Huasos

Chile

Huasos in Chile are similar to the Guachos of Argentina, the Llaneros of Venezuela and the cowboys of the United States. The difference between the Chilean Huasos and their similar counterparts in other regions is that the Huasos not only deal with cattle but can also be involved in agriculture. Most Chilean Huasos live South of Santiago where there are a lot of cattle farms.

Huaso is also the name used to refer to the man dancing in the Cueca (the Chilean national dance) since he wears their traditional clothing. The female in this dance is called the China (with the flowery dress) or Huasa urbana (with the elegant dress).

What do Huasos wear?

The essential clothing of a Huaso consists of:

A hat with a round rim which is ironing board flat. This is traditionally black but you will find many that wear light-coloured ones.

Knee-high leather boots with spurs at the heels.

A wide sash around the waist with part of it hanging towards the left. It is usually black, grey or beige.

A jacket which is shorter around the waist than normal so that it doesn't cover the sash.

The jacket is covered by a Poncho. This Poncho is what characterizes each Huaso since they are each known for their own colours.

You might want to check out a traditional Huaso Sport - The Chilean Rodeo

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