Buckaroo Horse Riding Gear

Silver Bridlehorse Bit

Getting back to the differences I’ve observed between the traditional cowboys and the buckaroo we’ve hired to work on our cattle ranch, here’s what I’ve noticed about their horse riding gear.

Cowboy saddles, bridles, etc. tend to be basic and functional, good quality but not fancy. Buckaroo gear also is good quality but has a lot more flash – lots of silver, tooling, etc. Some buckaroo bridles are absolutely a work of art – but are still put on a horse’s head and used long hours.

Cowboy tapaderos are generally plain leather. They may have two pair. One would be sheep skinned lined for winter taps and one unlined for summer use. Some are made of rawhide. Buckaroo taps are fancy with long sides almost like a parade saddle would have.

Cowboys tend to carry shorter ropes than buckaroos and are less likely to have a hand braided reata in their war bag.

Snaffle Bridle with Horsehair Mecate

Cowboy bits start with a bosal with a basic snaffle and run to various curb bits – usually plain. Buckaroo bits also start with bosal, and include a hackamore, a snaffle bit and a “bridle horse” bit or two. Their bridle horse bits may be spade bits with ornate engraved silver. A good buckaroo bridle bit is an expensive thing – could cost a horse or even thousands of dollars.
Cowboys frequently ride split reins. Buckaroos prefer a mecate or romel reins.
All of these differences are easy to notice.

Bosal and Mecate Hackamore