By the 20th century, silver was au rigueur in the designs and contrasted Texas spurs with their nickel, copper, bronze and brass. While Texans remained loyal to their utilitarian, hard-working, simple styles, other western and rocky mountain makers like Phillips & Gutierrez and Rex Schnitger of Wyoming and Eddie Hulbert of Montana were beginning to add flourishes and designs unheard previously unheard of including ornate inlays, jinglebobs, double rowels and split Cheyenne heel bands.

Later these individuals broadened and incorporated though legendary western saddleries like G S Garcia of Elko, Nevada, Messing & Sons of San Jose, California, and the Visalia Stock Saddle Company of San Francisco. Spanish colonial and early Mexican spurs transcended the mundane and utilitarian in both form and adornments as the fanciful and regal charro culture crept into the burgeoning California styles popularized by individual makers like Jose and Jesus Tapia (1831-1931), Atanasio Larios (1832-1895), Jose and Vicente Mardueno (1828-1933), the Hernandez family (1841-1900s), Albert Espinosa (1858-1937), J J and John Estrada (1931-1942) and Mike Morales (1888-1934), who were among the most popular independent makers of fine silver, enhanced iron bits and spurs. Mexican Vaqueros and later, Californios, became known for the more colorful and intricate designs that captured the eyes of both the onlookers and horsemen people who used them. However, before long, artists began adding silver, gold and other embellishments to enhance the look of both the horses and their riders. These earliest examples were simple, rugged, sensible strong and utilitarian. Collection californiastatelibrary americana Digitizing sponsor California State Library Califa/LSTA Grant Contributor California State Library Language English Volume 5. Though equestrian gear has been popular in Europe, South America and Mexico (Spanish Colonial) for centuries, many of the traditional early American Cowboy bits and spurs that helped settle the west originally came through the August Buermann Company founded in New Jersey in 1868. Visalia Stock Saddle Company, San Francisco Catalog.

Visalia stock saddle company 1938