Bill and Teresa Black (Plush) are traditional rawhide braiders who make gear for working cowboys. The couple and their daughter, Montana, work together in their backyard shop and travel to area shows around the area to demonstrate and sell hackamores, riatas, and bosals.
Bio
Husband and wife duo Bill and Teresa Black are traditional rawhide braiders. They also do fine horsehair hitching and leatherwork. Bill, originally from Colorado, worked as a buckaroo (cowboy) in the Great Basin ranches of northern Nevada where he became the cowboss at both the legendary MC Ranch and the Roaring Springs Ranch. Teresa and Bill met during a show; she was working at her father’s saddlemaking booth, and he was selling his handcrafted gear. Today, the couple and their daughter, Montana, work of their backyard shop. Bill Black learned to braid from his father, Jeff, and Howard Munsell; at an early age, he practiced with the scraps of other braiders. While Black was working in Nevada, Dean Tobias showed him how to work rawhide. Black now makes his living crafting bosals (straps), hackamores (bridles), reins, riatas (lassoes), and belts. He also does horsehair hitching—weaving horse tail hair to create intricately designed pieces. Teresa Black is an experienced leatherworker in her own right, making various leather goods such as containers for hanging tools as well as photo album covers. She works with Bill to prepare the rawhide and is also learning to do horsehair hitching. The Blacks attend area shows, demonstrating and selling their unique pieces, particularly their hackamores and bosals, which top horse trainers order.
