Tools of the Trade: Cowboy Chrome
Created in diverse regional styles, combining beauty and function, cowboy chrome reflects the breadth of values and aesthetics found in cowboy country.
Photo by Adam Jahiel
A cowboy’s bits and spurs - cowboy chrome - run the gamut from highly ornate to absolutely plain. Their design and materials respond to the needs and preferences of particular riders and horses.
Boots and chinks
Silver bit and silver spurs
Eased into the dawn
To walk out kinks
Horse like shiny, free of burrs
Trotted into day
— From “Red Scarf” by Henry Real Bird, Between Earth and Sky
The Artists
Meet some of the makers and view their work
The Contest
View engraved silver contest entries and winners
The Know How
Learn about the art of making bits and spurs and silver engraving and design
