Three Styles of Cowboy EQUIPMENT 

Howdy Since I made this video I have learned a ton. I realize that some of the things I have said were not the most accurate or up to date information. To be honest, I made this video in about an hour so I would say the quality is not perfect for that reason. I have learned that I need to double check and triple check information out there before I tell it to you all. I have also learned that I can make much better videos if I put in the time and energy they deserve. At the end of the day, I made this video almost two years ago and I don't regret it. I thank you for tuning in to this video, but I want to let you know that this is not my best work. Since this video was published I have significantly increased the quality of every video I have made. So don't be afraid to try out another video on my channel. Thanks in advance and God bless.

The cowboy on the right on your cover picture was my uncle Morris McCarty of Meeteetsee Wyoming! Spent most of his life on a horse! Lots of mountain riding,guideing hunters ,dudes ,lost his only son in Vietnam!

I kind chuckled when you said the Vaqueros were "Mexican Immigrants". They were here long before the first Americans came to California.

That legend about the vaquero not being able to walk was started for the huns by the Romans who said that if you take a hun out of the saddle he will not be able to walk,it started because the huns were well known horsemans,their entire culture was around horses,that where they got they meat,drinks etc,they heavily used them in battle as all huns were trained in mounted archery and were taught to ride since an earlier age (before they could walk) and it was said that the huns spent more time riding and waging war than walking. I suppose this legend can be used for any known horse culture but I'm just letting you know of the origins :)

Brush popper was the name given to cowboys riding through the brush trying to get mostly cows out. I once knew of a cowboy that ran a bear out. Cow puncher was the name given to cowboys that rode in trains trying to keep cattle from lying down and getting trampled by the other cattle. Truly enjoyed your video. It was so good I could smell the leather.

Taco Hats (rolls eyes). The brims of their hats were shaped like that so when they roped the cattle or the horses, they didn't knock their hats of with their arm. Like everything else, there was a reason for why they did what they did and why they wore specific items.

The original cowboys were the Spanish in the desert areas and plains of spain. The Spanish were the first people who brought over horses and cows, because they didn’t live in the Americas before the Spanish came over and introduced them. Then the Spanish cow ranching culture and traditions was taught to / forced upon the Mexican natives and the mestizos who then spread it to everyone else. So much in America is influenced by Hispanic culture and tradition. It is truly amazing. Thank you for this info

Great video! Even though lots of folks call the shanked bits with a single break a “snaffle” (like a Tom Thumb bit)... they are NOT a snaffle. A snaffle bit has no leverage, no shanks. If a shank is present it is a curb bit. A curb bit may have a single jointed mouthpiece, a double jointed mouthpiece, a mouthpiece with a port, a mouthpiece with a cricket- etc. A “curb snaffle” is an oxymoron. Keep the interesting videos coming!!!

The origin of the term “cow puncher” actually came from the people who worked at shipping pens and loaded the cattle onto railroad cars. They used long poles to prod the cattle to get them to go into rail cars.

I grew up working cattle in Texas we never used a bit all we ever used were hackamores my grandfathers belief was can you work with an iron bar in your mouth. So we didn't use them

It's great that you actually mention that american cowboys have a mexican heritage, great video by the way

Thank you for the credit you gave to my vaquero ancestors. You’re information brought back old memories of my grandfather and uncles. Old time real vaqueros.

Question , if California was Mexico till 1850 how were the vaquero an immigrant

Bells=jingle bobs, chaps=leggings, snaffle is more “severe” than a mid port curb bit. Split reins are good for smacking your buddies horse on the ass when he’s not looking. Good video 👍🏻

Vaqueros are the original cowboys

Great video. Love it. Thank you. Being in Cali, I love the vaqueros.

The California vaquero did not emigrate from México , they were there before California was taken from México

Great video. The Sandhills region of Nebraska is considered the finest grazing land in the country. There is a lot of Texas influence also. During the Texas trail days, Ogallala, NE was a destination for many herds. More than a few Texas Cowboys fell in love with the area and stayed and ended up starting ranches of their own. There are several huge ranches that trace their history back to the Texas cowboys.

Sun Set That sun still sets in the west But that old trail is asphalt now Baked by the sun hot and dry The sounds of hoofs have passed Herds of buffalo graze no more Barbwire strung along The fence post passed like a picket fence As the truck tires whine on The sweetgrass has all but gone The Mesquite is tall and thick Prickly Pear covers the prairie The Longhorns have gone A saddle all covered in dust The moth-riddled blanket flaps Riding quirt amiss Old spurs hung on a wall On a post hangs a leather belt With a holster cracked and rotting That old hogleg turned brown Brass all green The lassoing cowboy is no more That broad hat tipped back His shirt sleeves rolled high Jeans rolled double His hair thinned and gray High cheekbones darken Bull hide tough Hand scars a many With eyes squinting A straw chair leaned back Daydreaming No more round ups That last ride was long ago With a rolled cigarette on his lip His words in a low key That sun still sets in the west Barry 4/3/2023

Vaqueros were not Mexican immigrants in California, California was Mexico!

Great job on the video. I learned that cowpunchers got the name due to pushing the cattle into trains with a stick

On the hackamore, I think is an Americanized version of the Basic Bosal and Reins, invented by the colonized Mexicans indigenous people, they were forbidden from equestrian knowledge, So they figured out to make the bosal with horsehair, or whatever was available, pretty insightful video, look up the Mexican Charro...

The cowpuncher saddle is a full rough out where no leather is smooth so you have a better grip when the horse is bucking, jumping from side to side and having uneven movements compared to a nicely trained horse and the pommel swells (front swells) being so high are so you can lock your thighs into those swells/behind them and not get bucked off. That looks like a bosal and not a hackamore. Glad other people already mentioned the fact that a snaffle doesn't have a shank on it or it becomes a different style bit, a common one is a Tom Thumb, and there are many options for a bit with a broken center. I like an argentine for refinement after basics myself.

Dear God! This was literally researched on Facebook. You technically got more right than wrong so there is that. To call this anything other than a GROSS overview would be disingenuous at best!

You avoided mentioning that the “cowboy & the buckaroo” both learned from the Mexican Vaquero the trade. Both the cowboy & buckaroo got their equipment from the Vaqueros and altered it to fit them. The name of the equipment as in the “Dolly” come from the Vaquero yelling at the new “ cowboys” “ Dale huelta“ ( meaning give it a turn). The cowboys thinking they were calling the “horn” the dolly is how it came to it’s name “dolly”…

Thanks for making this video and starting a very lively discussion. I hope us old timers haven't been too hard on you with our corrections. I'm sure you've noticed many of us are very passionate about this subject and have studied and lived it extensively. You've been a good sport about it and taken it well. I'm sure later videos will be much more accurate and i look foreward to viewing them, mostly because of your attitude to learn and be better. Thanks again.

You kinda mixed up historical aspects and modern aspects somewhat. Cowpunchers originally used grass ropes. These were much cheaper than the rawhide riatas that the vaqueros used but they would burn up from the friction if you dally with them. Nowadays they use synthetic ropes which makes tying hard and fast a little more dangerous because they're much stronger and harder to cut. I've only known a few cowboys here (in Oklahoma which is very close to the Texas tradition) that still tie hard and fast on larger animals and they're considered a bit reckless by others. In the rodeo circuit team ropers only dally and calf ropers tie hard and fast because they have to dismount. The technique and equipment they use for dallying isn't the same as the vaqueros. They typically wrap their smaller saddle horns in strips of inner tube rather than rawhide. The rubber creates more friction on the nylon ropes than the rawhide on rawhide of the riata. That means they can stop the rope from running through quicker so they can use shorter ropes and get a better time in competition. When you look at the modern cowboy there is a lot more blending of styles and techniques but with rodeos there has been some standardization around what's proven to be the most effective at getting the best times.

I want to say thank you for saying vaqueros came from Mexico. I know the methodology came from Spain, but the vaquero was developed in Mexico. Yet people still say "the Spanish" like they're scared to say Mexico

Buckeroo was an Anglicizing of the Spanish term Vaquero ... they are exactly the SAME thing.

Louis L'Amour says the name "cow puncher" comes from the cattle drivers having to use sticks to prod the steers onto the shutes to load them into railroad cars.

The vaquero taught the Texans how to ride, rope etc.

@1:00 ~ "So the Texas cowpuncher inherited the land that the Mexicans Vaqueros gave to them. They didn't give it to them they took it." The United States did not steal Mexico's land from them. Breven, you're a young man and need to know that the United States paid Mexico for the land we received from them in an 1848 treaty with Mexico and after the wars with Mexico. The land was paid for in both American lives and monetarily. After Texas won its independence and before the Mexican War broke out, the U.S. tried to buy Texas and what was called “Mexican California” from Mexico, which was seen as an insult by Mexico and they turned us down. Mexico considered the boundary between Texas and Mexico to be the Nueces River, and the Republic of Texas and the USA asserting it to be the Rio Grande River. After Texas became a state, Mexico considered the annexation of Texas an act of war and attacked the United States in a number of border skirmishes. Then the United States declared war on Mexico. After the Mexican American War, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo called for the United States to pay $15 million in United States Dollars (USD) to Mexico and to pay off the claims of American citizens against Mexico for up to $5 million in USD. It gave the United States the Rio Grande as a boundary for Texas and gave the U.S. ownership of California and a large area comprising roughly half of New Mexico, most of Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and Colorado. Mexicans in those annexed areas had the choice of relocating to within Mexico's new boundaries or receiving American citizenship with full civil rights. This was agreed upon by both the United States and Mexico in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo on Feb 2, 1848. Mexico had been through some civil wars and war with the USA, they were near broke and were very happy to have the $20 million USD which was one helluva lot of money in 1848... Sources: Wikipedia ~ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Guadalupe_Hidalgo Interactive Constitution ~ constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution/blog/the-mexican-american-war-in-a-nutshell

Mexican cowboys are the og also you forgot the charro saddle 🇲🇽

Cow punchers don’t always tie on it depends on what task is taking please. Good video thou.

I appreciate your humility on this post.

They weren't Mexican immigrants, that land was still Mexico

Nice information I really enjoy it. Actually in México the original and traditional way to start a colt is with the rawhide bosal tied with horse hair mércate, then the mexican bit, as you said with two reins and then you have a caballo Charro!🐴

The correct pronunciation is SHAPS, which comes from the Spanish word Chaparreras.

My ancestors in old Mexico made a living from cattle I broke tradition I became a steel worker. P S Great history lesson!!!

You can see clearly all that Mexican/Spanish in the Buckaroo's, great video.

They didn't migrate they were already there Vaqueros came from the West Originally

Thanks for making such an informative video. Learned a lot. Legit question, when you said the Vaquero started in Mexico and went to California are saying they didn't go to the modern California area until after the Mexican American war, or did they go from the part of Mexico that is still Mexico today to what is now modern California while it was all Mexico?

The Vaqueros origin I’d say depends on what region. I’d say Texas has more Mexican influence because of the heavy Mexican presence in Texas, and because most of the hackamores you see that are from the Texan discipline resemble the hackamores that I’ve seen used in Central Mexico. The Californios on the other hand have their own thing, the Mexicans weren’t the first to bring horses or the horsemanship to California. Gaspar De Portolà reportedly brought various Dragones de Cuera, mounted soldiers that were instrumental in the creation of the Southwestern/Western Vaquero. The Californio discipline Can be broken down into two disciplines. The mission style, and the Rancho (Rancheria) style. The mission style evolved when the Spanish needed to tend to cattle in their missions, and only had the schooled Iberian horses that were trained with spades at hand. And the Rancho style has more Mexican influence, having the same types of saddles, same loop throws, and same style of training. And as for the whole spade thing, I’ve never even heard of a horse dying because of a spade bit, a spade bit (freno de espada) usually sits on the horses tongue, with the cheeks balancing the weight of the mouthpiece and giving a bit more leverage. It should be noted that the spade is for more schooled horses, and not for green or intermediate horses. Pretty interesting video though 👍🏻. Also, have you done a video on the Florida Crackers yet? Pretty unique horsemen that are probably the only cowboys that have majority English influence.

Actully Buckaroo is the American translation of Vaquero. And instead of saying the V in vaquero its actully is a B

Nice video! There’s of course going to be a ton of variations to all of these but as a general overview I think you nailed it.

In Australia it's Jackaroo and also Jillaroo. They work on the huge ranches there, where they are issued dogs and either a horse or ATV.

All cowboys came from original mexican spaniards. North american adopte the culture

I rode western style rigs for years in my youth to young teenage years. I used a chest band and a throat latch, as we called it, to keep a horses head from rearing and crashing into your face. I had a full on reared horse head to the face contact once, and I could easily see how it would kill a person. I also had to opportunity to ride a couple of real 'cow ponies' being shipped across country. The quicks ness of those mounts was astonishing and getting used to a 'slack rein' steering took a few minutes to get used to.

I’d like to say that we use a hackamore in Texas, like our ropes are made of grass(traditionally) our spurs are straight shanked what’s called chihuahua spurs. I ride in a slick fork, basically an association with out the swells

@2:05 Dick Gibford. I can't see his eyes but I sure recognize the hat, beard on his chin, and no mustache so I'm certain that's him. He buckarood in Owyhee County, Idaho during the 1980s during his roaming days. He now resides in southern California near where he was raised. He cut and braided for me a 4 strand, 60' riata by hand with just a pocket knife. I was amazed...

I like all the styles 🇲🇽🇺🇸

Thank you for sharing I loved it

traditional vaqueros rode with a fidor on the hackmore so the heel not would not bounce on the lower lip

Some information is wrong, the cowboy or the "vaquero" was invented in México, more specific in California, when California was part of México, there's nothing about inmigrants, the imnigrants was de people fron US, before the United States invaded Mexico and take over the current southwest of the country. The vaqueros, cowboys and charros are authentic Mexican culture created in México.

What about the charro?

not all buckaroos use the nylon macate. and the word vaquero and buckaroo are the same word, it’s just that the white settlers a long time ago took the word vaquero and slowly made the word buckaroo. and the main difference between vaqueros and buckaroos is that buckaroos took things from both sides of the cowboy world. but it’s a great video though

Thank you young man! Excellent video, save a point that’s come up all my life .. My Family on my Father’s side were Spanish aristocracy cattle barons who came from northern Spain to what is now New Mexico in 1610. The Vaquero was actually a Spaniard in origination, not Mexican, but is often called Mexican for many reasons, too numerous to state here. And with all the unfortunate chaos in America regarding race and country of origin… not the place for that discussion. 🇺🇸 I’m just happy to view your video, and the pace at which you speak, being almost deaf. Grateful. Brutal pronunciation of “vaquero” tho LOL 😂😉 My great-grandfather relocated to the California basin in the 1800’s and we still had our small cattle ranch of just a few hundred acres until I was a teen. So over 350 consecutive years of ranching in America, another several hundred in the mountainous areas of Spain. So we had the influence of the rough terrain you mentioned in your video of the NM Southwest, similar to Texas, and also having ran our cows into and out of Texas, and then the more rich pasture of California, and how that all influenced my GG and grandfather’s equipment. Personally, I was taught to use the hackamore. My GG and GF rarely used the spade bit for the same reason another viewer mentioned - working with metal in the mouth. While my GG used the spade working, my GF taught me “..relationship relationship relationship..” with the horse. “A horse that fully trusts its rider and a rider who properly que’s with weight shifts and touch won’t need the spade!”, he’d always say to me with a huge frown. 🤨 😜 He used his spurs only when working and had different types for different work. He also modified his saddle designs for comfort after traveling thru Spain and into Australia to study ranching styles. He was an incredible rider, invited to the Spanish Riding School to study, and was there for some time when I was quite young. Your video was a treat. I really appreciate the visual aides with titles underneath. And again, your pace of speaking. Your work and time is appreciated! God bless you. Safe riding. 🐎.

All three may or may not tie hard and fast or may dally, depends on what they are doing. If they are working cattle alone, they will tie off so their horse can hold them in place. If they are working a branding or need to get one on a short rope for whatever reason, they probably dally. Great video though, good seeing young people interested in tradition. 🤠

I worked on the S Ranch, legendary Texans in Montana. The Spring Wagon was out 10 weeks, 3000+ head on. 250 sections. It was tied "hard and fast"

That first bit isn’t a snaffle. It’s a broken mouth curb. The second bit is a solid mouth ported curb.

I’ve ridden the Black horse at 5:03 he’s an Australian Stock Horse stud named Cadabra.

Well Breven, that was interesting, I'm NO cowboy, no ranch hanch, but knowing some differences do exist, very detailed and explanatory, theirs something I've learned today, thanks for your input on the way of cowboying, !!!! More please, 😉✌️👌🤠👍.

Every horse uses a different bit depends on there mouth and the horse so a cow punchers don’t use the same bit as other cowpunchers I mean they can and might but it depends on the horse and what you are tryna do

Que buen video amigo. Gracias

Great video. Thanks for uploading.

Mexican vaqueros did not migrate to california, california was already Mexican land and with that being said the Europeans or settlers are the ones that migrated WEST to Mexican land, lets not forget that and make it clear so people get it right.

My nephew is Hispanic and I try to tell him about the vaquero and he acts like I’m crazy and dumb for talking to him about it.

Just locked in to your site ,looking forward to the coming video's. Coming from about as fare west as you can get here in California . Happy trails young man.

Super Video, tolle Erklärungen!

The nylon mecate has been more popularized because it's cheaper, and looks good in shows. It's still more traditional for a buckaroo(at least here in MT/ID/WY that I've seen) to use horsehair or mohair mecate and get down. California Bridle Horse has some good information on the traditional vaquero and buckaroo methods of horsemanship and gear, if you wanted to learn more about them. 🙂 Good video though!

Yes boys and girls... the first American cowboys were the Mexicans of Northern Mexico.. Sonora, Chihuahua, Durango etc

The bit portion, i don’t think a horse will die feom a spade. At least try to find accurate, honest info.

Danggg!!!! your channel is ballin!!!!!

Don’t forget about us Puncharoos….somewhere between the Puncher and the buckaroo!

I apologize for the rude comment previously. You really did a great job on this video and I'm sure you put a lot into it. I don't know it all, lol. I'll be looking for your next video!

Thank you for this great vid

Nylon ropes typically have been bad due to it stretching, the grass ropes work the best ( for me )

Mexico sold what is now the southwestern United states and California to the U.S. for about 15 million dollars. This agreement was called the Guadalupe Hidalgo agreement.

It’s “SH-apps” not “CH-aps”

Tak konečně můžu jít spát. Bez tyhle informace bych to nedal.

You've made an Excellent video. My Husband and I look forward to seeing your other videos. Thank You

I rode in the Pacific Northwest back 20-25 yrs ago , Washington n North West Montana so the Buckaroo style was prevalent there

You need to learn California and Texas history, Mexican were already in California and in Texas, we didn’t take it away from Mexico.

Great video bud! Looking forward to the vaquero video. Subscribed for Great information 👍

thats a lot of gatorade on your shelf sir

Not sure if it counts as migration from Mexico. California was Mexico. Maybe, maybe they migrated from further south in Mexico but that might even be stretching it.

you hit the subject perfectly

Excellent video! I’m assuming you’re covering boots in the next videos :) I never knew about the Visalia tree

How is utah not mentioned in the great basin?? It is just as prominent as Nevada!!

Talk about the “Vaqueiros” of Brazil, and about “Vaquejada” please.

6:28 into the video, stirrups. They tell me stunt man Yakima Cannot invented one with just a bar.kind of like a cheap bicycle pedal. When stunt men had to jump from horse to stage coach or horse to buckboard or horse to horse to pull the bad guy out of the saddle . Stunt men kept getting hurt and crippled when the feet/boots got caught in the stirrup. It saved lives and injuries but I'vee never seen one

Gran video, felicitaciones. Un nuevo suscriptor desde Colombia.

How in the hell do you get the word Buckaroo from Vaquero? Sounds like a fib

I am a irish and Australian aboriginal blood , from the kimberley in Western Australia I worked and learned from three Texans from Amarillo in the panhandle their names was Chris bernarrrd, Danny cockerell and another cowboy y Named illy Bob and a Ron rider with the surname of groves i was fifteen and chewed Copenhagen tobacco and ate beans by the bucket load, which I still feed my crew with today it was in the kimberley s , a place called kalwynyarda , in between Fitzroy and derby , buddy cockerell and Amy cockerell where on the neighbouring property Blina station we had a remuda of horses that we bought off the broome rodeo club of twenty six broncs ,that was our soon to be prized working horses , which in the end we where roping off , and I will never forget the bronc that carried the pack , which was its punishment for dropping me on the ground six times in ten minutes , it ran away and still It got me in trouble as I was in charge ot that snakey bronc, when it came to pay day we would saddle up and load the gooseneck and go off into the scrub and look for feral bulls to rope and load up into the gooseneck and take them into the local slaughterhouse in fitroy which was run by a fella name Norton, anyway mates I hope that they have found a comfort spot to fall when they got back to amarillo , I'm fifty-two now but still remember it as if it was yesterday I can still canteboeard a bronc like they showed me to and use a spade bit or bosall as I was shown , anyway thats a story of three Texans that bought the real cowboy way to the kimberley they whe r e a big influence to all the local ringers and bushman , to this day in fitzroy the people still have the you betcha and son of a added to there language , this is kimberley Smith signing off i was the one that rode beside them, adios amigos

This is historically incorrect all three did the same job. The Buckaroos got their name from the Mormons, as they didn't like the term cowpuncher, and the negitive connotation it held. As by the 1830's the cowpunchers already had a reputation as drunkards and thiefs. The equipment used by both the Cowpuncher and the Buckaroo depended on what area, climate, season, and personal preference of the individual. Most of the cattle workers were migratory following the work. The terms Cowpuncher and Buckaroo were Ranch owner designations, one week you were a Cowpuncher, the next week a Buckaroo. Just because you moved a mile down the road. All the equipment used came/evolved from the Vaquero equipment. As it was developed over 200 years to deal with the unique environment found west of the Mississippi. Depending on the ranches you worked you may be a Cowpuncher one week, a Buckaroo the next, followed by a sheepman the next. Then you have goat ropers.......

Buckaroos are from California, vaqueros were from Texas. Buckaroo was derived from the work vaquero. They are two different styles of vaqueros due to geographical differences.

The goal( at least for me) is to not use bits at all. You get your horse to pay attention to you and move off of slight pressure so you don't " take them by surprise" and cause them to stumble/ rear/ whatever in reaction to pain or sudden or unexpected pressure. You can use bits and communicate with your horse very well and not cause pain... It's just easier to cause pain and create a hard mouthed horse with bits.

There were a lot of Black cowboys too. Which category do you put them in?

Did you give credit where credit is due after all Mexicans are the original Cowboys

Hi Breven, I'm curious about why you will be living in a camper?