Alan Bell

Well, I guess it's safe to go back in the water now so I'll try again. This is how I go about making a 1/2" bosal with a braided core. These are 3 cores in the different stages I use a reata type piece And then if I need to I cover it with a piece of lining leather or chap leather to make the desired finished size. I figure the lace thickness at 1/8th" which is basically the thickness of 4 strands since the strands cross over each other in the braid AND the thickness can be thought of as on the front and back. Then I add that to the radius of the core and the difference is made up in leather. . Then I braid over this with whatever I've decided on in this case it is a 16 strand braid. Next I cut strips put glue on them glue on the bosal and then nail them in place with small brads I then put them on with one in the middle and one for each end of the noseband. to be continued... Vaya Con Dios, Alan Bell Bob Marley - Punky Reggae Party

Johanne and Kate, Thanks for all that you have done. I was worried it was all my Bob Marley quotes that got me banned! Vaya Con Dios, Alan Bell Bob Marley - Guiltiness

What problem are you having? Spacing? or what? Vaya Con Dios, Alan Bell Bob Marley - Buffalo Soldier

Looks good Rob, Things are coming along nicely for you. What are the measurements you are using for your bosals? Also, this is just something I look at, did you do anything under the side buttons? Even if you do not do a tapered nose band I still like to make the ends of the nose band the same size as the side buttons so I would add the same build up. When I do a tapered nose I make the center the same size as the ends of the nose and the side buttons. This is just aesthetics and does not really affect how the bosal functions. The length of the nose band will affect that and so will the size of the heel knot but that is a individual training thing. Form and function. Over all you are turning out nice gear that I'd be happy to fit on a pony! Vaya Con Dios, Alan Bell Bob Marley - Satisfy My Soul

Hey Roo4U, I was talking about Ron Edwards the Aussie, He has published more books about braiding than anyone in the world and presented a little tutorial on the Trenza Patria we learned from the Argentine braiders Pablo Lozano and Armando Defferia a few years back. There are a few different ones but the "main" one is a 12 strand flat braid that doesn't go left hand right hand but instead has two movements with each hand! Ron worked it out from six strands middled so you have a closed end. If you get the opportunity to travel to study PM me and I will give you Nate Walds contact info in Montana. There are none better to study with he knows several Trenza Patrias and quite a few other knots that are fairly unique (some are real buggers to tie!) Basically he has gone to Argentina like Bruce Grant did only now in Argentina there are folks like Armando and Pablo that are gathering the knowledge of all the braiders in the Pampas together so you seek out Pablo and Armando and it's like visiting with all the great masters in Argentina! The work they do in Argentina would humble and inspire the greatest braiders we have here. Pablo made a braided rawhide girth strap that was almost 2 feet wide and took 6 years to braid! Magnificent work! That inspired Nate to make a set of Santa Ynez romal reins that he braided on continuously for 6 months at least 8 hrs. a day! Truly mind blowing work and noone I have heard of in the US could duplicate his work because they don't know how to tie some of the knots. Very Unique braiding and the reins were fantastic. They featured a braiding pattern called a 'Farolito' of little lantern that is pretty neat. You can see the set on the TCAA website. Vaya Con Dios, Alan Bell Bob Marley - Pass It On

Nice work and I Love the use of the Trenza Patia. Did you get that from Ron's flyer a few years back after he met with Pablo and Armando? Vaya Con Dios, Alan Bell Bob Marley - Pass It On

Hey Rob, not sure if this is a custom order or what. Does the person requesting the bosal really plan on using it in a 2 rein rig? I like my gear to fit the intended use and I'm not sure how a 1/2" bosal would work as a under bridle or 2 rein bosal. Maybe, I'm missing something but a 1/2" bosal equates to 1" of bosal between the bridle and the horse. I've never known anyone to do that. If they are going to put the bosal OVER the bridle to work things that way you'd need to make the bosal big enough to go over a shanked or leverage bit. That might make it quite big. I recently made two bosals for 2 reins one was 1/4" (which to my way of thinking is the standard) the other was 3/8" which is the largest I think most would try and use under the bridle. I have to re do the 3/8" order because I made it too small for my customers horse and I'd like to spare you the trouble of re doing an order by telling you to make sure they really want a 1/2" bosal to use in a 2 rein. Vaya Con Dios, Alan Bell Bob Marley - Pass It On

I think those that are cutting leather excusively will have a different experience than those that cut rawhide since moisture content is not a factor. I have the strander (rt. index finger) and a draw guage and I use them to cut strip. I then use the Hansen cutter to make lace or strands with rawhide. Moisture content and sharpness are the keys. And Joe, you're using the wrong 'via' (by way of) the correct one is 'vaya' (go) as in.... Vaya Con Dios, Alan Bell Bob Marley - Pass It On

Hey Rob, most folks do not try and thin rawhide strings down thinner than the thinnest part. If your strip varies from say 5/32" to 3/32" thick then the thinnest you would want to take it is to 3/32". The reason being that you will compromise to much of the strings integrity by going down to say 1/32". If you want "good" string that thin you will have to get a calf or better still a slunk or what ever they call stillborns in your neck of the woods. Go down to your local auction barn and I bet they have some that aren't going to make it that they will practically give away. You may have to kill one yourself but at that point it is the humane thing to do as they have some come through that aren't that healthy and there is nothing can be done with them. String thinned like you are trying MAY be good for buttons...maybe but definitely not for braiding. Also, if your string is stretching while splitting and your blade is sharp then the strip is too moist. I put them in a sack or baggie or plastic bag for another day and let the moisture content even out a bit more then try again. And when I am going from 5/32" to 3/32" I will do that in 2 or three passes and not all at once ESPECIALLY if I have already taken the stretch out of my strip by putting it on the fence. I hardly do that any more because the process of splitting is usually enough to take the stretch out of the final strings. When you stretch too much you run the risk of breaking down the fiber of the string and you end up with weak stretch string that will probably break during braiding and if not leaves a weak spot in your finished product. Vaya Con Dios, Alan Bell Bob Marley - Pass It On

Thanks everyone. I appreciate all the comments. Vaya Con Dios, Alan Bell Bob Marley - Jump Nyabingi!

Hi Tracy, I guess I'll jump in. Basically with braiding very few get what the gear is actually worth considering the time and effort involved. I make my own rawhide as do quite a few others and that time and the time to turn the rawhide into lace are seldom compensated BUT it is reflected in the quality of work I am capable of producing. I get to control the quality from start to finish on each piece of gear I let out. What I did is look at what is being sold in my area; the cheap, the moderate, and the expensive then I compared that to what folks could get if they went online and did a little surfing/shopping and I looked HONESTLY at my work and set my prices accordingly. I want the price of my gear to be reflective of the quality that i thing it holds not forgetting that just because I made the rawhide lace I can still mess up the braiding or just because the braiding is perfect if I put a weak string in there over time the flaw will show. You can't know that about production pieces. I have a plastic mixing bowl full of knots that did not come out perfect so I cut them off and started over. Every good braider will have a bunch of these. I keep mine to show to anyone interested in learning how to braid just to let them know that it truly is as hard as it looks! You can't charge for them but they are part of the price! Also, with rawhide horse gear it is a VERY regional thing and the pricing is affected by this so you have to price for your area when going to show and things of that nature. Vaya Con Dios, Alan Bell

Hey Rob, if I had to guess I'd say about 12 yrs. Started with the Woolery and Grant and Hought books when I found I couldn't find nor afford what I found the type and quality of gear I wanted. You should look into the TCAA scholarship if you haven't already. Vaya Con Dios, Alan Bell Bob Marley - I shot the Sheriff

Hey Denise, you're correct, it means small bosal. Some folks call them a "pencil bosal" because the diameter of the cheeks is 1/4" the same as a pencil. They are used under the bridle of a horse finished in the classical Vaquero tradition sort of as a reminder of the earlier lessons hence the third name "under bridle bosal". The fellow that ordered the 3/8" bosal also wants to use his under the bridle so I guess it is an "under bridle bosal" but not a "pencil bosal"??!!? Vaya Con Dios, Alan Bell Bob Marley - I shot the Sheriff

Just finished a bosalito and a 3/8" bosal for some folks. The bosalito is already shaped a little and has horse rawhide for the interweaves. The 3/8" bosal has an Argentine knot called a "left hand" ring knot that is an enlarged casa and an interweave to make that size of a knot. It's a tricky knot to tie. Someday I'll try and post a tutorial on it. Vaya Con Dios, AlanBell bob Marley- Keep on Moving!

Since I still am not at home I asked a horseman that I know, Roeliff Annon, to do the same experiment that Greg did. He did it in a saddle I made for him on a Warren Wright tree and one made by Steve Mecum a while back. (Greg you might know who was making Steve's trees say 10 yrs ago?) Any ways he said he was sitting at "B" or between "A" and "B" and added later on in the day that he felt that being in that position AIDED in collecting the horse and allowing the horse to lighten its forehand. He did not think a person wanting elevation would want to sit at "A" as he felt it was an extreme. He is a well versed horseman and his horses are lighter in the front end than some of the big name reining trainers horses that I have ridden. At any rate that says that there are other trees out there that will put the rider in the "desired" position. He also agreed that maybe some production saddles have you sitting between "B" and C" but probably not all the way back at "C". Greg also mentioned the "low spot" that the saddle maker can put into his ground seat work and how that affects where the position of the rider is on the horse. Ben he was also riding Brislawn horses. He's got quite a few breeds to chose from Spanish Mustang to QH's to Peruvian Paso to BLM stock. I also have to admit I would like to see what Greg would think of one of David's saddles or saddle trees. I know Greg to be a straight up person. Honest as the day is long in my doings with him and one that has also spent much time, effort and money LEARNING the craft of saddle making. I consider him one of the future top saddle makers in North America. (and i'm not alone) He is a Horseman and he knows what it means to be called a Horseman. Vaya con Dios, Alan Bell Bob Marley- Night Shift

I guess I should at least have a morning coffee before I open my mouth and insert my foot. JR no need to bow out. I'm quite sure your experience far exceeds mine and I am still trying to process a lot of the things I've gathered from all the different sources especially when they seem to contradict each other. I may come down on the wrong side now and again but I'm still trying to get it right. I'm not home now but I have a book that talks about "forward seat" and it has some interesting things to say and a lot of it is quite controversial, too. I was not trying to infer that you called David a kook it was just my vague attempt at comedy. My apologies for that. Like you stated this is far from the original post. Vaya Con Dios, Alan Bell Bob Marley - Vampire

Once again I'm on the road, (D.C., Va., and Fl.) and missed the first parts of this discussion but wanted to add what I've found. "I wouldn't choose A as my choice to sit on a horse because it's putting all the weight he's carrying on the front end, the smoothest gaited horse will ride rough and have no choice but to learn to work on his front end, there goes any caliber of an actual stop and a horse couldn't rein very well when his front end is too heavy to get off his front feet and work on his butt. The result of riding a horse that far forward would prevent him from doing the job I need him for, if he stops on his front end and has to walk a circle to turn around he's rendered pretty much useless in a corrall sorting cows." -JRRedding. Not meaning to offend anyone so I'll just say that from what I've learned that is the opposite of what history teaches. The Spanish were the "Supreme" mounted warriors because they could rein their horses and get them to work off their hind ends BETTER than anyone else at the time and this is due in large part to where they sat. The Native Americans out rode the cavalry and you can still see spectacular bareback riding including sliding stops and spins at Crow Fair and the big endurance race the Nez Pierce have each year to testify that sitting over the withers does not impede the horse but rather helps it. It is also why the early California saddles were center fire. How we rope cattle has more to do with the rearward movement of the saddle than horsemanship. And the effects of that rearward, movement and it's relation to roping, has also contributed to the increasing popularity of the slick fork, low horn Wade saddle in recent years. The bigger and bigger swells meant a rider did not have to stay above the withers in order to stay on a horse that was getting a little catty but a slick fork meant the rider had to be "fork-ed" and if you look at Randy Steffens drawings of a ol' time bronc stomper you will see them sitting right over the withers and he points out that that was the benefit of the slick fork. Also the reiners and cutters I've dealt with in the Dallas/Ft Worth area a do not advocate a lot of weight in the stirrups. If you balance with too much weight in the stirrups you are actually RAISING your center of gravity so again your horsemanship suffers. David had me do a little balancing in the saddle and it is the same thing the cutters were trying to get me to do which is center you weight in the saddle and NOT put a lot of weight in the stirrups. Try sitting in a saddle with your weight in the stirrups and have someone push you from behind. You tip over like a tea pot and the more weight you push into the stirrups the easier you tip! Some of the reiners do put a lot of weight in the stirrups but their horses are performing in spite of the handicap which is what good horses do. Our horsemanship evolved out of the Spanish riding tradition including the cattle work but it seems there has been a bit lost in the translation. I know this does nothing to help Jennifer but I wanted to point these things out. A lot of what David says did not make much sense to me at first (I thought he was a kook) but then I got to visit with him in person and got a clearer picture of where he is coming from. His video is pretty good and it is clear to me now that while I've seen and met much better and much worse saddle makers as far as saddle making goes David is trying to understand the biomechanics of the horse anatomy and physiology, the human anatomy and physiology and the interplay between the two which is the totality of horsemanship. He is really doing quite a bit of research and though he may be a bit kooky......he is not a kook! Vaya Con Dios, Alan Bell Bob Marley - Ride, Natty Ride

Hey Timothy, I have used method #2 the most and I used #3 too. In my prefered method ( #2) I would braid approx. 6 - 8 in. past the core and then turn back and start my splice so that it ends up ending where the core ended. This makes the loop the same no. of strands as the body and the splice is about the same thickness as the body but the loop is not. When you cover the splice with a cowboy button it will come out about right and if I don't think it is going to I may do build up with floral tape. Floral tape is better than e - tape as it doesn't have any glue but sticks to itself and you can shape it to a degree. For the splice you can also leave out some strands. You can use 4 of the eight strand for the splice (or 6 of 12) if you wanted to. I also have fund that misting the strand dries them out quicker that so I would rather rub them down with a moistened shaving brush that also has rawhide cream on it. This keeps them moist longer. Vaya Con Dios, Alan Bell Bob Marley - Buffalo Soldier

Sounds like a plan to me! I've never had to change the lime wash out so I don't know if it helps or not but other than that I do basically everything you describe just like you describe it. Vaya con Dios, Alan Bell Bob Marley - Ride Natty Ride

Thanks Greg, I thought about that and will look into a way to do it. Vaya Con Dios, Alan Bell Bob Marley - Rastaman Chant

The Braiders Roundtable was a first as far as anyone knows. It was a gathering of braiders from all of North America and we hosted braiders from Argentina and 1 from Australia. We were supposed to host braiders from Mexico but they didn't make it. Hopefully it won't be the last time but I do not know of any immediate plans to repeat the event. Vaya con Dios, Alan Bell Bob Marley - One Love

I'd meant to post this a while back but here is a picture of the stirrup stretcher that I built myself fashioned after Bob Douglas'. There's the reason I don't get more things accomplished in the back ground that and this infernal inherent laziness! Vaya Con Dios, Alan Bell Bob Marley - Jah Lives

Way To Go!! Vaya Con Dios, Alan Bell Bob Marley - Mix Up

Thanks everybody glad folks found it useful. Skip, your right the knife just changes position to change the width of the lace. While I'd bet a good 'Ol' Timer' type blade would work my particular knife is a Japanese version of the Argentine "Criollo" type knife. Kevin I'll answer both post here. The visit with Nate Wald was great! I had seen the lace cutter at the Braiders Round table 2 yrs ago and had tried to make one up but didn't fair too well. Nate had one that he was using and I got a little more hands on experience with his so I made mine as soon as I got back. He has quite a bit of horse rawhide and I took a little with me that I had made and we made lace out of that and he helped me putting that fid work on the quirt handle in the other post. I had not been able to get things to work out for me using what I had been told and what I could glean from my rough interpretation of the Argentine braiding books I have and Nate cleared things up for me and I found out it is as hard to do as it looks but well worth the effort. I'd imagine like anything else the more you do it the easier it will get. I don't know if the pictures of beveling the string by hand will do any justice but I will try and get some up maybe next week. Vaya Con Dios, Alan Bell Bob Marley - Mix Up

Here is the finished product. Vaya con Dios, Alan Bell Bob Marley - Exodus