Before this site changed, there used to be a couple of saddle makers that posted good information and great pictures of their work. Sadly they don't come around any more. A while back I contacted one of them, the guy that went by Gumby on here and asked if he would make a set of slobber straps with my brand tooled on them. He agreed and today in the mail they arrived. All I can say is WOW. What a great job. They almost look to nice to hang on a bit but it wouldn't do them justice to leave them on the wall.

When I visited with Gumby on making them he told me that since the site was reformatted, it takes too long to load things on his system. That is sad, he had good opinions and great input. To the web people at WH, take that into consideration and maybe make some adjustments.

If you are reading this, thanks Gumby.

It would be great to see them, is there anyway you can post a picture?

Yep, Gumby was great! It is too bad that we lost some of the folks
from the "Old-forum". Seems like the forum has lost something
since it updated.

Try to post a picture and share!

I purchased a really fine little quirt made by a gal out of the Owyhee desert area, and Greg (Gumby) did the popper on it. His craftsmanship is quite evident even on such a small peice of stamped leather. It really makes the quirt. I beleive this is his website: http://gomersallsaddlery.com/

My quirt is pictured below.

Very nice work.

Hope this works. This should be a picture of the slobber straps.

Cool straps!

Very nice looking!!

Now, I'm gonna ask a real dumb question: Slobber straps are.. what? Are they the straps attached to the bit, and then to the reins? And why the name?

Yes slobs are attached to the snaffle bit and your mecate is tied around them to have a set of closed reins and a lead rope/get down rope you loop over your horn and into your armitas/belt/chaps/whatever. So if Bucky bucks you off you are still 'attached' to him.

There are multiple pictures of horses in snaffle bit get up with a mecate and slobber straps on my website, www.buckarooguide.com so you can see pictures there also if you subscribe to WH you'll see them in photos in WH all the time.

The slobs are called that because a horse slobbers his slobber will get on the strap not the mecate.

Some guys make them short some longer, some thick in diameter some thin. It's all personal preference there is no 'right or wrong' so to speak.

I use mine on the thin long side. The longer the slob strap the more length it adds to your mecate overall, just FYI.

Hope this answered your question....

I like them for training purposes. When you release the pressure on the mecate, the weight of the slobber straps fall and release the pressure on the bit immediatly. I feel that horse learn better because the release is faster. Horses learn to give to the pressure at the release of the pressure.

Hi.
a lot of tack makers, including myself don't come around anymore, because some others on the forum made a big stink that we were getting free advertising - I had started a thread featuring artists who did old time braiding, quality saddle and leather work to give people and idea what is out there and let people know where they could go if they didn't want the same old, factory made (in china and mexico) crappy tack - it is hard to dig up many of the artist who do stuff the old fashioned way and do custom work. ANYWAY removal of the thread and the two people in particular that griped ruined it for everyone - I myself enjoyed seeing what others were doing and even picked up a few good supply sources to boot! ANYWAY (again) that is why you are not seeing the thread(s) featuring western art and custom made tack - commercialism and the bad apples. (I'm goingto post a pic of my work anyway, just for spite! lol)
cheers


Jen

www.blackpondoutfitters.com

p.s. DID anyone besides me notice how badly the bosal rig fits the horse in the pic of the cover of the mag? FIADOReS people! The noseband should not be hanging so the knot is perpendicular to the ground! jeez

Visit My Website

[quote name='La Vaquera' date='Aug 7 2008, 08:03 PM' post='14825']
Yes slobs are attached to the snaffle bit and your mecate is tied around them to have a set of closed reins and a lead rope/get down rope you loop over your horn and into your armitas/belt/chaps/whatever. So if Bucky bucks you off you are still 'attached' to him.

Yes, thank you very much, La Vaquera -- I live in Canada, so some of this stuff doesn't make it into my neck of the woods, or I just have not heard of them before. I have seen them but didn't know what they were called, or why. I appreciate the time you took to answer my question.

I've never ridden with a mecate - I learned with either split or roper's reins, which of course are far different from a mecate. You just don't see them in use much around where I am, though I've seen them in tack stores. I might give them a try - is there anything I should know before purchasing or using a mecate?

Thanks....

My advise, buy mane hair mecates. Don't settle for tail hair or other materials. Mane hair is the ultimate and with care you will be handing them down to your grandkids. My newest mecate is 17 years old, gets used almost daily and has plenty of life left in it. I like the extra help that the hair bristles give. They prick the neck of the horse when you lay the rain on the neck and they learn to go away from the pressure. It isn't harsh on them, it is just a little extra. It is also important to get a mecate in a diameter that fits your hands. If you have small hands, you can use the 1/2 inch diameter. I like 3/4" diameter reins.

Blackpond--I can see your point on the free asdvertising but it is mute to me. Sounds like inferior makers were jealous but remember that the squeeky wheel always gets the grease.

Yes mane hair is definately better...although for bangin' around everyday or in bad brush, I used to use a poly rope mecate (mine was black and white) when I cowboyed. Nowadays, they also make parachute cord and all types of synthetic rope mecates in every color / color combo imaginable.

But traditionally, mane hair mecates were what was used.

Doug Krause makes good ones, there's lots of other makers out there doing good stuff.

I personally would like to see more posts from artisans and gear makers if folks would not be so critical and just enjoy what's shared, it might work but I don't know what the WH policy is on it here on the board, does anyone else? There's other forums and websites out there who do a lot of posting of gear and makers and it's a great way to find out who is out there and who's doing what where.

I would hope that WH won't have a problem with it. I would also like to see more craftsmen/women strut their stuff here. Bring on the gear!