and would always have a story of joke to tell.



The cook prepared the food over brush or buffalo chips. A typical meal plan of the cowboy while on a cattle drive was-

A breakfast consisted of eggs and salt pork. The cowboys preferred sourdough biscuits to those made with buttermilk or baking powder. This is where the dutch oven was so useful-to make the biscuits.

A cowboy's lunch consisted of some dried beef, dried fruit, some sourdough biscuits and perhaps a cup of coffee, if he had a saddle bag.

While on the trail canned tomatoes helped to quench a cowboys thirst. The acid in the tomatoe juice also helped to counter act the alkali dust inhaled by the cowboys on the trail.

Dinner was the same as lunch with more meat and of course plenty of coffee!!!



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

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Denny Chapman Bridle Tip- A How to Video




Denny Chapman talks about bridling your horse-this video features an American made leather western bridle with split reins hand crafted by Buckaroo Leather.

Denny shows how to bridle a horse - starting with a halter and then how to properly and gently place the bridle on the horse.

This video also shows how to gently guide the snaffle bit in the horses mouth and how to properly secure the throat latch.

Thanks to Denny Chapman for this informative how to video on the proper way to bridle your horse.

Congratulations to Denny on his recent accomplishments-
He won the Main Match Overall Championship at the CMSA-sanctioned event held 6-11-11 in Newberry FL

He won the M5 Class at the 2011 CMSA South Central Regional Championships. He also won the Reserve Rifle Championship title, Top Cowboy and Top Lever-Action Rifle Shooter at the 2011 CMSA National Championships - and is now ranked #1 in the nation in the Rifle division by the Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association.

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

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Roy Rogers Riding "The Happy Trails"



Great Video of Roy Rogers riding Trigger singing Happy Trails- watch for the traditional western leather horse tack-

Great to see the old fashioned western riding gear-

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