Horse wranglers (csikós) were rarely without a leather whip in hand.
Image courtesy of Lili Tizenöt
Hungarian leatherworkers fashion leather into footwear, harnesses, and saddles. Especially elaborate designs are used for saddles and riding gear. Horse wranglers (csikós) use a lasso-like rope (pányva) to separate a horse from the herd. The most famous tool of the trade is the karikásostor, a whip woven of leather strings, which crackles as the wranglers work among herds of untamed animals. This instrument has remained a symbol of prowess and skill to this day.
