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When the Catholic priests entered California in the late 1700's, they were escorted by horseback Spanish soldiers known as leatherjackets. The leatherjackets brought with them knowledge and traditions of generations of Spanish horsemen skilled in the use of the bit and spur. The horses of Spain were known for being highly responsive weapons of war. The ability of those horses to respond to the use of the bit and spur could result in the survival or death of its rider.

In the late 1960's, Les' father, Norman, sought out the finest craftsmen capable of creating works of art out of silver and iron. Art that manifested in the forms of bits and spurs in the Spanish tradition. What he found were direct descendants of the silver and iron workers brought to the new world by Cortez in the 1500's. Armed with the designs of the Californian, Vogt successfully employed these artisans to create quality bits and spurs in the 1980's, allowing Les to use his knowledge and experience to expand the line of the now famous Vogt silver bits and spurs.

Keeping the traditions of the first Californians alive is native son and master horseman, Les Vogt, of Santa Maria. As a child in California's great Central Valley, Les stood in the shadows, looking through the cracks of corral boards as his father, Norman, and the other cowboys worked their horses on cattle. The pride those men took in their profession was evident both in the appearance of themselves and their horses, most importantly, was the way their horses handled.

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