Cowboy Chrome
)
Photo by Adam Jahiel – 
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
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. Created in diverse regional styles, combining beauty and function, cowboy chrome reflects the breadth of values and aesthetics found in cowboy country.
- Meet some of the makers and view their work represented in the Western Folklife Center Collection.
- View engraved silver contest pieces in the Western Folklife Center’s Collection.
- Learn about the art of making bits and spurs and silver engraving and design.
- Participate in the Gearmaker’s Forum.
- Investigate additional Resources.
