The Shed: What's new in horse gear?

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

By Planet User

Jackson Hole,Wyo.-Spring may be coming late to the valley but area horsemen and women are eagerly anticipating the season’s first ride in the mountains.

“It’s spring, so everyone always gets a new halter,” said John Bauer, owner of Flat Creek Saddle Shop in Jackson. The old halter probably spent the winter hanging in the trailer tack room, crusted with last fall’s mud. Old school all-rope halters have become increasingly popular over the past few years. Knots replace clunky hardware that is often the first part to break or rust. Bauer said trainers often prefer the rope halters because they are fast and easy to apply to young horses and the knots work on the pressure points of the head.

Make sure your halter has a long lead rope. Sgt. Alan John, who heads up the Citizens Mounted Patrol Unit, insists his volunteers use 10 foot leads. The added length over a standard 4-6 foot lead rope allows horse owners to tie virtually anywhere and, more importantly, gives riders a built-in horse whip for ground work.

The biggest innovation in horse tack continues to be development in the saddle pad. Hand-woven Navajo horse blankets are now finding homes as porch rugs as newer, more comfortable technology floods the market. Neoprene pads are fast becoming a thing of the past as well, as many pad makers are moving back to natural fibers.

“The contoured pads are really the latest idea now,” Bauer said. Industry leaders Equibrand and 5 Star Equine Products have both moved to a contoured pad which rises slightly at the withers and rump to conform to the horse’s back. Users have reported less saddle sores and saddle slipping with the formed pads. 5 Star is also leading the charge to return to 100 percent natural wool. According to the Arkansas-based company, wool wicks sweat away from the horse’s back, allowing the animal to remain cooler.
The trend back to natural fibers can also be found in cinches, as most horse owners prefer mohair cinches over neoprene or synthetic fleece. Headstalls are losing a lot of ‘bling,’ according to Bauer. Even barrel racers and rodeo queens are choosing to tone down the silver. Ostrich hide continues to grow in popularity over cowhide as the choice of leather in headstalls and bridles.

“Tack they use at the NFR [National Finals Rodeo] is what sells,” Bauer said of the Super Bowl of rodeo held in Las Vegas every December. “People watch that closely and it’s a lot more about fashion than it used to be.”

Proper care of all tack leathers means throwing out the Neatsfoot oil, which can actually dry out and crack cowhide over time, according to Bauer, and picking up on the latest move to beeswax and other natural oils. Try Skidmore’s leather cream, made in Laramie, Wyo.

The use of bosals in Wyoming has curbed somewhat. The Spanish-origin hackamore caught on in Jackson in the ’90s as dude ranch cowboys looked to get back to a more buckaroo look and classical riding style. These bridles operate on a horse’s nose cartilage for pressure points, eliminating the need for a bit. Many area riders see the benefit of the bosal in the winter when a cold bit in the mouth is an unwelcome prospect for the horse. Young horses and older animals with dental issues often go better in a bosal.
Regional differences in tack and western dress are beginning to break down, Bauer said. There was a time where you could tell a Montana cowboy by the way he folded his hat, or a Wyoming cowgirl by her choice of reins. Those days are disappearing as television and internet allow equine enthusiasts from around the globe to share tastes and styles. Some regional peculiarities remain, however.

Texans and Mexicans, who have traditionally enjoyed tying hard-and-fast, prefer a shorter rope to most northern cowboys who opt to dally. Texas cowhands still ride predominantly roughout saddles while Wyoming waddies go crazy for the swell fork.
Bauer notes one more regional habit that he says confounds him. “I don’t sell many King Ropes. Everyone wants the Cactus,” he said. King Ropes are made in Sheridan, Wyo., while Cactus Ropes are spun in Pleasanton, Texas. “But down south, in Texas and Arizona, they all want King Ropes.”
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The Shed: What's new in horse gear? | Planet JH News Article: Sports & Recreation

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