The Cowboy's Gear

The Cowboy's Gear. . Gear was critical to the 19th century cowboy who spent much of his time on the trail. In addition to its functionality, a cowboy's gear also served as a source of pride and showed a sense of style. Here, the Trail Boss features gear common in this area of the country during the mid to late 1800s., Saddle , The saddle, called the Slick Fork, was manufactured by the S.C. Gallup and Frazier Co. in Pueblo, Colorado, in 1880. It was a saddle commonly seen in New Mexico from the 1880s into the 1900s thus becoming known as "the saddle that carried the West." The saddle horn had a tough leather wrapping, which was ideal for roping wild cows in the brush typical of the New Mexico landscape., Rifle , The rifle held high by the Trail Boss is a 44 Henry, 44 caliber, 15 shot repeater, manufactured by New Haven's Arms Company in New Haven, Connecticut between 1863 and 1865. Approximately 14,000 rifles of this make were manufactured with three quarters of them being used in the Civil War. This was the saddle gun of choice for Charles Goodnight, as it was for most cowboys., Pistol , Most cowboys of the era carried a Colt of some kind. The pistol carried by this Trail Boss is a single action Colt 44 with a 7 1/2- inch barrel. Also called a hog leg, these pistols were used to protect cattle against predators such as wolves, mountain lions, and bears. They were used to put down a wounded or weakened animal on the trail. In addition to its primary functions, the pistol was often worn by a cowboy as a way to impress the ladies., Chaps , While there were three styles of chaps worn in the old west, the earliest, and most popular, were known as shotguns. The name came from the two straight legs of leather resembling shotguns. The other styles were called batwings and woolies. These leggings protected the cowboy from brush cactus and the cold wind and rain in the northern country., Spurs , The 19th century cowboy was as particular about his spurs as he was about his other gear. The spurs worn by this Trail Boss are a classic drop shank style with a jingle bob that was common in the 1880s. They were made by August Buermann of Newark, New Jersey.