b'By Jim and Bobbi Jeen Olson,WesternTradingPost.comO ne of the most ornate types of antique saddles a saddle collector can put in his collection is usually of Mexican origin. The Vaqueros were the first to really decorate their gear in a way that made it stand out. They have been doing this for a couple hundred years. To this day the Spanish/Mexican influence can be found in all American Cowboy gear. After all, that is where it originated.As most Western historians know, our entire cowboy culture and western gear in the United States can be traced back to the Vaqueros (Mexican cowboys, often of Mexican Native descent). These pioneers were tending to stock in the southwestern United States and Mexico before there was such a thing as an American Cowboy.According to history, Spaniards introduced livestock and of course, the saddle, to the New World when they came over in the early 1500s. The culture and gear they brought with them have evolved and improved ever since. With the coming of each new generation and/or situation, changes and improvements have been made. Things we take for granted now were once a novel idea.For example, have you ever wondered how a saddle got its horn? Well, we can thank the Vaqueros for that. Spaniards may have brought saddles with them when they came, but it was the Vaquero who first started roping as a way to control livestock. Thus came about the adaption of adding a saddle horn to the saddle so the Vaquero had a place to dally his rope.About the 1820s or 30s, American Cowboys in Texas started to learn the art of tending to stock on the open range from the Vaqueros. One of the early adaptations they picked up from the Mexican culture was the stock saddle. If you look at what is arguably the earliest form of Texas saddle (the Hope, named after its inventor Richard Hope in the 1830s) you can see that it looks an awful lot like a Mexican Montura (working saddle). Historians often claim the Hope was the first Americanized version of a Mexican saddle and we have been adapting them from then to now. TodayHave you ever wondered how a saddle got its we have many varieties of the Western saddle, all of which can be tracedhorn? It was the Vaquero who first started roping back to the Montura. as a way to control livestock. Thus came about the Typically there are three basic types of Mexican saddles: the Montura, the Charro and Military saddles. You dont see the military saddlesadaption of adding a saddle horn to the saddle so much anymore except in museums or old collections. They are what the Spaniards were riding when they came to the New World. There haventthe Vaquero had a place to dally his rope.really been any of these for years, as there is no longer a need. intricate piteado work, often highlighted with silver or gold accents. They However, the other types of Mexican saddles are still built and in use toare works of art, now mostly ridden for shows or events. Piteado is a this day. And although they are basically the same design and profile, theytechnique whereby pita fiber (thread made from the fiber of the maguey are different. The Montura is a plainer, more common saddle. Somethingor century plant) is embroidered in decorative patterns onto saddles and the everyday working man might ride daily. It is what early Americanother leather goods. It requires great skill and hours to do one simple saddle makers started copying and adapting. It is the grandfather of thedesign. It is the whitish-colored designs you see on Mexican leather Western stock saddle. goods. Also, Mexican silversmiths are known to be among the best in the world, and a fancy Charro saddle is often covered with silver (or even Then over the years, the Montura became a platform for leather and silvergold) work as well. Once you see a fancy Charro saddle, you will not artists to show off their talents. The California-style gear is a great exampleforget the style anytime soon.of this. The Vaqueros working on the West Coast were getting pretty fancy with their gear by the time the Americans came to their region in theToday, there are many great silver and leather workers out there creating mid-1800s. To this day, they have their own recognized style which tendsworks of art that will be collected for years to come. But 100 plus years to be pretty fancy with silver embellishments. This style, like the Texas andago, most cowboy gear makers were making pieces meant for the working others, can be traced directly back to the Vaquero. cowboy, so they were built to last, not so much for show. However, there was one class of makers who tended to build things a bit fancier - with a A Charro saddle on the other hand is purely Mexican - and its fancy. Itlittle bling on them - and that was the guys making gear either down in is a bit of a later invention that started in the Jalisco and surroundingMexico or here, for the Vaqueros. And this is why you will see many of the regions where the Charro culture is prevalent. These saddles havemore ornate antique saddles are often Mexican in origin. 46 July 2022'