INTRO BY LINDSAY CRAIG
PHOTOS BY AUDREY MAY
JACK DANGERS

The Cowboy, Vaquero, Buckaroo, and the Charro all share the same North American family of origin story; horses and cattle have fed, clothed, transported, employed, and connected us from one end of the continent to the other.  Sharing traditions, craftsmanship, knowledge, skill, a good bottle, a tune and ceremony after a long day. There is an ever so present divide currently between Canada, US and Mexico but western lifestyle continues to keep us all connected.

I have a love affair with the states, as many Canadians do, one of greatest inspiration for art, culture, music and fashion. I have always identified myself as a West-coast Punk-Cowgirl influenced heavily by California’s desert-coastal culture. The colour palette, the dust, dry heat and salt left in your hair, sun kissed, wind blown and freckle faced. 

Californio horsemanship and riding culture has taken off here in BC, and I have been following its blossoming for the last decade. With the first Canadian bridlehorse associations being established across the west and east of the Rockies, competitions, mentors and passionate horse people are leading the way. Bringing traditional Spanish practices that you will find across all those working livestock, to the modern day rider. Big horned saddles, ropes, bits and an ample amounts of rawhide. Traditional tanning, braiding, leather work and skills have been passed on for centuries and many of us intend to keep them alive. An underground subculture or society of people who are connected across all borders through their passion, skill, art forms and lifestyle. Teachings of stewardship of the land and animals that help provide us with the tools, food and materials needed in the wild-west. If you are a true survivalist, riding, ranching, cowboying, braiding and leather work will get you through an apocalypse.

On the cover is Madison Shambaugh (aka Mustang Maddy) holding a Hackamore; a bosal made purely of braided rawhide, balanced perfectly on one small string of leather wrapped in spun horse hair mecate reins; materials made purely from the animals we steward. This tool is one of the most universally accepted pieces of tack of today, accepted by the most talented and soft handed trainers of our time, like Maddy.  Maddy has devoted her life to the untangling  of horse-human relationship and challenges the industry to continually find softness within the domination of hard hands. 

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The hackamore is traditionally used for the first introduction to riding and steering for a young colt. Playing off the balance point under the chin, the horse learns to move from their core, potentially developing proper carriage and muscle structure.   Most casual riders find it attractive providing a beautiful stylish alternative to the common bit, and getting out of the horses mouth. 

Colt starting isn’t a profession for the faint of heart, and is inherently full of risk, be it emotional, physical or financial.  The colt starters of the world can be the bottom of the barrel or the top of the food chain in the horse industry, and occupy what could possibly be one of the most scrutinized roles.  Many horses that have been classified with behaviour issues, the blame tends to land on their start, and who started them. The typical 30 day cowboy start, seems to slowly be becoming a thing of the past, as the expectation for “bomb proof” and “dead broke” horses becomes standard. It’s a fine line and a philosophical conundrum creating what the consumer wants out of their horses while keeping the horses personality and spirit intact. Methods of training have come remarkably far in the last century, but still have a ways to go.  We owe it to those horse men and woman who devote their lives to keep these horses safe by giving them the gift of domestication. This gives the horse the best chance at a good home, a full belly and maybe a little girl that will sneak them carrots and braid their manes.

Horses are such incredible, emotionally sensitive animals, it takes an especially in-tune human to domesticate a horse, without causing harm.  These are animals whose long memories and bloodlines run millions of years before human touch.  Ignorant to the borders we have created between us, but only following what nature has laid out. Given the chance, would return to its wild-ness and run free if we leave open the gate.