I thought I would weigh in on this month's topic, tack & equipment. Over the years, I can say that I have been truly blessed to meet some of the finest craftsmen in the horse business. Duff Severe of Severe Saddlery in Pendleton, Oregon, passed away about six years ago but I was fortunate enough to spend time with him during a visit to Pendleton, Ore. Duff was a great leather worker and craftsman, the first leather worker recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts for his work. He was also a cowboy's friend: many a rodeo rider stayed at his place in Pendleton during the roundup when they couldn't afford a room.

Long ago, I wrote a story about Paul Bond, a bootmaker in Nogales, Ariz. Bond was a rodeo cowboy turned craftsman; he set up shop in my father's hometown back in the 1950s. Now in his 90s, Paul oversees a shop of artisans who continue to turn out custom-made and hand-built off-the-shelf boots. National Public Radio did a story on him in which he talked about how much he loves to get up each morning and go to work; his enthusiasm for his craft humbles me.

Recently, I spent some time talking to Oregon saddle maker Donn Leson and Wyoming bit and spur maker Tom Balding. I first became aware of these men's work while visiting the National Reining Horse Futurity in Oklahoma City. Donn's saddles are highly prized in the sport, the ones the top trainers aspire to use and own. I've seen a lot of spurs and bits over the 25-plus years of my writing career but Tom Balding's were really special. He and his crew simply turn out amazing works of art.

I think back on these guys and worry; more and more of the tack and saddles I see are stamped out in factories in China. Sure, they are cheap. Often, they are copies of designs by masters like the men above. But it doesn’t sit well with me that the horse world is adopting the Walmart mentality of always buying the lowest-priced item, regardless of who made it and why.

I know we can’t all afford to buy hand-crafted, American-made products. But as my dad - a cowboy from Arizona - often said, “always buy the best you can afford and be proud of the things you own. They’ll last longer and pay you back in pride and satisfaction.”

To his way of thinking, one pair of Balding Spurs and a Donn Leson saddle is worth more than a barn full of untreasured foreign junk.