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	The Peruvian Tack The Peruvian horse riding gear as well as the gear used by horsemen throughout the American continent, has its origin in the tack used in most of Europe during the fifteenth century. The equestrian portraits of European classical painters, such as Vasquez, Titian and Van Dyck, show saddles with a close resemblance to the modern Peruvian saddle. When the Spanish conquistadors arrived in America they brought with them their European riding equipment. Over the years, that gear was modified as a consequence of the uses which the horses were put to and the availability of some materials. In Mexico, for example, horses were extensively used in ranching operations and the use of the lasso eventually made it necessary to develop a saddle with a horn on the pommel. In Peru, horses were mainly used for transportation, therefore, the need was to essentially maintain the features of a comfortable and secure saddle, giving rise to what in Peru is called the montura de cajón or box saddle. The name is derived from the fact that the rider sits "boxed in" between the pommel and cantle. The Peruvian tack consists of the saddle, its accessories (cinch, stirrups, crupper and breeching) and the braided headgear.

	Saddle The saddle is made up of a wood frame (saddle tree) with a moderately high pommel and cantle. The saddle tree is covered with tight fitting pieces of rawhide and the cinch, stirrups, crupper and breeching buckles and straps are attached to the frame. To protect the legs of the rider from rubbing against the buckles and straps and to make the saddle more comfortable, leather skirts are usually placed over the saddle tree and around the pommel and cantle. The leather skirts are often decorated with beautiful embossing of varied designs for which the Peruvian leather artisans have become well known. With saddles that do not have skirts and referred to as work saddles, a leather pad (pellonera) is used as a seat cushion. The pellonera can also be used for added comfort over work saddles which have skirts. To give saddles a better appearance, the pommel and cantle are sometimes covered with fine leathers. In the more ornate saddles, rivets of nickel or silver are placed over the borders of the pommel and cantle and along the edges of the skirts. Under the saddle and over the blanket is placed a leather pad which is decorated with the same motifs as the saddle skirt. This pad is called the carona and beside enhancing the appearance of the saddle, it serves to protect the back of the horse from the weight of the riders as well as shields the saddle from the sweat of the horse. To compliment the Peruvian show tack and as a sign of good taste and wealth, a pellón is sometimes used. The pellón is a type of tapestry used as a pad over the saddle and is described by Verne R. Albright in The Peruvian Paso and His Classic Equitation as being "composed of thousands of hand tied spit braids made from black dyed wool and inserted into a rug type backing. The underside is lined with fine kid leather and usually contains pockets." The pockets were used to keep valuable belongings in bygone times when horses were the principal way of transportation. The pellón itself could be used as bedding when the long journeys required the rider to dismount and rest.

	One of the peculiarities of the Peruvian tack is the use of the breeching or harness called guarnición. Much has been written about the origin and the purpose of the breechings, but it is most likely that the had their origin in the harness used to prevent the saddle from slipping forward when riding over rough terrain. With the passing of time, the utilitarian purpose of the harness gave way to an ornamental use and the guarnición became a very traditional part of the Peruvian tack. The harness consists of a long leather strap, called retranca, that encircles the rear of the horse and is attached to buckles on each side of the saddle. The retrancas are further held in place by two lateral straps attached to the sides of the base of the tail cover. These two straps of leather are called caidas (falls). Over the horse's tail is placed the florón or tail cover, which is an elogated piece of leather attached to the back of the saddle by a large and ornate buckle. The term florón, meaning big flower in Spanish, probably derives from the round shape of the middle section of the tail piece which was traditionally embossed with floral designs. More recently however, the creativity of the leather artisans has given rise to a variety of designs that include linear motifs, horses, seal of arms and other fanciful leather work. The guarnición, as a general rule, should have the same embossed patterns as the rest of the tack. A crupper is always used in conjunction with the Peruvian saddle. The crupper is attached to the same buckle that holds the tail piece and both crupper and tail piece are held together by a short leather strap called a cruzeta.

	Stirrups The Peruvian stirrup has also undergone some changes over time. The stirrups introduced by the conquistadors were of two types: the conventional triangular shape and the ones shaped in the form of slippers and made of iron or copper. Because of the ready availability of silver and gold in Perœ, these materials were often used to substitute iron and copper. Later on the stirrups were made of wood adorned with intricate carvings and ornamental nickel or silver pieces. The typical Peruvian stirrup, as it is known today, has the shape of a truncated pyramid with a toe hole in one of its faces. On the upper end, the stirrup has a metal cover in the shape of a bell (campana) and ring to which the stirrup strap is attached. The corners of the stirrup are usually covered with metal pieces (punteras). Some rare exotic and native hard woods are sometimes used in the crafting of stirrups but the most commonly used woods are olive and algarobbo, a variety of mesquite abundant in the coastal area of Perœ. Some Peruvian stirrups are made of leather with a metal frame that closely resemble the western stirrups with taps.

	Headgear The headgear is called jato or terno in Peru and it consists of three pieces: the halter with its shank; the headstall and reigns; and, the eye cover and strap. The headgear can be of two kinds: a working headgear which is very plainly made and usually does not have metal decorations, and the show (de lujo) headgear which is finely made and adorned with metal pieces to give it a very sober and elegant appearance. The headgear is made of braided strands of rawhide. The rawhide can be of goat, deer and calf. The more leather threads used in the braiding, the finer the end product will be. A fine headgear is one in which twenty or more strands of leather threads per inch are used in the braiding. This means that each thread of leather is one-twentieth of an inch (or less) in width. The braiding style can vary depending on the skill of the artisan and the number of metal pieces (rings and hardware) can vary from a few to over one hundred. Of the three pieces of the terno, perhaps the blinders (tapa ojos) is the one that calls the most attention. This is a very typical piece of the Peruvian gear and is mainly used in the first stages of training because it permits a person to saddle or mount a nervous horse with much ease. The blinders are also sometimes used to keep a horse in place without having to tie him. Complementing the headgear, a bozalillo (small bosal) is often used during the bit training because it serves the purpose of keeping the mouth of the horse closed when pressure is applied by the bit. The bosal is a very important part of the tack during the breaking and early training of the Peruvian horse.

	The Peruvian bosal consists of a nose band held in place by the head stall. The reins are also attached to the top of the nose band. The bosal is also made of braided rawhide but is not as finely made or adorned as the head stall. The Peruvian bosal differs from the Mexican bosal or hackamore in that pressure is applied to the nose rather than to the chin of the horse. The proper use of the bosal produces a horse that easily responds to slight pressures of the reins making it possible to use a mild bit. The Peruvian bit (freno or bocado) is indeed well known because of its soft touch. It has a straight bar with a short curb or spade. The older bits were made of forged and burnished steel that was handsomely inlaid with silver decorations. The modern bits are made of non-rusting materials such as nickel or stainless steel. The making of the Peruvian riding gear is an art which is usually passed from generation to generation within a family. Fortunately this tradition has been kept alive for centuries, but only a very small number of artisans are dedicated to this occupation.

	NOTE: The author wishes to acknowledge that much of the basic information for this article and some of the illustrations have been obtained from the booklet "La Montura o Apera a la Usanza Peruana" by Carlos Luna de la Fuente.