Sign-In
Cart
The Art of Making a California-Style Vaquero Bridle Horse: Second Edition, Softcover
Paperback
Publisher: Eclectic Horseman Communications, Inc.
Published: Jul 20 2025
Pages: 208
Weight: 1.45
Height: 0.57 Width: 8.50 Depth: 11.00
Language: English
Written by Mike Bridges, an internationally known clinician and horseman in the California Vaquero Style, with more than fifty five years of making a living on the back of a horse... The Vaquero Style originated from the Spanish and Portuguese conquistadors who brought this tradition of riding from the Iberian Peninsula to the New World. This book details every step in making such a horse, (which) takes many years...it is not quick fix advice, nor an easy process.
From the Foreword:
In the following pages, we will explore the development of the California-Style Vaquero Bridle Horse. This exquisite style of horsemanship was developed in Mexico and spread into what is now California over the past 450 years. Its purpose was, and remains, specifically for managing the huge herds of cattle with the greatest amount of efficiency and grace. Long before gold and silicon, the Western economy was based on cattle and remained that way for approximately 270 years. Within only the last 130 years, however, this horsemanship spread to Oregon, Nevada, Idaho and other places throughout the western United States. More recently, it has begun to move around the
world...
...I started to learn how to develop or build them at age 15 when I started buckarooing for a living. As of this writing, I'm 70 years old, and this journey of learning how to build a better-balanced horse will never end. It is important for both you and your horse that you enjoy the journey. My 55 years of working cattle, the miles ridden and the long hours in the saddle, alone or with other buckaroos, was the high school and college time I spent to learn this discipline. The last sixteen years
of teaching clinics in the United State and in Europe, of imparting this vaquero style, has helped me to think through and analyze precisely how I do things in the training of this style of horse. I think that has made me a better horseman.
The things I was taught and the things I have learned is what I know today. My style of riding and the steps I use to build this California-style bridle horse are a reflection of all of that. What I do is not the only way it can be done, nor the only way it is done today. But I believe this older, more methodical way builds a better horse that has the strength through his back to still be doing his job of working cattle into his old age with quality of movement.
Most of the suppling and gymnastic exercises I use to develop my horses I learned as a boy and a young man. Most of the time, the old-timers used slang western words to describe them. Up until the time I was exposed to some people in the eastern United States and Europe, I, too, used western slang, which made it difficult for the people I was trying to help to understand what I was saying. I found that beyond the world of the buckaroo there is a universal language of words, phrases and expressions to describe the movements of horses. Some of my friends have taken the time to help me learn this language. It has certainly helped me in teaching, but I have not yet mastered it in my ongoing education.
My grandfather used to say, 'Patience is a virtue and you should exercise it whenever you are around
livestock.' Let the journey begin.
Softcover, 185 pages, black and white photos.
Also in
Other Animals
The Ghost of the Mountains: Unraveling the Secrets of the Snow Leopard
Suryawanshi, Kulbhushansingh
Hardcover
Lab Dog: A Beagle and His Human Investigate the Surprising World of Animal Research
Kaplan, Melanie D. G.
Hardcover
Heart of the Jaguar: The Extraordinary Conservation Effort to Save the Americas' Legendary Cat
Campbell, James
Hardcover
The Biology of Belief: Unleashing the Power of Consciousness, Matter & Miracles
Lipton, Bruce H.
Paperback
Mammals: A Fully Illustrated, Authoritative and Easy-To-Use Guide
Zim, Herbert S.
Hoffmeister, Donald F.
Paperback
Horse Country: Inside the World of Equestrian Style and Sport, from British Dressage to Western Riding
O'Shea-Evans, Kathryn
Hardcover
The Perfect Horse: The Daring U.S. Mission to Rescue the Priceless Stallions Kidnapped by the Nazis
Letts, Elizabeth
Paperback
The Ultimate Book of Big Cats: Your Guide to the Secret Lives of These Fierce, Fabulous Felines
Winter, Steve
Hardcover
The Secret Lives of Bats: My Adventures with the World's Most Misunderstood Mammals
Tuttle, Merlin
Paperback
Animal Tracks of the Northeast: Your Way to Easily Identify Animal Tracks
Poppele, Jonathan
Paperback
Brain Games - Sticker by Number: Neon Jungle (28 Images to Sticker)
Brain Games
Publications International Ltd
New Seasons
Paperback
What the Bears Know: How I Found Truth and Magic in America's Most Misunderstood Creatures--A Memoir by Animal Planet's the Bear Whisperer
Searles, Steve
Erskine, Chris
Paperback
Dead Moose on Isle Royale: Off Trail with the Citizen Scientists of the Wolf-Moose Project
Holden, Jeffrey M.
Paperback
The Handbook Of Nature Study in Color - Fish, Reptiles, Amphibians, Invertebrates
Comstock, Anna
Paperback
Bringing Up Beaver: Two Orphaned Beaver Kits, Their Humans, and Our Journey Back to the Wild
Aberth, John
Hardcover
Connection Training: The Heart and Science of Positive Horse Training
Weston, Hannah
Bedingfield, Rachel
Paperback
Stowaway: The Disreputable Exploits of the Rat - A New Scientist Non-Fiction Book of the Year
Shute, Joe
Paperback
Start with a Bear: Humans, Grizzlies, and the Power of Stories on a Crowded Planet
Alagona, Peter S.
Hardcover
Color & Frame - Horses (Coloring Book): Featuring 31 Adorable Coloring Pages
New Seasons
Publications International Ltd
Paperback
Path to Pet Wellness: The Holistic Vet's Guide to Thriving Pets and Empowered Pet Parents
Feinman, Jeff
Paperback
The Eye of the Elephant: An Epic Adventure in the African Wilderness
Owens, Delia
Owens, Mark
Paperback
Theodore Roosevelt and the Smithsonian Expedition to British East Africa, 1909-1910
Goodyear III, Frank H.
Hardcover
The Odyssey of Kp2: An Orphan Seal and a Marine Biologist's Fight to Save a Species
Williams, Terrie M.
Paperback
Think Like a Horse: Lessons in Life, Leadership, and Empathy from an Unconventional Cowboy
Golliher, Grant
Hardcover
Horse Anatomy for Performance: A Practical Guide to Training, Riding and Horse Care
Higgins, Gillian
Hardcover
The Story of the Mammals in 25 Discoveries: Amazing Fossils and the People Who Found Them
Prothero, Donald R.
Hardcover
Grizzly Confidential: An Astounding Journey Into the Secret Life of North America's Most Fearsome Predator
Grange, Kevin
Hardcover
Animal Tracks of the Northwest: Your Way to Easily Identify Animal Tracks
Poppele, Jonathan
Paperback
Cougars on the Cliff: One Man's Pioneering Quest to Understand the Mythical Mountain Lion, A Memoir
Hornocker, Maurice
Hardcover
Pacific Coast Mammal Finder: Identifying Mammals by Their Tracks, Skulls, and Other Signs
Russo, Ron
Paperback
The Safari Companion: A Guide to Watching African Mammals; Including Hoofed Mammals, Carnivores, and Primates
Estes, Richard D.
Paperback
The Last Ride of the Pony Express: My 2,000-Mile Horseback Journey Into the Old West
Grant, Will
Hardcover
The Wild Horse Effect: Awe, Well-Being, and the Transformative Power of Nature
Hanson, Chad
Hardcover
The Tao of Equus (Revised): A Woman's Journey of Healing and Transformation Through the Way of the Horse
Kohanov, Linda
Paperback
The Secret World of Red Wolves: The Fight to Save North America's Other Wolf
Beeland, T. Delene
Paperback
Taming Wild: The Compelling Origins of Freedom Based Training and the Promise It Holds for Horses with Humans
Sinclair, Elsa
Paperback
Mark of the Grizzly: Revised and Updated with More Stories of Recent Bear Attacks and the Hard Lessons Learned
McMillion, Scott
Paperback
Felids and Hyenas of the World: Wildcats, Panthers, Lynx, Pumas, Ocelots, Caracals, and Relatives
Castelló, José R.
Paperback
Grizzly Bear Science and the Art of a Wilderness Life: Forty Years of Research in the Flathead Valley
McLellan, Bruce
Paperback
If Nietzsche Were a Narwhal: What Animal Intelligence Reveals about Human Stupidity
Gregg, Justin
Paperback
Red Pandas The Ultimate Book: 100+ Amazing Red Panda Facts, Photos, Quiz & More
Kellett, Jenny
Hardcover
Animal Tracks of the Rocky Mountains: Your Way to Easily Identify Animal Tracks
Poppele, Jonathan
Paperback
Spying on Whales: The Past, Present, and Future of Earth's Most Awesome Creatures
Pyenson, Nick
Paperback
Greyhound: The Remarkable Story of the Legendary Racehorse Who Inspired a Nation
Eriksen, Cheryl
Paperback
Bovids of the World: Antelopes, Gazelles, Cattle, Goats, Sheep, and Relatives
Castelló, José R.
Paperback
Wildlife Out Your Window: Fascinating Facts About 100 Animals Commonly Seen in the Midwest U.S. States
Timm, Brad
Paperback
Horses Coloring Book: An Adult Coloring Book for Horse Lovers
Indus Coloring
Coloring Books for Adults
Adult Coloring Books
Paperback
Blood Memory: The Tragic Decline and Improbable Resurrection of the American Buffalo
Duncan, Dayton
Burns, Kenneth
Hardcover
Rocky Mountain Mammal Finder: Identifying Mammals by Their Tracks, Skulls, and Other Signs
Russo, Ron
Paperback