The cowboy is a reader favorite with many Harlequin American Romance fans. When I researched my latest book, Dexter: Honorable Cowboy (book #2) The Codys: First Family of Rodeo, I came across a slew of sites about cowboys, rodeo, ranches and a million other things associated with those wild west hunks. I thought I'd share a little trivia about a tool working cowboys wear every day while rodeo cowboys parade around arenas and show them off like a treasured piece of jewelry.
Q: How old are boot spurs?A: They were first used in ancient Rome, but became more popular in the 14th and 15th century.
Q: What are western spurs made from?
A: The main part of the spur is made from metal, usually iron but sometimes silver. The straps used to fasten the spur to the boot are made from leather. Other makers made them from aluminium, or steel.
Q: What are the parts of the boot spur called?A: The main U shaped part that goes around the boot is called the "yoke" or "heel band". From there, the "neck" extends out from the boot and the "rowel" is the rounded object attached to the end.
Q: What are spurs for cowboy boots used for?
A: The spurs are worn by cowboys who ride a horse. The rowels are used to dig into the sides of the horse to aid in steering the steed in conjunction with the tack and reins.
Q: Do riding spurs hurt the horse?
A: No. Most spurs have rowels that are round and blunt by design. The more fancy custom made spurs are the ones most likely to feature pointed star rowels and therefore would hurt an animal - but they are seldom used.
Q: Are cowboy boots and spurs still used today?
A: Yes. They are used all over the world by riders and farm hands but are also worn as a fashion accessory or Western Jewelry by millions. I suspect that they are more popular as a fashion accessory.
Check out http://www.spillerspurs.com/ Joe Spiller has been a cowboy all his life and has made spurs for rodeo cowboys, ranchers, movie stars and famous people. The Spiller Ranch is locate outside the West, Texas town of Windgate. He's famous for his Texas Buckaroo and Tear Drop spur.
Q: What are western spurs made from?
A: The main part of the spur is made from metal, usually iron but sometimes silver. The straps used to fasten the spur to the boot are made from leather. Other makers made them from aluminium, or steel.
Q: What are the parts of the boot spur called?A: The main U shaped part that goes around the boot is called the "yoke" or "heel band". From there, the "neck" extends out from the boot and the "rowel" is the rounded object attached to the end.
Q: What are spurs for cowboy boots used for?
A: The spurs are worn by cowboys who ride a horse. The rowels are used to dig into the sides of the horse to aid in steering the steed in conjunction with the tack and reins.
Q: Do riding spurs hurt the horse?
A: No. Most spurs have rowels that are round and blunt by design. The more fancy custom made spurs are the ones most likely to feature pointed star rowels and therefore would hurt an animal - but they are seldom used.
Q: Are cowboy boots and spurs still used today?
A: Yes. They are used all over the world by riders and farm hands but are also worn as a fashion accessory or Western Jewelry by millions. I suspect that they are more popular as a fashion accessory.
Check out http://www.spillerspurs.com/ Joe Spiller has been a cowboy all his life and has made spurs for rodeo cowboys, ranchers, movie stars and famous people. The Spiller Ranch is locate outside the West, Texas town of Windgate. He's famous for his Texas Buckaroo and Tear Drop spur.
for the latest information about The Cody's First Family of Rodeo miniseries and fun facts about cowboys.
Marin
2 comments:
Loved the info on spurs!
Hi Estella
Thanks for checking in on our blog! I have an old pair of antique spurs hanging in my office and when I wonder what kind of cowboy once wore them and where he came from.
Marin
Post a Comment