Farm & Ranch
Colt Baldwin: The Craft of Saddle Making
The saddle has served as an essential tool for cowboys and cowgirls for hundreds of years, providing
both comfort and security for horse and rider as they go about their daily tasks, from herding cattle to
building fences. The time-honored tradition of saddle making is an art that has been passed down through the generations. Colt Baldwin, of Gainesville, Texas, continues this tradition, a gift of knowledge he received from his high school agriculture teacher, Chris Uselton. The teacher took Baldwin under his wing, teaching him the ins and outs of taking a piece of leather and turning it into a custom-made, beautiful tool that a rider can use day in and day out.
Learning the Craft
Baldwin grew up in Gainesville with roots deep in the north Texas town. His grandfather raised Brangus
bulls, while his father owned and raised horses while working at Peterbilt. The saddle maker also is
employed by Peterbilt, where he has worked 11 years while growing his business and expanding his craft along the way.
Uselton had once worked for Jack and Bruce Chaney, who shared their expertise of saddle making. He
made good use of that knowledge and crafted saddles for years before making the move into teaching.
When Baldwin became his student, Uselton began instructing him on metal projects, such as spurs and
bits, which they began showing as ag mechanics projects.
“I don’t know if he thought I was good enough, or that I wanted to try enough, but he thought it would
be cool to do a saddle next as a project because he had never seen anyone do that,” Baldwin recalled. “My senior year, we finally finished and showed the saddle, and won a ton of awards at San Antonio and San Angelo, all the big shows. Now, students win all kinds of things like scholarships, but at the time, it was a new thing, and they didn’t even know where to put us. We still won a bunch, but it wasn’t really set up for that kind of stuff.”
Baldwin’s school was not equipped with the proper tools for saddle making, so Uselton allowed his student to work from his house and use his own personal tool collection.
To read more pick up a copy of the February 2022 NTFR issue. To subscribe call 940-872-5922.
By Heather Welper
Husband and wife duo, Heather and Calvin Welper, are the Co-Owners and Operators or Two C Livestock, located in Valley View, Texas.
The pair’s operation has a show cattle focus where they raise and sell purebred heifers of all breeds and club calf Hereford steers.
When it comes to show cattle, the Welpers know a thing or two including how to prepare for the cold winter months and the Texas major show season run.
To read more, pick up a copy of the November edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By Hannah Claxton, Editor
As the sun rises each day, so do the dozens of mouths that Meghan McGovern is responsible for getting fed. Rather than the sounds of a rooster crowing, McGovern hears the bellows and bleats of a variety of exotic deer, the chortle of kangaroos, the grunts of water buffaloes, and the chirps of a lemur.
Nestled against the banks of the Red River, the Double M Ranch and Rescue, with its high game fences and deer sprinkling the landscape,s its in stark contrast to the surrounding ranches.
“Having deer is kind of like eating potato chips- you can never actually have just one,” said McGovern with a laugh.
McGovern has several herds to take care of- fallow deer, axis deer, water buffalo, goats, and bison. In smaller numbers, there’s also a few kangaroos, a lemur, a potbelly pig, a pair of zebras, a watusi, and a few horses.
To read more, pick up a copy of the November edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By Barry Whitworth, DVM, MPH
With the prolonged drought, most pastures in Oklahoma end up in poor condition. With the lack of available forage, animals may go in search of alternative foods.
If oak trees are in the pastures, acorns may be a favorite meal for some livestock in the fall. This may result in oak poisoning.
Oak leaves, twigs, buds, and acorns may be toxic to some animals when consumed.
To read more, pick up a copy of the November edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
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