early Anglo-American Texas ranchers were unable to interpret the brands used by the
Spanish and Mexicans. Texans often referred to them as "dog irons" or
"quién sabes" ("who knows?") since they could not be read. Most of
the early brands of Texans, by contrast, were made of initials and could be read with
ease. Like books, brands are read from top to bottom and left to right. Brand
reading is akin to an art that almost requires a language of its own. Amazingly,
every numeral and letter of the alphabet can be made with an iron shaped a configuration.
were used by ranchers to prevent theft. Cattle on the open range land or being
driven accross country were particularly susceptable to rustlers. Rustlers used
"running irons" and were ingenious in changing brands. The most famous
brand change involved making the "XIT" brand into a star with a cross inside.
counties did not begin brand registration until the 1870s or 1880s. By then letters,
numerals, and even names were popular brands in Texas.
Though such brands were easily read, others have to be seen. Among them are the
"Hogeye," "Fishtail," "Milliron," "Buzzard on a
rail," "Coon on a rail," "Saddle Pockets" or "Swinging
blocks," "Quién sabe," "Grab-all," and countless others with
intriguing names. Representations of such common subjects as an anvil, truck handle, hash
knife, door key, bridle bit, spur, pitchfork, old woman, doll baby, broadax, boot, shoe,
hat, rocking chair, frying pan, and so on were commonplace.
branding terminology, a leaning letter or character is "tumbling." In the
horizontal position it is "lazy." Short curved strokes or wings added at the top
make a "Flying T." The addition of short bars at the bottom of a symbol makes it
"walking." Changing angular lines into curves makes a brand "running."
Half-circles, quarter-circles, and triangles were frequently used in
late-nineteenth-century brands. An open triangle was a "rafter." If a letter
rested in a quarter-circle it was "rocking." There were "bars,"
"stripes," "rails," and "slashes" that differed only in
length and angle. When a straight line connected characters, a "chain" was made. Brands are read from left to right and top to