NAVIGATION

A Pair of South American Chilean Huaso Metal Mounted Wooden Stirrups with Floral Decoration to the Mounts and Carved to the Wood 
Mid 19th Century 

Size: 28cm high, 27cm wide, 20.5cm deep - 11 cm high, 10½ ins wide, 8 ins deep / approx: 47cm high - 18½ ins high (extended)

The Huasos in Chile are similar to the Guachos of Argentina and the Llaneros of Venezuela except that the Huaso are also involved in farming as well as cattle herding. Their stirrups are quite different from those of the Argentinian gaucho who used simple round wooden stirrups usually barefoot. The gaucho would insert their big toe into these small stirrups which after years of riding in this manner eventually deformed their toes, greatly affecting the way they walked. 
     The Huasos are generally found in Chile’s central valley and have today become an important part of the fiestas and parades that take place in the folkloric culture of the country. They are taught to ride from a very early age and now use their exceptional horsemanship, especially their signature sideways gallop, in Rodeo events. Mounted on Corralero, or carolling breed horses, unusual for their ability to run sideways, they corral a calf, pin it tightly against a cushioned wall and earn points for dexterity and the exact part of the calf that is pinned, with shoulders being worth considerably more than the hindquarters.