Sunday, June 22, 2008

Western Chaps And Their History

This article is to help you understand more about the history of the Western Chap The Chap is an invention of horse riders to help them be more protected when doing the work of a cowboy. There are names for the cut and style of chaps according to the usage and the time period you are talking about.

The first type of Chaperajos were the Armas. Chaperajos or Chaps as we know them, were invented by the Spanish who settled Mexico. They were two large pieces of leather tied to the saddle. These large pieces were draped across the riders legs while riding through brush, otherwise they were laid under the riders legs. These were made from heavy buffalo hide or thick cowhide.

Vaqueros wore the first leather breaches called Armitas in the early 1800's. These chaps were made from wild animal hides, calfskin, deer, lion and goat. They were attached to a belt t and wrapped around the riders legs with leather bindings.

The early Texas cowboys designed the first full length complete leather britches called Shotguns, because the pants had no seat and resembled a double-barrel shotgun. The plainer chaps that had no fringe or concho's were called Closed Legs. Most of the modern shotguns are made with zippers for a tighter more tailored fit.

The Batwing chap were some of the most decorated of all the chaps. With the coming of the Wild West Shows and rodeos the contests needed a little flare to their outfits. These chaps had wide leather wings that flapped around freely which is why they called them Batwing. The first style was the step-into type, then later they were changed to the open legged style that buckled or snapped into place.

A few years later the Angoras or Woollies came in to being. The northern climates used them for the warmth and the water repellent qualities of the Woollies. They were made of mountain lion, leopard, angora goats, bear, buffalo, dog and even seal with the fur left on.

Chinks, are similar to chaps, but shorter, typically hitting the rider just below the knee but above the ankle. The working cowboy or rodeo cowboy like these chaps for their ease of movement as they are shorter. They are secured by snaps, zippers, buckles or other forms of fasteners stopping above the back of the knee. The fringe on chinks are longer than regular chaps, giving them the appearance of being longer than they are.

posted by Posh Pampered Pets @ 2:50 PM