SHAPS 173 



sling, bandage, or tourniquet in case of acci- 

 dent. 



Shaps (from Chapareras — protection from 

 chapparal or thorns of acacia). These are 

 leggings reaching from waist to heel of heavy- 

 oiled leather. They differ from trousers in 

 having no seat or fly, but consist of two trunks 

 each laced or buckled down the outer seam of 

 the leg, and attached at the waist to a half belt. 

 The two half belts are tied together in front 

 with one turn of a leather string, ready to 

 break apart if they get caught on the horn of 

 the saddle in bucking, and fastened again with 

 buckle and strap behind. 



The woolly or hairy fronted shaps made for 

 snowy or wet districts are more plentiful among 

 tenderfeet, showmen and cinema actors than 

 they ever were upon the modest stock range. 

 The usual pattern is of plain brown leather, 

 nearly black with use. It is sometimes fringed, 

 or ornamented with silver dollars or even 

 twenty dollar golden pieces down the outer 

 seam. 



The uses of shaps are to give a grip in the 

 saddle, to shelter the legs from heat, cold, rain, 

 snow, to serve as armour agamst kicking, 

 biting, scraping, backfalls, rolling and other 

 diversions of horses, the horns of cattle, rocks, 



