Suede Seat Saddle Suede or Rough-Out Seat Saddle – A saddle seat covered with suede-like material to help keep an unskilled rider from sliding around too much. Such seats tend to become uncomfortable quickly because of the increased friction between the seat and the rider; they also hinder good leg cues. The term “Rough-Out” refers […]
Saddle Tree Bows The Bars are those parts of the saddle tree that form curved connections between the side pieces of a saddle tree. Originally made of a light wood such as basswood, many saddle trees are now made of composite materials such as plastic resins. This wooden tree has been Fiberglas reinforced. Photo by […]
A saddle tree showing the horn attached to the top of the pommel. Photo by Bob Lemen. All Rights Reserved. Special thanks to Cowpokes Work & Western1812 E. 53rd St.,Anderson, Indiana 46013. www.cowpokes.biz E-mail: [email protected].
Snaffle Bit A simple jointed bit for a horse; without a curb. The bit pictured features a coating of sweet iron and copper to improve taste and promote salivation to keep the horse’s mouth moist. Photo by Bob Lemen. All rights reserved.
Sidewinder A Sidewinder rattlesnake — also called the Horned Rattlesnake. The Sidewinder hides in desert sand or in animal burrows. It travels by throwing a loop of its body in the direction it wants to go, pulling the rest of its body to the loop, and repeating the process. Primarily nocturnal, the Sidewinder is rarely […]
Switchback Switchbacks in the Olympic National Park Road System, Port Angeles vicinity, Clallam, WA. Courtesy Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Historic American Engineering Record Collection, HAER WA-166.
Stirrup Leather The Stirrup Leather is a strap that supports a stirrup. A Stirrup Leather may be an extension of the Fender or a separate strap that connects to the Fender. Photo by Bob Lemen. All rights reserved.
Stirrup The Stirrup is a metal or wood ring, sometimes covered with leather, attached to a strap which is fastened to the saddle to hold the foot of the rider. It is used to assist a person in mounting a horse, enabling the rider to sit steadily, and supporting part of the weight of the […]
Spider Straps Spider Straps – Narrow leather straps that hold a cinch ring in place on some saddles (especially military-style saddles). Also called quarter straps. Illustration adapted from “Drill Regulations for Field Companies of the Signal corps (provisional)” (1911). United States Government Printing Office (Washington, D.C.)
Stirrup Strap Stirrup Strap – (Also known as a Hobble Strap or Keeper.) A small buckled strap that holds the stirrup leather and fender together. It prevents the stirrup from turning over if you fall from the horse, which could cause your foot to become tangled in the stirrup. Photo by Bob Lemen. All rights […]
Studebaker Relic of a by-gone age, this Studebaker wagon reached the end of the trail at the Ferraro Ranch in Paradise Valley, Nevada. Hundreds of thousands of Studebaker wagons — many of them surplus Civil War era army escort wagons — traveled west on the California and Oregon trails. Photo by William H. Smock, courtesy […]
Sawbuck Homesteader sawing wood on a sawbuck. Photo by Russell Lee, April 1937. Courtesy Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA-OWI Collection, reproduction number LC-USF34-010786-E DLC. Insert: Public domain image of 1901 ten dollar “sawbuck.”
Scratches Scratches is a skin problem on the lower legs of horses, caused by a fungus (and sometimes complicated by bacteria). Also known as “greasy heel,” “mud fever,” “dew poisoning,” “dew fever,” and “pastern disease.” The affected area becomes crusted, scabby and thickened, creating bumps and sometimes open sores. In severe cases the affected skin […]
Shotgun Chaps This narrow pair of chaps was made about 1945 by Walt Goldsmith Saddlers in San Francisco, California, and used in Northern Nevada. Note the set-in pockets. Photo by Alfred Harrell, courtesy Library of Congress. Digital ID afc96ran 48075