Charles M. Russell - cowboy extraordinarie & storyteller

Salve,

Charles Marion Russell - great American cowboy artist - came to Montana from Saint Louis, Missouri at the end of the frontier era, and while working on cow ranches in the Montana territory being a tenderfoot* he quickly acquired both the cowboy expertise and artistic skills. I have had a few posts about Charles M. Russell and his art and experiences on this blog over the years.

So today, let us go back to those experiences, namely  Mr. Russell  put them in his book Rawhide Rawlins Stories -
you can read (be it directly from the portal or via downloading it to your reader) this book via Archive- the greatest library - :) them and enjoy his pen and ink illustrations. 

 

Russell wrote in Foreword -
'When I cam to Montana, which then was a territory with no railroads, reading matter of any kind was scarce. Where there is nothing to read, men must talk, so when they gathered at ranches or stage station, they amused themselves with tales of their won or others' adventures. Many became good storytellers. I have tried to write some of these yarns as nearly as possible as they were told to me'

some of the images corralled:

Valete

Custer saddle et al

Salve,
winter is upon us, time to prepare for Christmas and all the good time of the family holidays, soon followed by the New Year's festivities. I must admit I would prefer the New Year to have been on 21st of March, like the ancient Persians had it.
On a sad note, not all good Christians will be joyous this holiday season, as the war rages in the Middle East and there are acts of violence against our Christian brethren in southern Asia, eg I just learned that in Cairo, Egypt, the Coptic St. Mark's Cathedral worshipers praying during mass were bombed today, with a large death toll and many wounded among these innocents and defenseless, their only crime being Christian - pacem aeternam.

Back to history and horses - I have been doing lots of reading and some of it has been on the life and achievements and failures of general George Armstrong Custer, including this own writings (here in a free audio book format) and his wife's (eg these 'libre' books about the general 1 , 2, 3   from archive world library)  - I like this book Robert M. Utley,   Cavalier in Buckskin: George Armstrong Custer and the Western Military Frontier and this one on his Civil War amazing achievements titled ''Clashes of Cavalry: The Civil War Careers of George Armstrong Custer and Jeb Stuart'' by Thom Hatch. Interesting collection of recollections by Custer's soldier - J. H. Kidd, 'Personal Recollections of a Cavalryman With Custer's Michigan Cavalry Brigade in the Civil War'

Surfing the net I found out that several years ago his saddle was on sale in 2012,
 and I am attaching my compilation of the photos showing this saddle - that according to the description this was originally a McClellan saddle, remade by a saddle maker to general Custer's specifications. It was in the possession of the Custer family until 1941 and had only one previous owner.

Another, less elaborate, of Custer's saddles on the view here, with some interesting description.

And least we may forget, then here is the complete account of the Greasy Grass battle by Red Horse, Minneconjou Lakota Sioux, 1822-1907, done in 1881

 Yet another historic saddle from the period that belonged to "Antelope" Ernst Baumann - a scout with the 7th Cavalry attached to Reno's unit during the Greasy Grass/Little Big Horn battle- saddle can be seen here.
enjoy

Old Sun's wife - Piegan warrior

Salve,
American Indians of the Plains are famous for their association with horses and horsemanship feats, but not seldom it is forgotten or omitted that often (the wholly nomadic tribes) and at times (in case of the earth or grass lodge dwellers)  the entire household was also transported on horseback (and dog back) or pulled loaded on travois, especially during the golden era when the Comanches ruled the southern plains while various nations and tribes skirmished over the northern and central plains...

The work of setting up or taking down of the conical tents/lodge known as tippi / teepee (from the Dakota Sioux language ), gathering and cooking food, working hides, making clothes, carrying for children, accompanying the men on hunts to dress the carcass and prepare meat for the most important food product of the plains pemmican, tending to small gardens etc was done by women and girls  while their men were hunting, stealing horses or on war-party, and boys were busy watching the horse herds and gentling horses or hunting for small game.

Notwithstanding these domestic and economic duties and obligations that the women carried in the very masculine and bellicose societies of the Great Plains nomads, some women undertook taking active role in the war parties (as we know from the records of the frontier wars between the US military and the nomads - eg Mo-chi, Buffalo Calf Road Woman, Moving Robe Woman, Minnie Hollow Wood, The Other magpie ), while others took active part in negotiations and other diplomatic relations leading to cessation of hostilities or simply truces.

In pre-horse era of the Great Plains Indians cultures during the historic period (after 1500AD) their women were obviously the desired target of kidnapping/slaving parties carried by the enemy warriors, thus those women would become captives and slaves, and some eventually would change their status to adopted tribal members  and wives to their captors.

Once the horses became companions of the Plains Indians during XVII century Apacheria (excellent dissertation on the subject, plus Frank R. Secoy's work)/Jumano/Ute/Caddo horse distribution period and later during the Comancheria of XVIII century domination, the entire warrior ethos of the Great Plains Indians turned to horse capturing and coup counting as the primary pursuits for the warrior. Researchers like professor John C. Ewers ( in this book ''Plains Indians Culture,'' p.196 ) suggest that the custom of stealing women during the pre-horse era and the honours associated with that activity  were actually appropriated/addopted as the model for the horse stealing raids during the post-horse era (that lasted until the 1880s AD).

Well, there is a tale gathered from XIX century Blackfeet by an Anglo traveller named Julian Ralph. He was travelling in company of Frederic Remington (and Charles M. Russell's drawings and paintings) whose art (in public domain) is gracing this post.

Old Sun and his wife:

 "...to our joy, we found seated in that room the famous chief Old Sun. He is the husband of the most remarkable Indian squaw in America, and he would have been Crowfoot's successor were it not that he was eighty-seven years of age when the Blackfoot Cæsar died. As chief of the North Blackfeet, Old Sun boasts the largest personal following on the Canadian plains, having earned his popularity by his fighting record, his commanding manner, his eloquence, and by that generosity which leads him to give away his rations and his presents. No man north of Mexico can dress more gorgeously than he upon occasion, for he still owns a buckskin outfit beaded to the value of a Worth gown. Moreover, he owns a red coat, such as the Government used to give only to great chiefs.

    Mr. Remington was anxious to paint Old Sun and his squaw, particularly the latter, and he easily obtained permission

Old Sun's wife sits in the council of her nation—the only woman, white, red, or black, of whom I have ever heard who enjoys such a prerogative on this continent. She earned her peculiar privileges, if any one ever earned anything.[...] When Old Sun [24]brought his wife to sit for her portrait I put all etiquette to shame in staring at her, as you will all the more readily believe when you know something of her history.
    Forty or more years ago she was a Piegan maiden known only in her tribe, and there for nothing more than her good origin, her comeliness, and her consequent value in horses. She met with outrageous fortune, but she turned it to such good account that she was speedily ennobled. She was at home in a little camp on the plains one day, and had wandered away from the tents, when she was kidnapped. It was in this wise: other camps were scattered near there.
    On the night before the day of her adventure a band of Crows stole a number of horses from a camp of the GrosVentres, and very artfully trailed their plunder towards and close to the Piegan camp before they turned and made their way to their own lodges. 
    When the Gros Ventres discovered their loss, and followed the trail that seemed to lead to the Piegan camp, the girl and her father, an aged chief, were at a distance from their tepees, unarmed and unsuspecting. 
Down swooped the Gros Ventres. They killed and scalped the old man, and then their chief swung the young girl upon his horse behind him, and binding her to him with thongs of buckskin, clashed off triumphantly for his own village.
That has happened to many another Indian maiden, most of whom have behaved as would a plaster image, saving a few days of weeping.
Not such was Old Sun's wife.
When she and her captor were in sight of the Gros Ventre village, she reached forward and stole the chief's scalping-knife out of its sheath at his side. With it, still wet with her father's blood, she cut him in the back through to the heart. Then she freed his body from hers, and tossed him from the horse's back. Leaping to the ground beside his body, she not only scalped him, but cut off his right arm and picked up his gun, and rode madly back to her people, chased most of the way, but bringing safely with her the three greatest trophies a warrior can wrest from a vanquished enemy. Two of them would have distinguished any brave, but this mere village maiden came with all three. From that day she has boasted the right to wear three eagle feathers.
   Old Sun was a young man then, and when he heard of this feat he came and hitched the requisite number of horses to her mother's travois poles beside her tent. I do not recall how many steeds she was valued at, but I have heard of very high-priced Indian girls who had nothing except their feminine qualities to recommend them. In one case I knew that a young man, who had been casting what are called "sheep's eyes" at a maiden, went one day and tied four horses to her father's tent. Then he stood around and waited, but there was no sign from the tent. Next day he took four more, and so he went on until he had tied sixteen horses to the tepee. At the least they were worth $20*, perhaps $30*, apiece. At that the maiden and her people came out, and received the young man so graciously that he knew he was "the young woman's choice," as we say in civilized circles, sometimes under very similar circumstances.
     At all events, Old Sun was rich and powerful, and easily got the savage heroine for his wife. She was admitted to the Blackfoot council without a protest, and has since proven that her valor was not sporadic, for she has taken the war-path upon occasion, and other scalps have gone to her credit.""
Julian Ralph, On Canada's Frontier, NY 1892

[via The Project Gutenberg]

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*dollar amounts in 1890s

ps

More on the Plains Indian tribes and their horses in the future, I hope :)

ps'

Italian comix dell arte master Paolo Eleteri Serpieri used Remington's image of Old Sun's wife killing the Gros Ventre warrior for creation of his own image in the series  L'Histoire du Far-West ("The Story of the West") - can be seen in this collection of Western images - caveat - some drawings explicit)

Charles M. Russell and cow-puncher horse

Salve,

I admit I love looking at the paintings and ink drawings by

Charles Marion Russell (own two books on his paintings) but often I have to remind myself that he also was a great sculptor...and a writer, e.g. his fine book "Trails Plowed Under" - with many of his own illustrations - is accessible here. 

While perusing a book on his sculptures  I saw this sculpture:  "When the best riders quit, when the best riders fail." 

 In this photo there is Charlie with the very sculpture.

The very spirited piece depicts one of the most dangerous evolutions that some unhappy horses could engage in while being 'gentled' no-so-gently into a remuda (working horses' string) by the cow-puncher or cowboy. In this photo below one of the rare historic depictions of a horse throwing himself backward.

   Before I go to the depiction of that sculpture as told by maestro Charlie himself, let me quote his own lines describing what a cow-puncher was, the varieties of cow-punchers and their equipment etc:

"[cow-puncher] ranged from Mexico to the Big Bow River of the north, an' from where the trees get scarce in the east to the old Pacific. He don't need no iron hoss*, but covers his country on one that eats grass an' wears hair. All the tools he needed was saddle, bridle, quirt, hackamore, an' rawhide riatta or seagrass rope; that covered his hoss. 

"The puncher himself was rigged, startin' at the top, with a good hat not one of the floppy kind you see in pictures, with the rim turned up in front. The top-cover he wears holds its shape an' was made to protect his face from the weather; maybe to hold it on, he wore a buckskin string under the chin or back of the head. Round his neck a big silk handkerchief, tied loose, an' in the drag of a trail herd it was drawn over the face to the eyes, hold-up fashion, to protect the nose an' throat from dust. In old times, a leather blab or mask was used the same. Coat, vest, an' shirt suits his own taste. Maybe he'd wear California pants, light buckskin in color, with large brown plaid, sometimes foxed, or what you'd call reinforced with buck or antelope skin. Over these came his chaparejos or leggin's. His feet were covered with good high-heeled boots, finished off with steel spurs of Spanish pattern. His weapon's usually a forty-five Colt's six-gun, which is packed in a belt, swingin' a little below his right hip. Sometimes a Winchester in a scabbard, slung to his saddle under his stirrup-leather, either right or left side, but generally left, stock forward, lock down, as his rope hangs at his saddle-fork on the right.

"By all I can find out from old, gray-headed punchers, the cow business started in California, an' the Spaniards were the first to burn marks on their cattle an' hosses, an' use the rope. Then men from the States drifted west to Texas, pickin' up the brandin' iron an' lass-rope, an' the business spread north, east, an' west, till the spotted long-horns walked in every trail marked out by their brown cousins, the buffalo.

"Texas an' California, bein' the startin' places, made two species of cowpunchers;

those west of the Rockies rangin' north, usin' centerfire or single-cinch saddles, with high fork an' cantle; packed a sixty or sixty-five foot rawhide rope, an' swung a big loop. These cow people were generally strong on pretty, usin' plenty of hoss jewelry, silver-mounted spurs, bits, an' conchas; instead of a quirt, used a romal, or quirt braided to the end of the reins. Their saddles were full stamped, with from twenty-four to twenty-eight-inch eagle-bill tapaderos. Their chaparejos were made of fur or hair, either bear, angora goat, or hair sealskin. These fellows were sure fancy, an' called themselves buccaroos, coming from the Spanish word, vaquero."

"The cowpuncher east of the Rockies originated in Texas and ranged north to the Big Bow. He wasn't so much for pretty; his saddle was low horn, rimfire, or double-cinch; sometimes 'macheer.' Their rope was seldom over forty feet, for being a good deal in a brush country, they were forced to swing a small loop. These men generally tied, instead of taking their dallie-welts, or wrapping their rope around the saddle horn. Their chaparejos were made of heavy bullhide, to protect the leg from brush an' thorns, with hog-snout tapaderos.

"Cowpunchers were mighty particular about their rig, an' in all the camps you'd find a fashion leader. From a cowpuncher's idea, these fellers was sure good to look at, an' I tell you right now, there ain't no prettier sight for my eyes than one of those good-lookin', long-backed cowpunchers, sittin' up on a high-forked, full-stamped California saddle with a live hoss between his legs.

Now to the sculpture, in Charlie's own words (from  Charles M. Russell Sculptor):

"The old-time cow-puncher knew his horse and it was often a battle of wits when he was “breaking" him to ride. This horse is making a fight and is figuring on landing on his riders. This rider being of the best, is thinking too. As he steps off his fighting horse he will be standing besides him when he lands and having a hold on the cheek piece of the hackamore, will help the horse bump his head a little harder when he hits the ground. As the horse comes up the cow-puncher will grasp the horn and will be in the saddle when he gets on his feet again. [...] most horse think twice before they throw themselves a second time."

  +All drawings by Charles Russell - in public domain+

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*hoss - horse

  ps. 

I have been reading Charlie's biography - quite an interesting read. By the way his illustrated letters have been published too - fascinating material in there :)

Breaking bronchos* in Texas

Salve,
let me take you to XIX century southern Great Plains, where Spanish horses (later crossed with other American breeds ) had been used extensively and thoroughly since the colonization of Texas first by the Comanches and Kiowa  from the north-west and then by the Spanish from the south-west and eventually Anglo-Americans (including lost of German immigrants and some Polish folks) from the north-east.

Today the attached pictures, containing the text, will tell the story of gentling semi-wild horses known then as bronchos* (broncos) in Texas, at Lechuza Ranch near San Antonio, as seen and and described by British traveller Mary J.Jaques in her book "Texan Ranch Life" (London:1894). Illustrations (mostly Frederic Remington, Charles M. Russell and some period photos) come from several XIX century and early XX century books in public domain.
Enjoy Ms Jaques storytelling:

...
* bronco - ''Sin domar''- Mexican Spanish for a semi-wild, unbroken (ungentled) horse, a horse without schooling.

Anatomy of a spade bit

Salve,
 Wednesday I quoted Richard F. Burton's opinion on the western bit as he saw it in 1860, and then mentioned various authors 'talking' about the spade bit, so today let me show you the drawing depicting various part of spade bit - sort of an anatomy of this horse bit, in a drawing:

And here some more of Sir Richard's opinions on Western tack of the cavaliers he encountered on his trek, some comparisons with other cultures:

   "The equipment of the cavalier excited my curiosity, especially the saddle, which has been recommended by good authorities for military use. The coming days of fast warfare, when “heavies,” if not wholly banished to the limbo of things that were, will be used as mounted “beef-eaters,” only for show, demand a saddle with as little weight as is consistent with strength, and one equally easy to the horse and the rider. In no branch of improvement, except in hat-making for the army, has so little been done as in saddles.

The English military or hunting implement still endures without other merit than facility to the beast, and, in the man’s case, faculty of falling uninjured with his horse. Unless the rider be copper-lined and iron-limbed, it is little better in long marches than a rail for riding. As far as convenience is concerned, an Arab pad is preferable to Peat’s best.

But the Californian saddle can not supply the deficiency, as will, I think, appear in the course of description.

The native Indian saddle is probably the degenerate offspring of the European pack-saddle: two short forks, composing the pommel and cantle, are nailed or lashed to a pair of narrow sideboards, and the rude tree is kept in shape by a green skin or hide allowed to shrink on. It remarkably resembles the Abyssinian, the Somal[Somali], and the Circassian saddle, which, like the “ dug-out” canoe, is probably the primitive form instinctively invented by mankind.
It is the sire of the civilized saddle, which in these lands varies with every region.
The Texan is known by its circular seat; a string passed round the tree forms a ring: provided with flaps after the European style, it is considered easy and comfortable."
Nota bene, Burton, when in British service in Indian during the 1840s, bought and rode a native bred Indian horse Kattywar (or Kathiawari), when his fellow officers were buying much more expensive Gulg Arab 9Persian bred) horses.
Here is the description in his own writings: ''it was a bright dun, with black stripes and stockings, a very vicious brute, addicted to all the sins of horseflesh, but full of spirits as a thoroughbred. Master and horse got along thoroughly well.'' (after Edward Price, Captian Sit Richard Burton, the Secret Agent who Made the Pilgrimage to Mecca, Discovered the Kama Sutra, and Brought the Arabian Nights to the West")
More on Kattywar/Khathiawar from Captain M.H Hayes (image from his book):

Photo above, some 50 years after Sir Richard,''...shows us a typical Kathiawar mare. She is a "three-cornered" animal; but having been brought up among rough surroundings, is capable of enduring much privation and hard work; though necessarily slow on account of her body being much longer than she is high at withers or croup. Her body is also very long compared to its depth. She is "calf-kneed," "sickle-hocked," and slightly tied-in below the hocks. As compensations, her shoulders are fairly well shaped; her fore arms and gaskins are strong; and her "bone" below the knees is good.''
General depiction of the East Indian horse by cpt Hayes:  The native horses of India are of the smart, wiry sort. As a rule, they are best when they do not exceed 14.1 or 14.2 [hands]; for the more they overtop this height, the "weedier" do they become. Having light fore hands and well-sloped shoulders, they are clever and jump well. They have excellent feet. Their legs, though capable of standing a great deal of work on hard ground, are often, from errors of breeding and bringing up, misshapen; so that turned-out toes, calf-knees, cow-hocks, and sickle-hocks are of frequent occurrence among them. Generally, they are flat-sided and light in the loin. Consequently, they are poor weight carriers, and bad stayers at fast paces; but are marvellously good at enduring fatigue and privation. The best of them make capital light cavalry horses up to, say, 13 stone 7 lbs. Although they are not as strong or as goodlooking as Arabs, they are probably hardier and better suited to endure hunger and thirst. Many of them, especially if they have a dash of English or Arab blood, have a fair turn of speed, and consequently make good pig-stickers and polo ponies. Indian racing ponies, which have a strong infusion of English blood, are, speaking generally, about 14 lbs. worse than Arabs of the same height, and particularly so over long distances. At fourteen hands it would be difficult to "bring them together" with English ponies in a race for, say, a mile. Without the constant importation of fresh blood from England, it is impossible in India to breed horses fit for racing, or for the requirements of English cavalry and artillery: even then, the results are very poor.

Richar F. Burton on the Western bridle

Salve,
yesterday I quoted the interesting observations  the famous British traveller Richard F. Burton made about the California saddle (1860).
Well, today I will finish his depiction with his critique of the bridle used along with the saddle:

    "The bridle is undoubtedly the worst part of the horse’s furniture. The bit is long, clumsy, and not less cruel than a Chifney*. I have seen the Arab ring, which, with sufficient leverage, will break a horse’s jaw, and another, not unlike an East Indian invention, with a sharp triangle to press upon the animal’s palate, apparently for the purpose of causing it to rear and fall backward. It is the offspring of the Mexican ''manége,'' which was derived, through Spain, from the Moors."
 as we know Sir Richard was not a cavalry officer (he served with infantry regiments), but as an English gentry, he most likely trained in fox hunting, riding horses with snaffle bits and using a typical flat saddle (aka English hunt saddle). He did not like or most likely did not understand the California spade bit - a 'form of curb bit with an exaggerated extension of the port that ends in a curved enlargement in the shape of a spoon' (Gehrad A. Malm, DVM, 1996:4). Also he did not understand that California horse tack was just simply a Mexican horse tack, that in turn was Spanish horse tack. He did not mention 'mecate' (horse hair reins) nor arduous training (involving hackamore, snaffle and finally curb bit0that horse underwent in order to be ridden in spade bit or ring- or Chileno bit (what he calls Arab ring, used to be called also a Morisco bit - in this link you can find one of the most knowledgeable horsewomen, Dr Deb Bennett giving her view on the historical use of curb bits/horse training equipment/method in the context of Spanish/Mexican/California versus Anglo-Texan horse traditions)

American William S. Tevis jr stated in his 1922 book "The Horse" :

   ''A horse is generally used in a hackamore for about a year, and then he is doublereined for another year. Double-reining consists in putting a Spanish bit bridle over the hackamore and allowing the animal to carry the spade bit in his mouth for this length of time. During this period, however, he is controlled almost entirely by the hackamore, and merely allowed to carry the bit in his mouth in order to become used to it and play with the wheel at the fore part of the spade, which has the tendency to keep his mouth wet.

The horse by this time should be completely bridlewise to the hackamore and by degrees this knowledge can be transferred to the spade bit, so that he will stop and turn by a pull on this bit and the feel of the reins on his neck.''
 The best description, from a position of a working cowman and practitioner, of the hackamore to spade bit training can be found in Ed Connell's books, eg Hackamore Reinsman
The best description of working California vaqueros can be found in the works of Arnold R. Rojas, collected in These were the Vaqueros.
 Professor Robert W. Miller wrote, in "Western Horse Behavior and Training" (1975:139-41) that spade bit is  'one of the most misunderstood curb bits.' He says that "a good spade bit, properly fitted to the horse and properly handled, is just the opposite of being cruel. It is really designed to keep  horse very light and soft mouthed." But "it takes considerably more time  and patience to train a spade bit horse."
Sir Richard was not a spade bit rider nor Morisco bit rider, he was a snaffle rider, and thus his biased opinion above, shared then by many who had no clue about its proper use. The bad legend of these types of curb bits continue today.
*Chifney bit:

  as described by 'my' trusted XIX century expert in hippology Captain Matthew Horace Hayes (Riding on the Flat and Across Country, 1891):

The celebrated Sam Chifney, who fell into disgrace with the racing public, on account of having been suspected of intentionally losing a race at Newmarket on the 2oth October, 1791, when riding the then Prince of Wales's horse, Escape, invented this form of curb, in which the objectionable downward pull on the headstall is entirely dispensed with; for its headstall is attached to short arms, that revolve on the mouthpiece, independently of the cheeks of the bit, to which the curbchain is hooked.

The Chifney bit is very severe, and is inapplicable to most horses that are ridden by men with indifferent hands; for its curbchain alone resists the forward action of the upper arms of the cheeks of the bit. Thus, the whole of the pressure falls on the gums, tongue and under part of the lower jaw, and none of it is taken, as with the ordinary curb, by the animal's poll, which, I need hardly say, is not as sensitive as the parts just named.
 (drawing above come from Cpt. hayes book)
 
as described by John Henry Walsh (1866)

The Chifney bit is provided with a joint at the junction of the lever and mouthpiece, so that the action of the former is not confined by the head of the bridle. But though in theory this is all very pretty, in practice it is found to be of no service whatever.

as described by  Elizabeth Platt Karr (1884)

The Chifney bit is another very severe one, and is very useful in managing a horse that pulls hard. But if the animal have a tender mouth, this bit should be used with great caution, and not at all by an inexperienced rider.

(image comes from Ms Platt Karr book)

ps
my son has been working on his own blog - being almost 11 years old he is very interested in mythical creatures, dinosaurs and zoology while inventing his own creatures. 

Richard F. Burton on California saddle

Salve,
today I will point my 'virtual horse' towards XIX century and writings of one of the pre-eminent travellers of the United Kingdom of the Victorian era.
Well, I dare say that any person with some interest in the past should have heard of Richard Francis Burton, extraordinary traveller and adventurer, linguist and writer ( translator of ''1000 and 1 night,'' & ''Kama sutra'' etc) of the  Victorian United Kingdom.I should add that I am a great fan of Sir Richard's writings.
In 1860 Burton came to the US and stayed here for a while travelling, eg he visited the South, went to visit the Mormons in Utah etc. He published a book about this visit and edited another, that edied work, in due time, should become the subject of my blog.
In his own book, published after the visit to the US, titled ''The city of the Saints : and across the Rocky mountains to California (1862)'' Sir Richard describes the California saddle as he saw it, with all his biases of an English-bred and educated gentleman, in his travels across the Great Plains, Rocky Mountains and California:
-->
   ''The Californian [saddle] is rather oval than circular; borrowed and improved from the Mexican, it has spread from the Pacific to the Atlantic slope of the Rocky Mountains, and the hardy and experienced mountaineer prefers it to all others: it much resembles the Hungarian [you can compare Burton's impression of the Hungarian saddle with contemporary depiction by Dwyer from my earlier blog post ], and in some points recalls to mind the old French cavalry 'demipique.'
It is composed of a single tree of light strong wood, admitting a freer circulation of air to the horse’s spine — an immense advantage  — and, being without iron, it can readily be taken to pieces, cleaned or mended, and refitted. The tree is strengthened by a covering of raw-hide carefully sewed on; it rests upon a “ sweat-leather,” a padded sheet covering the back, and it is finished off behind with an “ anchero”* of the same material protecting the loins.[see my depiction of the vaquero saddle and its elements in my earlier blog]
The pommel [fuste delantero] is high, like the crutch of a woman’s saddle, rendering impossible, under pain of barking the knuckles, that rule of good riding which directs the cavalier to keep his hands low. It prevents the inexperienced horseman being thrown forward, and enables him to “hold on” when likely to be dismounted; in the case of a good rider, its only use is to attach the lariat, riata*, or lasso.
The great merit of this “ unicorn” saddle is its girthing: with the English system, the strain of a wild bull or of a mustang “bucker” would soon dislodge the riding gear. The “sincho”*[cinch] is an elastic horsehair cingle*, five to six inches wide, connected with “lariat straps,” strong thongs passing round the pommel and cantle; it is girthed well back from the horse’s shoulder, and can be drawn till the animal suffers pain: instead of buckle, the long terminating strap is hitched two or three times through an iron ring.
The whole saddle is covered with a machila* [mochilla], here usually pronounced macheer, two pieces of thick leather handsomely and fancifully worked or stamped, joined by a running thong in the centre, and open to admit the pommel and cantle [fuste trasero]. If too long, it draws in the stirrup-leathers, and cramps the ankles of any but a bowlegged* man. The machila is sometimes garnished with pockets, always with straps behind to secure a valise, and a cloak can be fastened over the pommel, giving purchase and protection to the knees.
    The rider sits erect, with the legs in a continuation of the body line, and the security of the balance-seat enables him to use his arms freely: the pose is that of the French schools in the last century, heels up and toes down.[ well, see these posts of mine showing French riding school images from XVIII century]
   The advantages of this equipment are obvious; it is easier to horse and man probably than any yet invented.
On the other hand, the quantity of leather renders it expensive: without silver or other ornaments, the price would vary from $25 at San Francisco to $50 at Great Salt Lake City, and the high got-up rise to $250:£5O for a saddle!
If the saddle-cloth slips out, and this is an ‘accident which frequently occurs, the animal’s back will be galled. The stirrup-leathers can not be shortened or lengthened without dismounting, and without leggins* the board-like leather macheer soon makes the mollets* innocent of skin.
   The pommel is absolutely dangerous: during my short stay in the country I heard of two accidents [sic!], one fatal, caused by the rider being thrown forward on his fork. Finally, the long seat, which is obligatory, answers admirably with the Californian pacer or canterer*, but with the high-trotting military horse it would inevitably lead—as has been proved before the European stirrup-leather was shortened-—to hernias and other accidents.
    To the stirrups I have but one serious objection—they can not be made to open in case of the horse falling; when inside the stiff leather macheer, they cramp the legs by bowing them inward, but habit soon cures this. Instead of the light iron contrivances which before recovered play against the horse’s side, which freeze the feet in cold, and which toast them in hot weather, this stirrup is sensibly made of wood. 
In the Eastern States it is a lath bent somewhat in the shape of the dragoon form, and has too little weight; the Californian article is cut out of a solid block of wood, mountain mahogany being the best, then maple, and lastly the softer pine and cotton-wood. In some parts of the country it is made so narrow that only the toe fits in, and then the instep is liable to be bruised. For riding through bush and thorns, it is provided in front with 'zapateros'* or leathern curtains, secured to the straps above, and to the wood on both sides: they are curiously made, and the size, like that of the Turk’s lantern, denotes the owner’s fashionableness; dandies may be seen with the pointed angles of their stirrup-guards dangling almost to the ground.
The article was borrowed from Mexico-—the land of character dresses. When riding through prickly chapparal, the leathers begin higher up, and protect the leg from the knee downward. I would not recommend this stirrup for Hyde Park, or even Brighton; but in India and other barbarous parts of the British empire, where, on a cold morning’s march, men and officers may be seen with wisps of straw defending their feet from the iron, and on African journeys, where the bush is more than a match for any texture yet woven, it might, methinks, be advantageously used.
The same may be said of the spurs [old book - The History of the Spur] which, though cruel in appearance, are really more merciful than ours. The rowels have spikes about two inches long; in fact, are the shape and size of a small starfish; but they are never sharpened, and the tinkle near the animal’s sides serves to urge it on without a real application. The two little bell-like pendants of metal on each side of the rowel-hinge serve to increase the rattling, and when a poor rider is mounted upon a tricky horse, they lock the rowels, which are driven into the sincho, and thus afford another point d’appuii. If the rider’s legs be long enough, the spurs can be clinched under the p0ny’s belly. Like the Mexican, they can be made expensive: $25 a pair would be a common price.
 -----
well, I hope you find this depiction of this particular piece from the large arsenal of the American Western Horse Heritage written by a British writer, for all intensive purposes a foreigner.  This is my intro in the subject of California horsetack and horse, more will come in the future.
* original spelling

La silla del vaquero -New Spain colonial saddle tree

Salve,
for many years I have been studying the books and documents related to the Spanish Conquest in North America. Naturally it all has had to do with horses, Indians aka Native Americans, ethnohistory, horsemen and horsemanship.
Archive.org and library internet collections allow now for a rapid access to old documents that might have been not easy accessible without travel and expense, so glory to the US miltiary scientists for developing the Internet :)
Ad rem,
I have been curious what kind of saddle was in use by the Spaniards when they took Old Mexico and when they marched their horses to conquer  Nuevo Mexico and Tejas . Please note that  in due time I should be able to offer some drawings and  writings regarding the first 200 years of Nueva España, drawn from these older documents and iconographic material available through the net depositories and libraries etc.

But these drawings of today, merged in one plate, come from variously reconstructed images done by my most favorite Texas artist and writer,  Jack Jackson. He, unfortunately already with the ancestors, was one prolific illustrator of Texas history and lore, famous outside of Texas for his underground comics,  also working on editing old narratives and illustrating then for academic publication related to the history of Texas, especially the Spanish Texas or Tejas and then Mexican Tejas. He himself  produced a very academic book on the Spanish ranching in Texas that is crucial here - Los Mesteños: Spanish Ranching in Texas, 1721-1821.
In his books, both comics and academic works, one can find artfully and historically correct reconstruction of horse tack, weapons, architecture, and nature. The books ''Secret of San Saba,'' ''Comanche Moon,'' ''The Alamo'' are such treasures of Spanish, early Texan and Native peoples artifacts related to horsemanship, vaquero and soldier garb, and also architecture.
Today I am offering you a glimpse into the Tejas-Nueva Espana saddle tack as described and reconstructed through the research of Mr. Jackson. It suppose to represent the everyday used saddle tree of the vaqueros or cowboys who worked on large ''estancias'' and ''haciendas'' lassoing large and dangerous longhorns and mustangs of Tejas, trying to survive tornadoes, Comanches, and Apaches, creating the equipment, vocabulary and generally paving the way for the so called American cowboy.
I drew this from various publications and compiled together. This saddle tree lack a cover and several other things but in the future I should return to these subjects, especially when I will attempt to show some drawings of the Nueva Espana famous horse soldiers - the presidiales - who from about 1560s until 1820 mounted and armed with lance, sword and escopeta patrolled vast territories of the New Spain.
One interesting observation about this saddle tree can its apparent similarity to the saddles of Central Asia, that were brought to Europe and the North Africa by the nomadic horsemen of Turkish extraction from the steppes (and perhaps China and Korea) some 1,500 years ago. The most telling difference might be the lack of birchbark to line the saddle tree in order to waterproof it. Actually the wooden stirrups were just nothing new, but a window into the past development of the stirrup as the first stirrups used by the Nomads, Chinese, Korean, Arabs etc had been made out of wood...

Reworking old sketches of the Great Plains horsemen

Salve,
I am practicing with different 'brushes' and 'pencils' in MyPaint and I have started reworking some old sketches  of the Great Plains warriors

I must add that three of these sketches were based on the books by Thomas E. Mails in my collection - biography  he was a great man whose work and art I greatly admire -   Mistic Warriors of the Plains  and ''Dog Soldiers Societies of the Plains'' - Mails Dog Soldiers

Hokka Hey - in the spirit of 1876

Salve,
Just sketching - in the spirit of the Little Big Horn  Ad 1876 - 

Greasy Grass -Little Big Horn 1876

Salve,
yesterday, June 25, 2011, there was the 135th anniversary of the battle of Little Big Horn that is the best recognized battle between the Native inhabitants of the Americas (Native Americans, American Indians - that  includes all Native peoples, even those from down south of the US-Mexican border :) ) - and the European colonizers of their Homeland. In this case, the war was fought by the members of various bands of the Lakota Sioux and their Cheyenne and Arapaho allies against the US Army, the instant battle was fought between the mounted Plains warriors and US  7th Cavalry regiment  led by the Civil War hero Armstrong Custer.
There are two heroes that come to my mind when recalling the battle - Crazy Horse  and Sitting Bull

here Sitting Bull, in his own drawing done circa 1881, more of his art here collections.si.edu Sitting+Bull+drawing

And in this drawing by Amos Bad Heart Bull these two principal leaders of the Oglala Lakotas and their allies during the war of 1876-77 drawn together

Warriors, who took part in the battle, drew their own recollections of this conflict, in form of ledger books drawings or single sheet drawings, collectively known as ledger art. One of the most famous was the Amos Bad Heart Bull ledger art, the original lost now, bu the photographs of the original drawings were published by Szwedzicki and then in 1967 by the University of Nebraska Press as Pictographic History of the Oglala Sioux by Amos Bad Bull Heart  In 1999 Herman Viola published Little Big Horn Remembered, Untold Indian Story of Custer's Last Stand  that included numerous Indian warriors drawings showing the battle and Plains Indians combat lore  -   . Recently, in 2003, there was a book published in Spokane title ''For All to See: The Little Bighorn Battle in Plains Indian Art'' by Sandra L. Brizée-Bowen, having been a compilation of art draw by the Plains Indians on the subject (I am waiting for this book from my interlibrary loan :) ), and last year another book has been published - Rubbing Out Long Hair Pehin Hanska Kasota: The American Indian Story of the Little Big Horn in Art and Word by Rodney G. Thomas, here a review www.custerbattlefield.org Rubbing Out review.

I mustn't forget the fine little book, size wise, published by Osprey, where late Richard hook wrote and illustrated the Indian warriors of the Little Big Horn -  ospreypublishing Hook Little Big Horn . I must recommend books by Richard M. Hardorff – author of “ Lakota recollections of the Custer fight: new sources of Indian-military history” (U. of Nebraska 1997),''Cheyenne memories of the Custer fight'' (U. of Nebraska Press, 1998), ''Hokahey! A good day to die!: the Indian casualties of the Custer fight'' (U. of Nebraska 1999), ''Indian views of the Custer fight: a source book'' ( U. of Oklahoma 2005)

Cheyenne warrior and artist Wooden Leg  story of the battle wooden_leg_little_big_horn

 Fine article on the Half Moon Ledger with images booktryst.com rt-of-war-lakota-style here a very interesting side story, the return of tribal artifacts to the tribal museums and burial grounds under wiki/Native_American_Graves_Protection_and_Repatriation_Act , as may be the case with this ledger as it was allegedly taken from the funerary lodge.
Interesting blog article here, in the context of American Indian, artists and Little Big Horn   danielduford.blogspot.com 
Obviously one interested in the Plains warrior art must visit this awesome site, already listed on my blog,  plainsledgerart.org