Traditional Argentine Recado Criollo – Custom Gaucho Saddle Set

The gaucho did not simply ride with his recado. He traveled with it.

Developed through generations of horsemanship across the Argentine countryside, the Recado Criollo is a traditional layered saddle system shaped by the practical life of the gaucho. Rather than a single structured saddle, it brings together a series of carefully arranged pieces designed to work as one complete riding set.

At its center is the traditional lomillo, crafted from firm saddle leather and supported by the layers and fittings that form the recado. Depending on the selected configuration, the set may include a sudadera, mandil, cincha, correones, stirrups and stirrup leathers, rawhide peguál, and a cojinillo or pellón.

Historically, the recado reflected the mobile life of the gaucho. Its layered construction served the practical needs of long days on horseback, while individual pieces could take on other uses when the rider stopped for the night. The Recado Criollo became more than riding equipment—it was part of the gaucho’s way of moving through the land. The multifunctional role of the recado as both riding gear and part of the gaucho’s travelling equipment is also documented in Argentine equestrian writing and in POA’s own editorial history of the saddle.

Pieces of Argentina offers the Recado Criollo by quote, allowing selected materials, components and details to be defined according to the desired configuration. Each request is reviewed individually and sourced in Argentina.

Built around tradition. Configured for the rider. Rooted in Argentina.