When the cattle business moved to Texas the elaborate skirt disappeared, and the leather-bound wooden horn became thicker and sturdier for havy duty roping. The stirrups where made of wide steam-bent wood. Circa 1850
This was a Texas style work saddle made for left handed roper's but was used more for show than work. This was a difficult piece to carve in wood because of the ornate detail.
The Hope saddle was the most popular saddle used in pre- Civil War Texas. Adolphus Hope produced the design from the late 1830's, using many traits of the earlier Mexican Saddle - oversized "platter horn" - fancy metal covered horn and cantle. The early Hope saddle later lead to the Great Plains Saddle.
Starting in the 1700's the Mexican vaquero saddle was developed when the Vaqueros discovered that the old Spanish war saddle was not practical for working with cattle in the wide open spaces of the Americas. The early Spanish saddle design was used, with only minor modifications, for two hundred years. The charro is an elaborate variation of the Mexican saddle. This later Mexican charro saddle was made in 1890, showing Spanish (full) rigging, large "platter" horn, box stirrups, and hanging from the near side pummel, a full machete. Saddles like these were the predecessors of the American western saddles.
Most major frontier saddleries of the 1880's produced a Mother Hubbard style saddle. These were extremely popular with Texas drovers, perhaps because of the one piece mochilla. This single covering protected the rigging leather, fenders, and skirts from the weather. Circa. 1870
The first true saddle was developed by the vaqueros. This saddle's slim horn held a reata. The stirrups were made of wood covered with shield tapaderos, which protected the riders feet from brush, cactus, and thorns. An elaboratly tooled mochilla protected the whole rig.
By the 1870's the saddle had become longer, and all of its framework was now covered in leather. These big saddles were a boon to cowboys, who found they provided steadier, smoother seat.
