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Big horn western saddle 15 $225.00 |
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Very Nice Big Horn Cowboy Brand Western Pleasure Saddle – Size 14 1/2 Inch Seat $390.00 |
The Cowboys Elegant Spanish Ancestry by Penny Warren
The Cowboy’s elegant Spanish ancestry
A good half century before the Western beef-cattle industry blossomed in Texas, a singular breed of professional horsemen calling themselves vaqueros had already set the style, evolved the equipment and techniques, and even developed much of the vocabulary that would become the stamp of the American cowboy. The range of the vaquero was Spanish California, there, roughly from the time George Washington crossed the Delaware until the Untied States annexed Upper California in 1848, a unique pastoral society evolved, founded on Christ but ultimately flourishing on the cow.
When Franciscan missionaries first arrived in California around 1769 they brought with them a few modest herds of domestic cattle for dairy and brood stock. In the warm, grassy valleys of California the cows thrived and became an unexpected source of profit to the fathers. At San Diego and other California ports they had begun trading with Yankee ships like the Pilgrim, which Richard Henry Dana made famous in his book “Two Years Before the Mast”.
On a more modest scale the same thing was happening at missions along the lower Rio Grande. There was, however, a major difference between this embryonic, California-centered cattle industry and the one that later grew on the prairies of the U.S. To the padres, beef was actually a by-product. Profits came from hides and tallow, the raw materials used by New England factories to manufacture leather goods, candles and soap. And from the first, profits were very good.
In consequence, the mission fathers were soon saving as many pesos as souls, and local Indians found themselves learning as much about cattle as about the Trinity. For as the business and the herds increased, the priests, many of them sons of Spanish nobility trained from birth as superb horsemen, needed help handling the cows. The only laborers available were their Indian converts, who were known as neophytes-a religious euphemism meaning trained slaves. Those selected by the padres became skilled horsemen themselves, as they had to be to handle big herds of cattle on an open range.
The need to teach the Indians to ride created something of a dilemma, for an ancient Spanish colonial law, dating back to the time of the conquistadors, forbade the Indians the use of horses, which were then considered primarily tools of war. But the padres, laws unto themselves on the early frontier, decided to ignore the old edict in the interests of expediency. They also set about teaching the Indians how to snare a steer on the run by throwing a loop of braided rawhide rope, known for centuries in Spain as la reata and later Americanized to “lariat”.
The Indian horsemen used a horn-equipped modification of the old Spanish war saddle. Once a steer had been caught, they learned to bring the animal to a stop by taking quick turns of the lariat around the horn. This they called dar la vuelta (to make the turn), which came to be the American Cowboys’ “dally”. To protect their legs while riding through chaparral thickets, the mission hands wore heavy leather trousers called chaparreras – subsequently abbreviated to “chaps”. As for themselves, the cowhands came to be called vaqueros (an extension of the Spanish vaca, meaning cow), and their American heirs changed it to “buckaroo.”
Mexico broke away from Spain in 1821, and 12 years later the new republic took the mission range away from the Spanish padres. The holdings were then snatched up by private rancheros, the first real cattle barons of the West.
In 1846, when Mexico and the United States went to war, Mexican troops retreated below the Rio Grande, leaving the ranchos at the mercy of marauders, both Indian and white. Cattle were slaughtered and driven off by the thousands. Drought killed many more, and those that survived were herded north to feed hungry miners in the newly opened gold fields around San Francisco. Ranges that once swarmed with cows were emptied even of breeding stock. By the time the herds began to recover decades later, the emphasis of the cattle business had changed from hides and tallow to beef. And the center of the industry had moved to Texas, nearer the railheads leading to Eastern markets. The men who worked beef cattle spoke English and called themselves cowboys. But whenever they swung a lariat, held a rodeo, or pulled on their chaps and wore wide-brimmed hats they were paying mute tribute to the vaquero who had started it all.
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About the Author
I find our western history very interesting and that of the pioneers lives of special interest to me since my ancestors came cross country in wagon trains and settled in Montana. I love western decor and wanted to offer quality decor at reasonable prices and believe I have done that with my store, Horses, Cowboys & Indians Western Decor. Visit us soon at http://www.horsescowboysandindians.com
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Big horn western saddle 15 $225.00 |
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Very Nice Big Horn Cowboy Brand Western Pleasure Saddle – Size 14 1/2 Inch Seat $390.00 |
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Roughout Big Horn Roping Roper Ranch 16″ Saddle Western $448.00 |
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17″ NATURAL leather ROPER RANCH CUTTER WESTERN BIG HORN HORSE SADDLE 4pc TACK $465.98 |
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15″NATURAL LEATHER ROPER RANCH CUTTER WESTERN BIG HORN HORSE SADDLE 4PC TACK NEW $465.98 |
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Roughout Big Horn Roping Roper Ranch 17″ Saddle Western $458.00 |
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Roughout Big Horn Roping Roper Ranch 15″ Saddle Western $434.00 |
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Big Horn Halflinger 16″ seat Western pleasure / trail saddle $990.00 |
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15″ Seat Used Tooled Leather Pioneer Big Horn Western Saddle #1103, Nice $350.00 |
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16″ Seat Used Black Codura & Suede Big Horn Western Saddle #605 $240.00 |
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WESTERN SADDLE PIONEER BRAND BIG HORN SADDLE 810 USED SADDLE VINTAGE SADDLE 14E $299.99 |
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Very Nice Big Horn Western Saddle 240 With Blanket $149.99 |
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Pioneer Big Horn Western Saddle $100.00 |
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Classic, vintage Big Horn Youth Saddle Two-tone black and red 14 inch western $195.00 |
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16″NATURAL ROPER RANCH CUTTER WESTERN BIG HORN SADDLE $465.98 |
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15″NATURAL ROPER RANCH CUTTER WESTERN BIG HORN SADDLE $465.98 |
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12″ Western Big Horn Kids Trail Saddle $195.99 |
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BIG HORN WESTERN SADDLE 14.5 INCH $250.00 |
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BIG HORN 16″ western show saddle beautiful condition with NICE silver corners $450.00 |
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Tuffy Big Horn Wither Relief Non-Slip Western Saddle Pad NEW $59.95 |
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Boots and Saddles: Life In Dakota With General Custer $3.99 ONE of the motives that have actuated me in recalling these simple annals of our daily life, has been to give a glimpse to civilians of garrison and camp life– about which they seem to have such a very imperfect knowledge. This ignorance exists especially with reference to anything pertaining to the cavalry, which is almost invariably stationed on the extreme frontier. The isolation of the cavalr… |
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Boots and Saddles Or, Life in Dakota With General Custer $7.92 The honeymoon of Elizabeth Bacon and George Armstrong Custer was interrupted in 1864 by his call to duty with the Army of the Potomac. She begged to be allowed to go along, thus setting the pattern of her future life. From that time on, she accompanied General Custer on all of his major assignments, aside from the summer Indian campaigns – “The only woman,” she said, “who always rode with the regi… |
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16 Big W Silver Western Show Pleasure Trail Saddle Set With Tack $359.99 * 16″ SUEDE PADDED SEAT * ALL LEATHER * FULL QH TREE * 6 3/4″ GULLET * QUICK CHANGE BLEVIN BUCKLES * 3 1/4″ CANTLE * 2 1/4″ HORN * FULL HAND ENGRAVED DEEP TOOLING * PADDED LEATHER WRAPPED STIRRUPS * DARK OIL * SILVER ON SKIRTING, CANTLE & HORN * DOUBLE SKIRT * WEIGHS APPROX 33 LBS This set includes the matching silver headstall,reins,bre… |
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16 Big Horn Haflinger Saddle – bh1681 $1,162.62 Big Horn 16 Haflinger Saddle Trail~@~@Tree: Fiberglass covered wood tree with bars designed especially for the Haflinger ~@Seat: 16_ grainout_ padded. ~@Cantle: 4 ~@Rigging: Double_ stainless steel dropped D. ~@Gullet: 7 1/2. ~@Trim: Silver conchos_ spot tooled with barbed wire border. ~@Weight: 34lbs ~@Finish: #2 brown…. |
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15 16 Big Horn Cordura Saddle FQHB – bh251 15inch Black [Misc.] $599.99 … |
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Fabtron XL-Big Trail Western Saddle 19 $569.99 Fabtron’s The Big ‘Un with 19″ Extra Large Seat If you’re looking for a premium all-around saddle with an extra large seat, look no further. Fabtron’s excellent craftsmanship won’t let you down. From the extra-padded roughout seat to the EZ Grip pleasure horn, you’ll love the extra attention to details. Built on the extra durable Steele Equi Fit Wood/Fiberglass Tree with 13″ Barrel Front and Full-Quarter Horse Bars. Best of all, it’s made with pride in the USA. Tree: Steele Equi Fit Wood with Fiberglass tree with 13″ Barrel front and FQHB Horn: Pleasure Horn, 3¾” high with a 1¾” cap Seat: Rough out, extra padded Cantle: 4″ with 1 1/2″ Cheyenne roll Gullet: 6 3/4″ Width Rigging: 7/8 Position Stainless Steel Dees, Breast Collar Dees Weight: Approximately 22lbs Includes: Cinch, Off Billet and Tie Strap at no extra charge |
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Bailey Western Big Horn (Men’s) – Ivory $84.95 The Big Horn features a Gus crown and a 4 1/2″ brim. Also featuring a Dri-Lex sweatband. |
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Big Horn Synthetic Suede Full QH Trail Saddle 16In $399.99 Big Horn Synthetic Suede Full Quarter Horse Trail Saddle Features: Rough-out suede leather seat Rough-out suede front, cantle binding, and horn Quilted tough-out suede seat jockeys – not fabric! Cordura fenders and skirts – quilted, not laminated! Lightweight Item Specifications: Tree: Ralide Bars: Full Quarter Horse Horn: 3 1/2″ H Cantle: 5″ H Swell: 13″ Rigging: Stainless steel 7/8 Dees Stirrups: Ralide Seat: Suede |
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Big Horn Synthetic Suede Full QH Trail Saddle 17In $399.99 Big Horn Synthetic Suede Full Quarter Horse Trail Saddle Features: Rough-out suede leather seat Rough-out suede front, cantle binding, and horn Quilted tough-out suede seat jockeys – not fabric! Cordura fenders and skirts – quilted, not laminated! Lightweight Item Specifications: Tree: Ralide Bars: Full Quarter Horse Horn: 3 1/2″ H Cantle: 5″ H Swell: 13″ Rigging: Stainless steel 7/8 Dees Stirrups: Ralide Seat: Suede |
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Tough-1 600 Denier Western Saddle Cover Black $8.99 Tough-1 600 Denier Western Saddle Cover Protect your saddle from rain and dust. Made of strong nylon. Elastic straps secure cover to saddle. Includes cut-out for horn. |
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Tough-1 600 Denier Western Saddle Cover Brown $8.99 Tough-1 600 Denier Western Saddle Cover Protect your saddle from rain and dust. Made of strong nylon. Elastic straps secure cover to saddle. Includes cut-out for horn. |
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Tough-1 600 Denier Western Saddle Cover Navy $8.99 Tough-1 600 Denier Western Saddle Cover Protect your saddle from rain and dust. Made of strong nylon. Elastic straps secure cover to saddle. Includes cut-out for horn. |