The Mother Hubbard Saddle

The Mother Hubbard Saddle: A Piece of Western History

The last time I photographed saddle maker Doug Cox at his shop in Nevada, he was already thinking about the next challenge he wanted to create for himself.

At 75, after more than 900 saddles and five decades working with leather, Doug doesn't exactly need another challenge. But he had decided to build a Mother Hubbard, an early style of Western saddle rarely made today.

When I asked him why, his answer was simple.

“Just because.”

That answer makes more sense once you understand what a Mother Hubbard saddle actually is.

Finished Mother Hubbard Western saddle with extensive floral leather tooling.

The finished Mother Hubbard shows the broad leather coverage that distinguishes the early saddle design, with floral tooling covering much of its surface.

What Is a Mother Hubbard Saddle?

The Mother Hubbard comes from an early period in the development of the American Western saddle, before the familiar cowboy saddle evolved into the form most people recognize today.

Its most obvious characteristic is the amount of leather surrounding the saddle tree. One single large piece of leather extends down, creating a distinctive covered appearance and silhouette. It's immediately different from a modern Western saddle, where the individual components and shape of the tree are much more apparent.

Mother Hubbards emerged during the 19th century and became associated with the developing saddle-making traditions of the American West. Their unusual name is generally connected to the loose, full-coverage “Mother Hubbard” dresses of the period, an appropriate description for a saddle whose leather seems to drape around and cover much of its structure.

But what makes the saddle interesting isn't simply its age or appearance.

It's the way it's built.

Doug Cox cutting leather for a Mother Hubbard saddle in his Nevada workshop.

Cutting patterns from a large piece of leather, Doug works at the center of his saddle-making bench.

Unfinished Mother Hubbard saddle covered with a broad piece of leather in Doug Cox's workshop.

Before the tooling and finishing, a broad piece of leather is fitted over the saddle tree in Doug Cox's workshop.

Why a Mother Hubbard Is So Difficult to Make

Modern saddle makers benefit from generations of refinement. Over time, Western saddles evolved as makers learned what worked for horses, riders, ranch work, construction, and repair.

Building an earlier design means stepping backward into a very different way of solving those problems.

The single broad piece of leather that give the Mother Hubbard its characteristic appearance also make fitting and shaping the saddle particularly demanding. Leather has to conform around compound curves and transition cleanly across the saddle without looking forced or poorly fitted. Small mistakes become increasingly difficult to hide as the work progresses.

It requires a combination of leather working ability, an understanding of saddle construction, and the patience to figure out techniques that few working saddle makers dare to conquer anymore.

Doug described building one as “absolutely hellacious.”

Coming from someone who has made more than 900 saddles, that carries some weight.

And that's precisely why he wanted to do it.

Doug Cox stitching leather on a Mother Hubbard saddle.

Working by hand, Doug stitches a curved section of leather as he builds the Mother Hubbard saddle.

Doug Cox Builds a Mother Hubbard

The first time Doug told me about the project, the saddle didn't exist yet.

It came up toward the end of a larger story I'd been photographing about him and his career. Doug has spent more than five decades building saddles, repairing them, studying historic examples, and developing his own ideas about what makes a saddle work.

That larger story became Western Saddle Maker, my original piece about Doug, his Nevada shop, and a career spent learning a craft that can't really be mastered quickly.

The Mother Hubbard was different.

There wasn't an order to fill or a customer waiting for a working ranch saddle. This was about curiosity and scratching an itch.

After a lifetime spent building saddles, Doug was going backward to understand one.

That's something I've always found interesting about people who become exceptionally good at a craft. Experience doesn't necessarily make them less curious. Sometimes it gives them the confidence to tackle things that make absolutely no economic sense.

The Mother Hubbard was one of those things.

Doug Cox selecting a leatherworking tool from a drawer in his saddle shop.

Leatherworking tools fill the wooden drawer beneath the bench as Doug reaches for one of them.

Doug Cox examining leather patterns for a Mother Hubbard saddle in his workshop.

Pattern pieces and measurements cover the workbench as Doug works out the construction of the Mother Hubbard.

An Old Saddle Built Again

By the time I returned, the pieces I'd previously heard Doug talking about had become a finished saddle.

Seeing it completed makes the oddity of the design much easier to understand.

It doesn't look quite like the Western saddle most of us carry around in our heads. The proportions are different. The mass of leather changes the silhouette. Details that might disappear on a contemporary saddle become part of the visual identity of the Mother Hubbard.

And yet it isn't simply a museum reproduction.

It was made by a man who understands saddles from the perspective of someone who has spent his life building them to be used.

That's an important distinction.

There is a difference between making something look old and understanding why an old object was made the way it was. Doug has spent decades studying saddle construction, taking saddles apart, repairing them, riding them, building them, and learning from the craftsmen who came before him.

The Mother Hubbard gave him an opportunity to apply all of that knowledge to a form from another era.

Floral leather tooling on the skirt of a finished Mother Hubbard saddle.

Flowers, leaves and carved lines fill the leather along the skirt of the finished saddle.

Photographing the Mother Hubbard

That's also what interested me about photographing it.

My ongoing work in the West has never been solely about cowboys or cattle. The culture is also defined by people who make the objects that allow it to function: saddles, boots, hats, bits, spurs, silverwork, ropes, and countless other things that are easy to overlook until you meet someone who has devoted a lifetime to making them.

A finished saddle can be beautiful.

But the real story is the knowledge inside it.

The cuts and stitches are visible. The decades required to know where those cuts and stitches belong are not.

That's what makes someone like Doug worth documenting.

And it's what makes this particular saddle more interesting than simply being an unusual antique design.

Someone still knows how to make one.

Leather tooling, buckled strap and metal stirrup on a Mother Hubbard saddle.

Polished metal stirrup hangs below the tooled leather and buckled strap of the Mother Hubbard saddle.

The Mother Hubbard in Cowboys & Indians

The finished Mother Hubbard and my photographs of Doug were recently featured in Cowboys & Indians magazine.

For me, the significance of the story goes beyond having the photographs published.

The Mother Hubbard represents something that's becoming increasingly difficult to find: knowledge passed down through people rather than preserved only in books, museums, or old objects.

Historic saddles can tell us a great deal about the American West. But there is something different about watching a living craftsman study one, understand it, wrestle with its problems, and then make another with his own hands.

Doug didn't need to build a Mother Hubbard.

There probably aren't many people who do.

Which brings the story back to the question I asked him before he'd made it.

Why go through all that trouble?

“Just because.”

After seeing the finished saddle, that still seems like the best answer.

More From the American West

My earlier story, Western Saddle Maker, goes deeper into Doug Cox's life, his Nevada shop, and more than five decades spent building saddles.

This work is part of Calves to the Fire, my ongoing photographic documentation of working cowboys, ranches, craftsmen, artists, and traditions throughout the American West.

Doug Cox maker's badge and carved leather details on a Mother Hubbard saddle.

Below the cantle, a Doug Cox maker's badge is set into the carved leather above a braided section.

Where to Buy Authentic Cowboy Photography Prints for Western Homes

Buying Cowboy Photography Prints: What to Look For

There's no shortage of cowboy photography for sale online. Spend five minutes searching and you'll find everything from inexpensive posters to original photographs selling for thousands of dollars.

So how do you know what you're actually buying?

I've spent more than six years photographing working cowboys on ranches throughout the American West. During that time, I've developed a pretty strong opinion about what makes a photograph worth putting on your wall. And it has very little to do with whether the subject is wearing a cowboy hat.

Whether you're buying your first Western photograph or adding to an existing collection, here are a few things worth considering.

Looking for photographs? Browse my limited-edition Western fine art prints or explore the complete cowboy photography project.

A black and white cowboy photography print displayed in a warm rustic interior, ideal for western wall art and neutral home decor

A black and white cowboy photograph displayed in a warm interior, bringing a grounded, lived-in feel to western and rustic spaces.

Where to Buy Cowboy Photography Prints

There are several good places to start, depending on what you're looking for and how much you want to spend.

Buying directly from a photographer is a good option if you want to know the story behind a particular image. You can ask where it was taken, how it was made, what printing materials are used, and whether the photograph is part of a limited edition. You may also have access to photographs that aren't publicly listed for sale.

Western art galleries are another excellent resource, particularly if you're interested in established artists or want to see prints in person before purchasing. A good gallery can also help with framing, installation, and choosing work that fits an existing collection.

Online art marketplaces offer an enormous range of photographs at nearly every price point. There's nothing wrong with buying from them, but it's worth finding out who actually made the photograph, what you're receiving, and whether the image is available elsewhere.

Ultimately, I'd encourage you to buy a photograph because you genuinely love it, not because someone tells you it's collectible or because it matches the furniture.

Cowboys ride across open land under a wide sky, adding scale to large wall art in living spaces.

The Story Behind the Photograph Matters

One of the things I've always loved about photography is its ability to put you somewhere you might never otherwise get to go.

Over the years, I've been fortunate enough to photograph legendary ranches like the Four Sixes in Texas, the Diamond A in Arizona, the Haythorn in Nebraska, and the Spanish Ranch in Nevada.

These aren't places where you simply show up, take a few photographs, and leave.

Most of the time, I'm up well before sunrise, following cowboys as they gather cattle, rope calves, brand, sort horses, or do whatever else needs doing that day. Sometimes the photographs happen immediately. Other times, I can go hours without making a single worthwhile frame.

That's just how it goes on ranches that are over 1 million acres.

The people in these photographs aren't actors, and the ranches aren't movie sets. They're working operations, often run by families who have been doing this for generations.

None of that automatically makes a photograph good. It still needs to stand on its own visually. But knowing the circumstances behind an image can make owning it a lot more meaningful.

Cowboys on horseback standing along a rocky cliff, suited for western wall art and nature photography prints

Cowboys on horseback standing along a rocky cliff, suited for western wall art and nature photography prints.

What Makes a Cowboy Photograph Worth Collecting?

This is obviously subjective, but there are a few things I look for.

First, does the photograph hold my attention?

Some of my favorite cowboy photographs are full of action. Horses, cattle, ropes, dust, and a dozen things happening at once. Others are incredibly quiet. A cowboy drinking coffee before sunrise. A weathered saddle. Two riders crossing an enormous stretch of empty country.

I don't believe one is inherently better than the other.

I'm also interested in photographs that reveal something about the people and places being documented. A good photograph should make you curious. Who is that person? Where was this taken? What happened five seconds before or after the shutter was released?

And finally, would you still want to look at the photograph ten years from now?

That's probably the most important question.

A weathered wooden cattle gate set against mountains in a black and white landscape, suited for rustic wall art and nature photography prints

A wooden cattle gate stands in open land with mountains behind it, adding a quiet but powerful detail to rustic interiors.

Limited Edition vs. Open Edition Photography Prints

If you're shopping for fine art photography, you'll probably encounter these two terms.

An open edition means the photographer hasn't established a fixed limit on how many prints can be produced. These are often more affordable and can be a great way to own work by a photographer you admire.

A limited edition has a predetermined number of prints available, generally in a particular size. Once that edition sells out, no additional prints should be produced within the stated edition terms.

Limited editions are often signed and numbered by the photographer.

For my Western fine art collection, I offer signed limited editions in four sizes:

  • 13 × 19 inches — Edition of 45

  • 24 × 36 inches — Edition of 35

  • 36 × 54 inches — Edition of 25

  • 43 × 65 inches — Edition of 10

I prefer keeping the editions relatively small. These photographs represent years of work, and I want the prints to feel like something worth living with for a long time.

One thing worth remembering: a limited edition doesn't automatically make a photograph a good investment. Buy something you want to own, regardless of what it might be worth someday.

A large cowboy photography print displayed in a modern interior, ideal for minimalist wall art and neutral home decor

A large cowboy photography print displayed in a modern interior, ideal for minimalist wall art and neutral home decor.

Print Quality Matters More Than You Might Think

There's a substantial difference between a photograph printed on inexpensive poster paper and one produced using archival fine art materials.

A well-made print should preserve the detail, tonal range, and subtle characteristics of the original photograph.

This is especially important with black-and-white photography, where small differences in shadow detail, contrast, and paper surface can dramatically change the final result.

My prints are produced using archival pigment printing on museum-quality fine art paper. They're made to last for generations when properly handled, framed, and displayed.

If you're buying from another photographer, ask about the printing process and materials. A reputable artist or gallery should have no problem answering those questions.

Choosing the Right Cowboy Photograph for Your Home

People often ask me what size print they should buy or whether a particular photograph will work in their home.

There's no universal answer.

A large photograph of cowboys riding through open country can look incredible in a modern home with clean lines and plenty of wall space. But a smaller, intimate portrait can be equally powerful in an office, hallway, or reading room.

I wouldn't get too caught up in whether your house has a Western aesthetic.

Some of the best installations of cowboy photography I've seen have been in contemporary spaces that have almost nothing traditionally Western about them.

Black-and-white photographs can work particularly well in these environments, but color shouldn't be ruled out. Sometimes the color of the landscape, the light, or the clothing is an important part of the photograph.

Choose the image first. Figure out the wall afterward.

Authentic dusty cowboy printed framed and hung in a Western home.

Authentic Western cowboy photography in a modern Western home.

Buying Cowboy Photography Directly From the Photographer

One advantage of buying directly from me is that the photographs on my website represent only a small portion of the larger archive.

I've made thousands of images on ranches throughout Texas, Arizona, Nevada, Montana, Nebraska, Wyoming, and elsewhere.

Some photographs are available as prints. Others have never been published.

If you're interested in a particular ranch, region, subject, or type of photograph, I'm happy to look through the archive and put together a selection.

I also work with interior designers, art consultants, and collectors who need help choosing photographs for a particular space. Custom framing is available, and I can help with sizing and presentation.

The goal isn't simply to sell you something. It's to find a photograph you'll be happy looking at every day.

A detailed leather saddle with a coiled rope against a black background, ideal for western wall art and rustic decor

A leather saddle and rope shown in detail, highlighting gear used in everyday ranch work, a balanced piece for western and rustic interior spaces.

A Few Final Thoughts

I started photographing cowboys because I was fascinated by the people, the work, and the landscapes they inhabit.

That fascination hasn't gone away. If anything, it's gotten stronger.

I've spent countless hours riding around ranches, getting covered in dust, freezing my ass off in the mornings, and wondering whether I'd come home with anything worthwhile.

Sometimes I don't.

But every once in a while, everything comes together and I make a photograph that reminds me exactly why I keep doing it.

Those are the photographs I want people to live with.

You can explore my Western fine art photography prints, browse the complete cowboy photography gallery, or contact me if you're looking for something specific.

— Rob Hammer

A cowboy riding on horseback through a canyon landscape, suited for western wall art and large wall decor for living rooms

A cowboy rides along a canyon landscape, showing a real working environment suited for large wall art.

Black & White Fine Art Photography of the American West

Black and White Cowboy Wall Art for Western Homes

There’s a reason black and white photography has always had a place in Western homes.

It doesn’t compete with the space. It settles into it.

In ranch houses, mountain homes, and Western interiors, the strongest wall art isn’t loud or decorative. It reflects the land, the work, and the people connected to it. Black and white cowboy photography does that naturally—stripping everything down to light, texture, and moment.

But not all cowboy wall art is the same.

Why Black and White Works in Western Interiors

Western homes tend to be built around natural materials—wood, leather, stone, steel. Color photography can sometimes fight those elements.

Black and white doesn’t.

It fits into:

  • rustic ranch houses

  • mountain cabins

  • modern Western interiors

  • offices and hospitality spaces

Instead of overpowering, it becomes part of the room in complimentary way.

That’s why so many collectors and designers gravitate toward black and white cowboy wall art. It feels timeless, not tied to trends.

Black and White Cowboy Photography Prints vs Western Decor

Most Western wall art you find online is designed to match a theme. Bright colors. Clean outfits. Staged scenes. But real cowboy photography comes from a completely different place.

These photographs are made:

  • on working ranches across the American West

  • during branding, roping, and everyday ranch work

  • in harsh conditions, not controlled environments

The difference shows.

There’s a weight to these images that doesn’t come from styling—it comes from reality.

That’s what separates authentic cowboy photography prints from mass-produced Western decor.

The Power of Black and White in Cowboy Photography

Without color, the focus shifts.

You start to see:

  • the dust in the air

  • the tension in a rope

  • the wear in a saddle

  • the expression on a cowboy’s face after a long day

Black and white removes distraction and leaves only what matters.

It turns a moment into something more permanent.

That’s why this style has been used for decades to document the American West—and why it continues to resonate with collectors today.

Museum-Quality Cowboy Photography Prints

Not all prints are created the same way.

For collectors and interior designers, the difference comes down to craftsmanship:

  • archival, museum-grade paper

  • precise tonal range in black and white

  • large-format printing

  • carefully limited editions

These details aren’t always obvious at first glance, but they determine how the work holds up over time.

Shop Black and White Cowboy Photography Prints

If you’re looking for black and white cowboy wall art created on working ranches across the American West, you can view the full collection here:

→ Shop Cowboy Photography Prints

Part of a Larger Documentary Project

For more than a decade, this work has focused on photographing the daily lives of working cowboys across the West.

Not staged. Not recreated.

Just the work as it happens.

To see more from the full project:

→ Authentic Cowboy Photography Project

Cowboys on horseback overlooking a canyon in the American West, black and white photograph.

Cowboys on horseback overlooking a canyon during a pause in the workday.

Horses running across open range in the American West, black and white photograph.

Horses moving across open range, dust rising in the distance.

Black and white cowboy photograph installed in a private interior setting.

Black and white cowboy photograph installed in a private interior.

Studio photograph of a Western saddle displayed in a contemporary interior.

Studio photograph of a Western saddle displayed in a contemporary interior.

Buck Brannaman Photographs

Buck Brannaman Horse Training Photography

Imagine being a fly on the wall while Marlon Brando rehearses alone. Or having an empty Yankee Stadium while Mickey Mantle takes batting practice.

Witnessing mastery up close is rare. It’s the kind of thing people usually pay for—if they can get access at all.

Every now and then though, it just happens. Right place, right time.

That’s how I found myself watching Buck Brannaman work on a hot, buggy afternoon at the OW Ranch in Montana.

An Unplanned Lesson on the OW Ranch

It wasn’t supposed to be a demonstration.

After a long day of branding calves on the OW Ranch in Montana, the crew was back at headquarters unloading horses when a young mare named Lux refused to cooperate with the trailer. What started as a routine problem quickly turned into something else entirely when Buck Brannaman stepped in.

At first, he stood back, letting the next generation work through it. But as the struggle continued, he quietly asked for a swing.

The energy shifted immediately.

What had been a relaxed end to a branding day became a classroom. Cowboys and cowgirls—many of them highly skilled—gathered in silence, watching closely. Not for spectacle, but for understanding.

What followed wasn’t dramatic. It was slow. Repetitive. Nearly imperceptible at times.

For over two hours, Buck worked inside the tight confines of the trailer, using subtle pressure and release—tap by tap of a flag—asking the horse to think rather than react. Progress came in inches. Then disappeared. Then returned again.

Some people drifted off as the work stretched on. Most stayed, knowing exactly what they were witnessing.

Patience wasn’t just part of the process—it was the process.

Lux wasn’t his horse. There was no audience to impress, no clinic to run. Just a problem that needed solving, and a responsibility to see it through. By the end, the same horse that had been slamming against metal in fear could walk calmly in and out of the trailer.

No celebration. No moment of triumph. Just a quiet acknowledgment: “that’s the one.”

For those who stayed, it was a rare kind of access—watching mastery reveal itself not through intensity, but through discipline, restraint, and time.

What Makes Buck Brannaman Different

Buck Brannaman’s approach to horsemanship helped inspire the film The Horse Whisperer starring Robert Redford, but what you see in a film doesn’t fully translate to real life.

Out here, there’s no script.

His work isn’t built on force or speed. It’s built on timing, feel, and an ability to read subtle changes most people would miss entirely. The kind of discipline that doesn’t look impressive unless you understand what’s happening.

That’s what makes photographing him difficult—and interesting.

There’s no single defining moment. No peak action. The story lives in the small shifts. A release of pressure. A change in posture. A horse beginning to trust.

You don’t chase those moments. You wait for them.

Photographing Real Cowboy Work in the American West

Moments like this are the reason I’ve spent years photographing working cowboys across the American West.

Not staged shoots. Not recreations.

Real ranches. Real work. Long days that start before sunrise and end when the job is done.

The West is often portrayed through extremes—speed, grit, drama—but most of it exists in quieter spaces. In the discipline it takes to do something well. In the repetition. In the patience.

What I saw that day on the OW Ranch wasn’t unusual in the sense that it happens all the time. But being there to witness it—without interruption, without performance—that’s rare.

And that’s what I try to carry into the photographs.

Fine Art Prints & Licensing

This body of work is part of a long-term project documenting working cowboys, historic ranches, and the realities of life in the American West.

For collectors, a selection of museum-quality prints is available here: View Fine Art Prints

For brands, editorial, or commercial use, image licensing is available upon request - rob@robhammerphotography.com

Cowboy sitting on a horse under a wide cloudy sky in Montana, looking off into the distance

Buck Brannaman sitting quiet on horseback under a wide Montana sky, taking in the moment before stepping in. The kind of stillness that comes from knowing when not to act.

Black and white photo of a cowboy on horseback roping cattle in an open field

Buck Brannaman roping through cattle during the same long day of work. Different task, same rhythm, steady and controlled from horseback.

Horse sitting down inside a trailer while Buck Brannaman stands nearby during training in Montana

A horse that shuts down instead of moving forward, sitting back inside the trailer. This is where most would quit, but the work stays the same, steady and patient until something changes.

Buck Brannaman working a horse with a lead rope while cowboys sit and watch near trailers on a Montana ranch

Working a young horse away from the trailer while a line of cowboys sits back and watches. No one says much. When someone like this starts working, you pay attention.

Cowboys watching through the rails of a trailer as Buck Brannaman works a horse near another trailer in Montana

Watching through the rails of a trailer, catching pieces of the work as it unfolds. Not a formal lesson, just a rare chance to see it up close.

Buck Brannaman guiding a horse stepping into a trailer on a ranch in Montana

Buck Brannaman working at the edge of the trailer, asking the horse forward one step at a time. No force, just timing and feel, the kind of work that builds slowly in the heat after a long day.

Cowboys sitting on and inside a pickup truck holding drinks while watching horse training on a Montana ranch

Cowboys gathered on a truck, drinks in hand, watching the work unfold from a distance. What started as the end of the day turned into something worth staying for.

View from inside a pickup truck of a cowboy watching Buck Brannaman work a horse near trailers on a ranch

From inside a truck, looking out at the same quiet process. Different vantage point, same focus, everyone tuned in to the small changes.

Group of cowboys standing and leaning around a ranch truck talking after work in Montana

Gathered around the truck after the work, talking it through while it is still fresh. The kind of conversations that come from seeing something done right.

Buck Brannaman sitting on a porch at night talking with another cowboy in rocking chairs

Late evening on the porch, the work behind them and the pace slowed down. Stories, lessons, and time to sit with what the day had to offer.

Buck Brannaman on the cover of Western Horseman Magazine

Buck Brannaman - Western Horseman Magazine