VAQUERO SADDLEA vaquero saddle is a finely-tuned combination of detail, beauty, practicality and comfort. 
Ramón makes individually ordered vaquero saddles to measure in his workshop here in Andalusia. Today's vaquero saddle descends directly from saddles used by the Arabs. Centuries of experience and practical application have given Spain's working cowboys the perfect tool for their work. The vaqueros in southern Spain still ride with the cattle, full days in the saddle. Ramón is conscious of basic, critical elements when he makes a vaquero saddle.
In Passing:There's a distinction between a vaquero in the field, riding in his everyday work
with livestock, and the dressage discipline called doma vaquera.
Doma vaquera - vaquero training, or vaquero dressage is the classical arena representation of the skills and movements used by vaqueros in the field. I'll devote some time to talking about this later. For now, though, if you visit the Books and Links page, you can see the sites I can recommend on this. 
The materials used are natural - those that were found to function best for the purpose. Ramón begins with paja de centeno - sweet smelling straw from the rye grass that he grows himself. Out in the country, under that superb Andalusian sky, he beats it to soften the fibres, Row by row he firmly stuffs it into the canvas that will form part of the saddle-tree.
There is no rigidity in the tree of the vaquero saddle - one aspect that makes the saddle as comfortable and enduring as it is. This rye-grass-filled canvas fits between two elements - 
the perilla at the front, and the concha - shell - at the back. Here we see the only concession to modernity. In place of carving wood, Ramon lays layer upon layer of fibreglass to get the required shape of perilla
and concha.
The distance from perilla to concha is what determines the size of the saddle. This is one of the aspects that is
personalised in handmade traditional Spanish tack. Also personalised is the leatherwork at the back of the
concha. This is hand punched, showing Ramón's signature initials. Most working saddles are made of black leather. This one is
avellana, hazelnut, the natural leather colour treated with oil. Any owner can request that his - or her - vaquero saddle be personalised.
Doma vaquera - vaquero dressage or vaquero training -
is enjoyed by men, women and children alike. Ladies can choose to ride astride, as many do,
or to use a doma vaquera side-saddle. Each separate discipline in Spanish riding has specific requirements of traditional Spanish dress - we'll talk about these later.
Once the canvas is fitted between perilla and concha, the doma vaquera saddle is now covered with leather on the top, and with specially woven lona below - a canvas that will absorb
sweat from the horse's back and prevent rubbing. To aid in this, the lona is filled with pelo de cabra - goat's hair.
The saddle has taken on form. The traditional structure and natural materials used allow the doma vaquera
saddle to mould and adapt perfectly to the horse and rider.
Now come the details, and the external beauty of a doma vaquera saddle. Cinch and stirrup leathers are set in place - crucial here are safety and security. The cinch goes right around the saddle - everything is secured with stitching and double-stitching.
Over this goes the almohadilla - the cushion - a quilted canvas layer
held by cords, that contributes to rider comfort.
Particular to the vaquero saddle is the baticola,
the strong strap attached to the front of the saddle, passing through the back and looping around the horse's
tail for added stability. Doma vaquera saddle stirrups are made of steel - they have to protect the vaquero from possibly irate bulls - and must allow for rapid
extraction of the rider's foot in emergencies.
Last touches: the sheepskin that provides the ultimate in comfort
This fully rigged vaquero saddle is eight years old - and used almost daily. Final touches here are the leather cords that attach the cowboy's gear, and the manta estribera - the striped woollen blanket - draped over the front of the saddle. 
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