Dan Fowler (Hines) is a traditional rawhide braider and buckaroo. Dan has worked on ranches since high school, where he began working with rawhide. Today, buckaroos throughout eastern Oregon use Fowler’s reins, romals (whip), and bosals (noseband).
Bio
Like many in the high desert region, Dan Fowler was raised around horses and cattle. For over 30 years, Fowler’s father managed a ranch outside of Winemucca, Nevada. At the age of 15, Fowler started buckarooing during the summer months on neighboring ranches. After high school, he continued on, eventually making a career of it, working from ranch-to-ranch. In the early years, many of the old time buckaroos braided riatas, bridle rings, and hackamores. Back then, “rawhiding” was a winter time pursuit for the buckaroos. These days, braiding is far more common and many do it year-round. “I kinda’ picked up on that [their ways of braiding], that’s how I got started into this,” Fowler commented. Years later, when it was time to hang up his spurs as a working buckaroo, Fowler set up shop as a rawhide braider. Fowler credits the late Loren Wood for lining him out on the tools and showing him how to do the finish work at a much higher level. These days, Fowler prepares his cowhides “the old hard way," nailed to the wall to dry out, then rolled hair side out and scraped. As with many of the gear makers in the area, his reins, romals, and bosals are sold to buckaroo/cowboys across the region and beyond. “I go for the working guys,” Fowler declared. “I’m not interested in the fancy collector work.” Rawhiding is a “using” product, he added. He knows for certain if he gives the customer good work, they’ll be back!
