“Insights, Lore, & History”
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
Follow Through Have you ever found yourself slightly overwhelmed in the hunt for the elusive perfect rope? Well I’m not going to lie; I have felt more than “slightly” at times. Heck, sometimes I feel I can barely catch with my rope some days let alone sort through the options that the … Read more
Finding Confidence Learning how to gain, maintain and understand confidence are all things I believe a person has to come to on their own. With that being said, I wish I would have had someone share the story of their quest for confidence. It may not work for you but this is how I … Read more
The Bedroll Cowboy According to J. Evetts Haley, author of the book Charles Goodnight: Cowman and Plainsman, among Charles Goodnight’s contribution to trail equipment was not only the chuckbox, but also the discovery and modification of the bed tarp, which became the cowboy bedroll as we know it today. Cowboys on the Four Sixes Ranch … Read more
Bringing 1986 Back In 1986 J.M. Capriola was commissioned to build a few trophy saddles. Often times trophy saddles are put on a stand and observed as a “trophy” and left to be seen and not ridden. After 31 years we received a call on one of these “trophy” saddles, to see if we could … Read more
Q: What does a horse-crazy girl grow up to be? A: A horse-crazy woman. Duh. Unlike some afflictions, an extreme interest in horses isn’t curable. In fact, it’s actually contagious, and girls that care more about horses than boys usually hang out together during recess and discuss their favorite mane and tail colors. … Read more
The relentless flow of invention and modernization over the ages has left very few things in the world remaining as valued or relevant as they were centuries ago. One exception is a true bridle horse– a horseman’s treasure from the time of the early California Spanish land grants to the era of modern cattle ranches … 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