What S The Idea Behind This Style Of Horn Wrap?

[GrampaJoel]

I have wondered for a while why this horn is wrapped in this style. With the leather attached with a screw on top of the horn.

I have seen it over and over again. It just seems a curiosity to me.

Any one have an answer or an idea?

Joel

[oltoot]

I'm not sure that there was an "idea" behind it. I just always assumed that it represented a transitional phase in the development of the Texas saddle. Your example features others: the separate seat jockeys were added for rider comfort and protection, then closely followed the addition of a front jockey, these in conjunction with the open seat construction. Leather was different in the early days, too which made for certain construction preferences. Your example has a couple of features which are not "period" and they are the quick change buckles and the brass hardware and the modern fenders that go over the top of the stirrup leathers; more common would be leather covered steel rings and laced leathers with a smaller sweat leather under the stirrup leathers; the fender development went something like this: 1) just stirrup leathers, 2) the addition of a small, separate 'sweat leather' under the stirrup leathers to separate riders leg from sweaty horses' rib cages' 3) then the present configuration of a larger, more functionally shaped fender that goes over the top of the stirrup leathers and now often replacing part of them as a rivited and sewn assembly. One of the major forces of development was simply human experimentation and competitiveness, eg the seat/front jockeys. First they were added as separate pieces, then somebody tried to make a one piece seat, failing a few times before it became standard. Saddlemakers as a lot tend to be a little experimental and if they see that somebody is doing someting different they are prone to say to themselves "if he can do that then so can I." So it was as the half seat gave way to the whole seat and so on. There were also regional styles that were 'crossbred' as the cowboys wandered from place to place and traded gear and ideas. These factors tended to stabilize before WWII as the western ranges became populated and fenced and cowboys stayed closer to home. Then when the boys came home from WWII, we entered our present era of new travel and exchange of ideas.

Edited October 1, 2013 by oltoot

[GrampaJoel]

I don't recall seeing this done on wooden horns.

Maybe it had something to do with the advent of the metal horn.

It's not like the metal horn couldn't be covered similar to a wooden one.

I don't know why, but, I guess the screw just looks out of place to me.

Joel