J.M. Capriola Company launches a new bit line based on the original designs of G.S. Garcia, but with refinements to fit modern horses and horsemen. STORY BY JENNIFER DENISON In the late 1800s and early 1900s, saddlemaker G.S. Garcia knew that each fall, when cowboys, vaqueros and buckaroos received their wages, he could count … Read more
Story and Photos by Samantha Szesciorka The real thing for cowboys. That’s how the New York Times described the J.M. Capriola Company store in Elko, Nevada, in an article in 1984. The same can be said today, though the store attracts just as many city slickers as cowboys. The two-story shop in the old adobe … Read more
Ensuring the legacy of the cowboy legend lives on for future generations By Jennifer Whiteley The Nevada Rancher Elko, Nev-Paula Bear Wright had aspirations of creating a cowboy art and gear museum to preserve the cowboy and vaquero heritage for generations to come. Her son John Wright and daughter in-law Susan are helping to see … Read more
A piece of the vaquero horsemanship puzzle but also an art in and of itself, the use of the two-rein in is the penultimate phase in the creation of the bridle horse. In a loose comparison, this transitional method might be likened to training wheels on a bicycle. Whether a horse was first started in … Read more
The jaquima, or hackamore, could be called the signature piece of traditional vaquero horsemanship because of its unique role in the progression of a “green” colt to a finished bridle horse. Over the years, the use of a hackamore has shifted from an essential training tool toward more of an instrument of art, practiced … Read more
Watch a short video produced by Travel Nevada! John Wright, owner of J.M. Capriola Co., explains the importance of guarding tradition, building custom saddles, and why he chooses Elko, Nevada to call home. Visit Travel Nevada for more information on our great state.
Of all the things cowboys might be famous for, the least well-known might be their ingenuity and talent for improvising. From cow-camp toothache remedies to temporary baling twine tack repair, working cowboys seem to have a certain knack for “making do” that’s born of necessity. The proverbial bag of cowboy tricks is deep and … Read more
Look in any trainer’s tack room or working cowboy’s warbag, and you are virtually guaranteed to find at least one snaffle bit. In its various forms, the snaffle is common to nearly every riding discipline, and has been a fundamental horseman’s tool for literally thousands of years. The function of a snaffle bit is simple: … Read more
by Becky Prunty-Lisle For every form of art, there are artists, and there are imitators. It is said that imitation is the most sincere form of admiration, and throughout the ages, the most famous artists have naturally been the ones most frequently imitated. The same holds true for the art of silver bit and spur … Read more
From the fine craftsmanship of rawhide braiders to the expertise and finesse of a true bridle horse man, traditional vaquero horsemanship and its gear are functional art forms passed down through centuries. It is a proud legacy, continued today with due reverence on the ranch and range, and in the show pen. In the year … Read more