| Grant
Matthews of Murtaugh, Idaho is a cattleman, horse trainer, and horsemanship
teacher. Grant is also an accomplished
rawhide and leather braider. He makes custom orders for his clients. Unique among
the items Grant has braided is his
leather version of a McCarty (mecate) rope.
Grant braids eight strands of
leather around a 3/8" soft
nylon core, usually in about a 20
foot length. One might think a
leather McCarty would be heavy or
stiff, but with the nylon core it
remains light and very supple. A
leather McCarty would be a good
choice for horsemen in Arizona or other brushy states because the rope does not get caught in
sticker brush the way hair or
fiber McCartys do.
An
addition to Grant's workshop is a
leather & rawhide cutting
machine he had made based on a
prototype machine made by Twister
Heller of Congress, Arizona. The
machine easily cuts rawhide and
leather into uniform strips of the
desired lengths and widths for
braiding leather and rawhide tack.
Grant is
offering his hand-braided leather
McCartys for sale on a
personalized custom-made basis.
Grant will make a McCarty for a
client in custom lengths. The
usual lengths are 20' to 23'.
Grant will make them 18' to 26' as
ordered. Grant braids eight
strands of leather around a
3/8" soft nylon core. He
offers a choice of size, shape,
and hair color for the horsehair
tassel on the head end of the
McCarty. Grant will provide
horsehair the color of your choice
or you may provide hair from your
favorite horse. He also offers the
choice of a heel knot or a
pineapple knot on the tail end.
There is also a leather popper on
the tail end. Grant makes
a standard McCarty up to 22' long. McCartys 22' to 26' will cost an
additional amount per foot. The
finished McCartys are suitable for
use on a hackamore or on a snaffle
bit.
Grant also
makes and sells pencil bosals for the horseman. His 9 1/2" long,
5/16" diameter braided rawhide bosal with braided leather nose button and
mouse, are shown below.
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Grant made this
custom 22' leather mecate for Mark Byrum, High Plains
Saddlery, from Smithwick, South
Dakota. The mecate is made from 8 strands of chap leather
braided over a 5/16" core. A black & sorrel horsehair
tassel on one end and a leather popper on the other are attached
with heel knots.
Click on photos
for larger views |
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Grant
Matthews
Murtaugh, Idaho horse trainer, rawhide and leather braider
Rawhide two-ear headstall, kangaroo California-style reins and custom made
silver-mounted bit.
This custom set-up was ordered by Mike
Laughlin, Lamoille, Nevada and all parts made by Grant Matthews.
leather McCarty on a horse:
click pictures for larger view
Grant also made this headstall and unique
grazing bit that is made specially to use with a McCarty
Grant says this bit will never pinch and is balanced so a horse can carry
its head naturally.
click pictures for
larger view
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Further
information may be obtained directly from: