Alan Bell

All of those answers were correct! Don't split thinner than the thinnest part. Plan projects ahead and if you need thinner strings get a smaller animal. It's no good to spend a lot of time braiding something nice with fine strings if it doesn't last and small calves that make nice string are cheap at the sale barn! (and your dog will love you for it!)

Que lindo Enrique! Very beautiful! Now I'm afraid to post mine! Vas ir a TCAA in Oklahoma? Ya me voy con una de mis hijas si quieres ir con nosotros. I'm going to start another handle this week and I need your help. I made the handle myself and have some horse rawhide. You can call my cell at 972 467 2827. Abrazos Alan

leather collar on a dowel, smooth side in! I do different knots, no favorites. size of strings from 1mm to 1/8".I've put up to 5 passes on a scarf slide before. Vaya con Dios, Alan

Not sure of a tutorial but in the description of the whip it calls it a 'box pattern' which is what I have called it. Try Knotheads worldwide. Not sure of a tutorial but in the description of the whip it calls it a 'box pattern' which is what I have called it. Try Knotheads worldwide.

Our friend, saddle maker, braider and reiner, Clint Haverty has a feature article in this issue of WH. Congratulations, Clint on an excellent article that does justice to a fantastic life! Vaya con Dios, Alan

Our friend, saddle maker, braider and reiner, Clint Haverty has a feature article in this issue of WH. Congratulations, Clint on an excellent article that does justice to a fantastic life! Vaya con Dios, Alan

Great looking saddle! very clean! The cross over rope strap originating under the seat might make it a bit hard for your rope to hang I don't know for sure but I don't think I've seen it started there before. While I know most really cool things come from TEXAS. the stirrup twist is from Oregon I believe. Not many Texas makers doing it yet. That is about all i can say besides EXCELLENT! Vaya con Dios, Alan

Joel, have a great time camping and when you get some time I would love to see your setup! I like to use a fiador too and there aren't many that still do! I'd also be interested in hearing more about the location of the pressure points you refer to and how to find them on different horses! I've heard folks talk about this but so far no one has shown me where they are. As a braider and aspiring bridle horseman I am VERY interested. Vaya con Dios y hacer in buen viaje! Alan

Will do! Thanks! Vaya con Dios, Alan

Yes Paul, that is my brand. I bred for this horse ( my stud and broodmare) raised trained and sold him and the lady broke her hip had to quit riding and GAVE him back! Matter of fact I have a lookalike sister that went through three different owners and was GIVEN back to me! Their mare is a "true" Medicine Hat Mare, grand daughter to the last Medicine Hat to come out of the wild! Disney made a movie in the 60's about that horse called 'Peter Lundy and the Medicine Hat Paint' and her sire was used by the Lakotah to fulfill Black Elks vision of a Horse Dance to bless the People in the mid 70's! A VERY special bloodlines! I've been told and it's seems to be true that I can't sell this bloodline I have to give them away as gifts that's why they all came back to me. My first Medicine Hat ,their dam was indeed a gift to me. A friend that was gifted that mares brother sold a colt that was given back to him and he just gifted it to someone last year! Kinda alters my breeding program a bit as I have a nice grulla stud colt from the black mare and I also have her older sister another Medicine Hat that is about to foal! Now to find worthy receipents! Vaya con Dios, Alan

Hey Knut, he is registered as a Spanish Barb. The Spanish Barb are the descendants of the horse originally brought to the New World by the Spanish. There are several registries each trying to figure outmwhat to call these horses, Spanish Barb, Spanish Mustang, Horse of the Americas I chose bloodlines with the least controversy my horses could be registered in any of the other registries if I choose. Your horse looks very similar. Vaya con Dios, Alan

Hey Joel, are all the hacks in the picture you posted yours? If so what are the measurements of the noseband? Inside curve and outside curve? What is the length from inside the noseband to inside the heelknot (without the mecate)? Who is/are the maker/makers? They appear to have a longer noseband (8"+) and a longer length (12"+) If so why do you prefer that length on either noseband or length? There is a trend towards shorter nosebands and lengths for a tighter fit with fewer wraps. Also does your get down end (mecate tail) come out of the bottom or top side of the wraps? I ask all this to help others understand how the bosal is meant to functions and how changing any of these factors when building one affects it use! Thanks in advance for taking the time to measure them if they are yours. Vaya on Dios, Alan

Joel, NO, NO, NO!! You have not offended me! You made an honest assement of what i presented in the picture! Mine was a feeble attempt to poke fun at myself. Now it seems I have to apologize to you for making you spend a day thinking you had offended me! Joel, You are alright!!! You can make camp at my fire ANYTIME! This reminds me of a saying, "Everything I learned; I learned from the horse!" Some of you will know who said that, (the rest should find out!) We learn from each other how sensitive we each are, how callous, how polite or how mean through our little interactions. I've learned that Joel is an honorable Gentleman that says what he means and means what he says and will probably let you know in no uncertain terms when he means to offend so you don't have to guess! Hopefully he learned that I may kid around a bit too much but I have a little thicker skin than he was originally thinking and I am fairly hard to offend. I take constructive criticism well (or else I'd hate myself-my own 'worst critic')and if a person is telling it like it is, like Joel did, I have nothing to be upset about! I called myself a gunsel, I posted the picture knowing it was not "correct"! The horse is checked up and I was prepared for that criticism as well. I believe in and use that method some do not. I think it is important to understand fit, form and function! That is what Joel was talking about in his original response! Joel was correct! I'm not using the proper piece of gear in the picture. It is nice (and necessary) to have someone with enough knowledge of fit, form and function to be able to point these things out so we all can improve not just on our braiding technique but on our horsemanship because they are related ( like the egg and the Egg McMuffin )(I tend to ramble on a bit) (pretty birdee) (oh yeah I lose focus too)( and I like using paranthesis ) ( 4 syllables! ) Vaya con Dios, Alan

Hey GrampaJoel, you are right! I have a 3/8" under bridle that is a tad small (length) for this horse so I squeezed the 1/2" hack on him as a two rein. Looks like your pic is a pencil bosal for a straight up horse (which he is not). When I get a chance I'll braid up a proper two rein hack so folks like you won't point out what a gunsel I am!! Vaya con Dios, Alan

Hey Blackhammer, Say a man wanted to build a 3/8th" reata, and say that man wanted it 60-65' long. I'd say that man better be pretty strong OR have a lot of stamina! A 3/8" reata is pretty hefty to be swinging especially if you've never done any big loop ropin' Also, there is going to be considerable breaking in time with a 3/8th" reata if it is braided right and tight! I'm just supposin these things because I notice your from Kentucky and you father is a S.B. Preacher, so puttin all this together and bein's how I knows my goesintas i'm surmising you aint swung a 3/8th reata. If I'm wrong forgive me! I'd suggest using 6/32 X 3/32 to make a 5/16 reata. especially for the first one. I'd also suggest investing in 'Four Strands of Rawhide' by Bill Dorrance w/Randy Reiman, The video Bible on reata braiding! At any rate try your durnedest to braid it all in one setting. It will be more consistent! Vaya con Dios, Alan

Just making sure everyone knows that Nate had to canceled! Nate has flooding at his ranch and has fences down. I'm willing to do it for anyone still interested. I'd charge $50 a day and it will be at my friend Jake Wiggins facility in Leonard TX. the format would remain the same, just bring along a project and we will work on things to improve. I have some Argentine and Brazilian braiding books and we can explore some of those knots as well. So, if anyone is still interested in doing something we can work out a date say late June early July. Jakes place is a horse training facility so we can also go over some practical applications of the gear we make! Vaya con Dios, Alan

Just as a matter of passing on knowledge I don't think either one of the Dorrances, Fred, Bill or Tom used the latigo through the honda. As far as I can find they might have sometimes left a long tail to a strand of the braid attaching the Honda to a reata in order to have something to pull to release the rope from a cow, maybe you could do it from horseback if you were lucky! That's the reason for it either method. Vaya con Dios, Alan

What are you calling "Dorrance" style hondas? Do you mean with the latigo pulls? There really is nothing different but to make them a little larger and leave room for the latigo. Try cutting some a little larger than usual and trimming to shape. If that don't work I'll send my pattern it's kinda football shaped with a backward "C" cut out of each end. Vaya con Dios, Alan

Thanks Everyone! It sure is a good feeling when the horse is responding and the gear is holding up and lookin good! Truly is the reason why! (Besides not being able to afford anything but home made!) Vaya con Dios, Alan

Thanks, Rawhide and Roo4u! Leatherpownder, that hatband is for a customer. The one I made for myself is out of some horse that I got from Peru. It's kinda funky looking hide and stunk to high heaven! I braided that one out of 1mm strands and it is about 1/4" wide. Vaya con Dios, Alan

I know this is not actually about braiding but I figured I post this here anyway. This is a registered Spanish Barb gelding I raised and trained in an under bridle I made and a saddle I made. Vaya con Dios, Alan

Here's a hatband I did a while back. I actually just finished another one just like it but never took a pic before I boxed it up to send off. Vaya con Dios, Alan

Hadn't posted much lately but I've been busy! Heres' a 1/2" bosal. Vaya con Dios, Alan

MAJOR UPDATE! Heard from TJ, Nate's wife, that they are in some of the flooding that is happening in Montana and that Nate wont make it down anytime this year! Still trying to figure out what to do next! I am no Nate Wald but I would be willing to host something for half the price if there are still folks interested. I understand this may not be much of a consolation if you were expecting Nate and I could probably learn something from most of the folks that were considering coming but maybe we can all help each other! There is always something to learn! The format would remain the same and scheduling just got a whole lot easier! Let me know if you are still interested in a Sat-Sun thing in June or July and we can make it happen in Leonard at a horse training ranch my friend and horseman Jake Wiggins runs! Either way we will get Nate down here somehow next year! Vaya con Dios, Alan

Will do John, Hopefully I will know a date this week. Nate has flooding at home and actually cant get to his house yet! But they have internet and will let me know soon. Vaya con Dios, Alan