still more cowboy gear questions

[aladatrot]

 

Hats: the only cowboy hats I have ever owned were to get me down the rail in a pleasure class. I'm thinking now that I would like to have one to wear for cold weather riding. What I don't want is to have to keep climbing off my nag to grab my hat, but I also don't want to cut the circulation off to the top of my noggin. Are there ways to fit a hat so I won't have either of these issues?

Shoo flies: do you use one under your cinch? I am a sucker for a tassel. I used to show in the native costume classes at our shows. Horses dressed up in velvet and tassels that fell somewhere between native bedouin garb and glitzy hollywood costume. I won't embarrass any of you by wanting to wear bells and velvet in the woods, but those shoo flies sure tempt me.

Saddle bags: what all do you carry in yours?

The wade saddle fits cooper like a glove. I am super impressed with how it sits on him at rest and in riding conditions. I love the feel of the saddle as well, and am very glad I bought it. 

Cheers
M

[craig]

Mandi
 im glad your wade fit cooper , i know you were having trouble keeping a saddle up right last time we rode , that wade will make you like that horse alot ...

 hats :  well a felt hat is no good to me till it is about 10 yrs old  , then i can bust brush and face the strongest wind and never reach for my hat.
 i have never had a custom made hat but i would think they would fit alot better than one off the shelf.,  im breaking in a new felt now and i kept it in a hat strecher for about 2 weeks, i steamed it and shaped it and its starting to get better now but i have been jacking with it for a couple months.    the only way i can make a hat fit me good is to just wear it .i wear a hat every day, once you get a felt broke in it will stay put.
 you might get a stampede string to help , keep from loosing it completely, i know alot of women wear a stampede string.

shoo fly , i never had a interest in one, however a freind of mine keeps a small bell under his horse, thought that was kinda cool. but not for hog hunting.

saddle bags, yes you will need something to carry all your stuff in.     i like cantle bags alot better, wont hang up on brush and trees, ect.
 i carry all the stuff i need to clean a hog and carry it out, trash bags, rubber gloves, hatchet for cutting bones, ect., extra knife, and some heavy canvas bags to put the meat in. rope to tie the bags to hang from the saddle horn, and of course some basic , hog dog repair stuff, staple gun ,suture, vet wrap. 
dont forget lunch ussually in a seperate bag in side cantle bags.

good thing you got cooper sacked out, so he will be ready for all these esscories..

[got2catchem]

Craig, If the dutch oven cooking hadn't of convinced me already. This post would confirm your a cowboy.

[craig]

 

[aladatrot]

Why do you have to leave the hat on the stretcher for two weeks? Do you buy it a little small and then stretch to fit? Do you wet it first?
Cheers
M

[Circle C]

I think he might have an abnormally large head. He buys they biggest the store has, but he still has to stretch it for two weeks, before it will fit

[hog tied]

You stretch them so that when you put it on and wear it and it shrinks it will conform to the shape of your head and not just an oval.

[aladatrot]

Ok that makes sense. So you don't wet it first?

Brand preference or "x" preference?

Cheers
M

[hog tied]

Brand and X depends on how much money you want to spend and for me what Ill be wearing it for.

[craig]

I think he might have an abnormally large head. He buys they biggest the store has, but he still has to stretch it for two weeks, before it will fit

  it takes alot of room to store all this knowledge 

[Russ]

I know with the watermelon I got I'm always having to stretch my hats out so they will conform to my head.

I know some guys down here will put a Coyote's tail on they're cinch as a shoo fly, and very few even claim they roped the yote to get the tail and you'd believe it

[cward]

Hats  Make sure its shaped right!!! Then get the hat you want!! Names don't mean much just not a walmart one just look to spend about $125 to $175!!  The hat should set about 1/2 inch from your years!! Take the hat put hot tape warter around the hat band area (just let the hot warter run around tell the warter sets good then put it on your head and you will feel it forming to you head do that about 2 to 3 times and it will take right to your head!!!!
 
Remeber that when rideing in brush just duck your head and that felt hat will protect you!! If you lean back you will be picking that hat up all the time!!!

If you will look on the back of my saddle on the picture where I have that calf roped in the road!!! There is a holder for fenceing pliers you might won't to put one on your saddle (but remeber Mandy that is for fixing fence not cutting fence  ) But they are nice to have when you need them!!! I can find you one if you want one on your saddle!!!

[aladatrot]

HA! I have a barr hog's tail I have been wondering what to do with. Its got long hair on it, and only about 8 inches of tail section. It is dried out nicely. I think I could hang that under there.....sure would be cheap to replace when I lose it!
Cheers
M

[Russ]

HA! I have a barr hog's tail I have been wondering what to do with. Its got long hair on it, and only about 8 inches of tail section. It is dried out nicely. I think I could hang that under there.....sure would be cheap to replace when I lose it!
Cheers
M

There ya go! I got a few dried out Nilgai bull tails around the place... I guess with this line of thunking if I ever get back into horse riding I got options

[kinnidi]

never had a pig tail shoefly, but i have tied a milk jug a quarter full of pea gravel under there.

gets the booger out of them, if you ride the hell out of them all day.  it'll turn a goosey colt gentle real quick.