Mexican Frontier Pics (from my vacation)

[magicom.livejournal.com]

Okay, so maybe "frontier" isn't the right word. We went horse-riding in Mexico, though! My fiance has most of our vacation photos (he's the guy beside me in the cowboy hat, behind the cut) but my mom came up with these. I sheepishly admit I felt a little Seven-y, even though these horses wouldn't leave the trail if you paid them in hay and carrots. Also, I have a new respect for how hot they looked sitting on horses. I found the saddle made my butt look big ;)

View them here and here.

Comments

[sara-merry99.livejournal.com]

Ooooo!! Nice!! Those are wonderful!!

[magicom.livejournal.com]

Thanks! They were Mexican saddles, which the guide explained are similar to Western saddles, but are wider and have a bigger horn. They were wider so they'd be more comfortable on long journeys. I don't know why American cowboys would have evolved their own saddle that was *less* comfortable on long journeys. I don't know a WHOLE lot about frontier history, but cowboys in movies seem to make a lot of long trips :) All I know is, my butt didn't hurt at the end of the day!

[sara-merry99.livejournal.com]

Well, I do know that Western saddles are designed to be more comfortable for long riding than English saddles, which is what they evolved from. Maybe the mexicans just took that a step further. :D So the American cowboys didn't start with a Mexican saddle and downgrade, they just didn't upgrade from an English as far as they could. :D

[magicom.livejournal.com]

Okay, cool! Thanks for clearing that up, because it didn't make any sense to me :)

[ladygarnett.livejournal.com]

Actually, Western saddles evolved from "Spanish" saddles, which was the 19th century term for what we would call Mexican saddles. Derived from the Spanish war saddles which came to the New World with the conquistadores, they were further developed by Mexican vaqueros (the first true cowboys). American cowboys adapted them to their own uses, including adding a saddle horn to secure a lariat.

Mexican saddles may be more comfortable, at least according to your guide. I cannot judge. They certainly have a much larger and "flatter" horn. Josiah uses a version of the Mexican saddle.

[magicom.livejournal.com]

Very interesting! Our guide said the Mexican saddles are wider overall, but I'm sure the relative comfort is also a matter of personal taste.

[sara-merry99.livejournal.com]

Actually, Western saddles evolved from "Spanish" saddles, which was the 19th century term for what we would call Mexican saddles.

Oh, thanks so much!! I just *assumed* otherwise, but you're right that this makes more sense historically. :D

Thanks!

[magicom.livejournal.com]

OH, also - my horse was called La Loca, which I *think* means crazy in Spanish, so that gave me some trepedation at the beginning, but she was actually a very nice horse. Very well-behaved. She didn't try to eat palms from the sides of the path in the jungle NEARLY as much as the horse in front of me :)

[el-loco-dement.livejournal.com]

Yea, La Loca means crazy ;) *giggles* But I guess she wasn't very crazy is she behaved well :D

Nice pictures! I love Mexico. And horses xD

[siluria]

Looks like fun!!! :)