Western Hats: Not Just For Cowboys Anymore

Charles Pogue
Photo by Linda Pogue

Western Hats Are Not Just For Cowboys

A Guest Post by Charles Pogue

I was only about 4 or 5 years old when my parents presented me and my brother with our first cowboy hats.

Of course, they were the straw variety with a sheriff’s badge affixed to the front, and a draw string that closed up under our chins, but those little hats were an introduction to what I now believe to be the most fashionable of any hat under the sun and wide open sky, western hats.

Hey, they really enhanced our riding the stick-horsesin the posses with our cousins, trying to hunt down the robbers of the Overland stage coach or the Tombstone Territory bank.

Those who are old enough to remember them still stand amazed at the old western movies in which the hero and the bad guy engaged in a vicious round of fisticuffs.

Usually, the bad guy lost his dome adornment right away, but the good guy’s hat stayed on his head like it was held on by super glue. Those old movies kind of made us realize how much the hat was an important part of the cowboy’s attire.

Of course, the hat was mostly for protection and keeping the sun out of his eyes so the cowboy could spot the coiled up rattler on the trail. That’s not to mention, the cattle rustler who found waving his hat was an excellent way to start a stampede.

Not only that, but a 'fellar' was kind of sized up by the town sheriff according to his clothes, including his hat. The wanted poster for the outlaw might tell his height, about the scar on his left cheek, and the color of his hat.

Western hats are not just for cowboys and cowgirls anymore. Country music stars often wear western hats. I once had a hat that I fashioned after the style of my favorite singer, Don Williams. That hat now resides in the family curio case museum at my daughter’s house. At least it was there the last time I looked.

Stetson

Back in Texas, we used to refer to a western hat as a Stetson. Every cowboy’s hat was a Stetson.

Truth is though, it’s kind of like the old saying used in other contexts; all Stetsons are hats, but not all hats are Stetsons.

Stetson is a brand name, a mighty fine hat, but by no means is it the only good one.

Resistoland Justin are two of the other well-known brands, but there are plenty of others, too.

Hats are rated by what is known as the X-factor system, dependent upon the percentage of beaver fur in the hat. I wonder how many beavers it takes to make a Hoss Cartwright hat?

Anyway, they range from the lowly 1X all the way up to 100X: the higher the X-factor the more expensive the hat.  However, the different hat makers use different standards, so it’s kind of a subjective system. Cowboy hats start under $100.00 and can go as high as $1,000.

Western hats are available in woven straw, felt, wool, Buffalo-fur, and leather, too. There are plenty of hats for the cowboy, cowgirl, or anyone else drawn to western style hats. You’ll find them in all sizes, as well as lots of colors and styles.

Western hats are out there for every occasion, too, from a really nice one to wear in the rodeo parade or any formal occasion, to graceful one for the barrel racer, and the rugged one for the bull rider in action. There are even red ones made especially for women who take pride in their membership in the red hat society.

There are also hat care kits, brushes, and hat stretchers for the cowboy who suddenly gets the big head, a not too uncommon occurrence, I’ve been told. Regardless of the price range or style you are looking for, there’s a western hat just waiting to get a head, including yours!

Did you have a straw cowboy hat when you were little?

 

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Hobbyhorse: Riding Stick Ponies and Horses

Did you have a hobby horse? Do you remember riding stick ponies or horses when you were a child?

I do! All three of us, my sister, brother, and I, got stick horses for Christmas when I was little. We had so much fun riding our 'horses' through the house. Sometimes we were so rambunctious, Mom sent us outside to play in the backyard!

 

Most of the time, our stick horses were stuffed plastic heads on a stick purchased at the Ben Franklin's Five and Dime store. One year, however, Mom made almost all our Christmas gifts. For my sister and me, she made stuffed animals. I got a stuffed pony. My sister got a stuffed cat. My brother got a homemade stick pony made with brown fabric and yarn.
 

When our 'horses' heads were worn out, we sometimes tied a string on an old broomstick and used our imaginations to see the horses we were riding.

 

Stick Horses

provide hours of

imagination building fun!

We played for hours running around the house and the yard. Sometimes we were playing sheriff and outlaws, sometimes we were playing ranch and breaking horses to the saddle, and other times we were just out 'riding' the horse riding trails we pretended were in our backyard. And the best part was that we didn't have to take horseback riding lessons to have so much fun.

My husband tells me that he, his siblings, and all his cousins had a stick horse at his grandparent's house. The 'corral' was the corner of the old smokehouse. When the family got together, each child would find his or her very own stick horse and they would play in the pasture while the adults visited.

When our children were small, they had stick hobbyhorses to ride, too. They named their horses, and no one was allowed to ride anyone else's horse. I was told the horses were trained to buck off anyone but their own riders.

Originally, stick horses were called hobbyhorses. Hobby horse toys were named after the extinct Irish hobby horse.

These days, you can find plush stick ponies in a large number of fabrics and designs, such as the plush Melissa and Doug Gallop-n-Go Stick Pony Toy Horse w/ Sound Effects pictured above. It features realistic neighing sounds accessed by squeezing the button in the pony's ear. This toy is rated for ages 3+ and requires two AA batteries (not included).


Hobbyhorse stick horses come in many different styles and colors. For the more fanciful child, you can even get stick unicorns!

How to Make a Stick Horse

Click the links below to find instructions for a DIY stick horse!

If you prefer, you can make a diy homemade stick horse. There are lots of examples and instructions at the sites listed below:

• How to Make a Stick Horse
• How to Make a Sock Stick Horse
• Gift Idea: DIY Stick Horses
• How to Make a Horse on a Stick

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This Aurora World World Giddy-Up Stick Horse 37" Plush, Beige makes gallop and neigh sounds when the ears are pressed.

The fabric bridal has a Velcro safety release, and the wooden stick has a cap on the end for safety.

No batteries are required.

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Have a Fun Stick Horse Race with Neighborhood Kids!

 

Get off your horse and drink your milk.

~ John Wayne

 

Gift Ideas for Your Little Buckaroo 

• Stick Horse
• Cowboy Boots
• Cowboy Hat
• Lariat

Did you have a stick pony or hobbyhorse when you were a child? If so, did you share your stick pony adventures with your children or grandchildren?