Continuity mistake: In the opening scenes, the perspiration stains on Blue's shirt disappear between takes. They return a few moments later, only to vanish and reappear several more times in subsequent shots. (00:05:00)
Gold Is Where You Leave It - S1-E19
Visible crew/equipment: Just before Buck tosses the barrel at the bad guys, a film crew member's shadow is visible on the adobe ruin's wall.
Once on a Day in Spring - S2-E20
Continuity mistake: Blue's knife slips and badly cuts his hand. But the next day, there's no sign of the wound or any bandage on his hand. (00:21:00)
Revealing mistake: When Blue rides in with Moon Fire and Kelly, there are footprints visible in the dirt behind them. Several of the prints have distinctive patterned tread from what could only be 20th Century rubber-soled shoes.
Revealing mistake: When Buck comes across the first of two bodies in the desert, we see only the dead man's booted legs protruding from the bushes. When he finds the second body, the exact same shot of legs and boots (with the same bushes and rocks) is used over again with the film reversed.
Once on a Day in Spring - S2-E20
Continuity mistake: During Victoria's conversation with Vaquero in the tent, the red blanket wrapped around her changes positions (up near her ears, then falling off her shoulders, etc.) several times between takes.
Continuity mistake: When Mano wakes Buck up, Buck's hat strings are hanging down over his face. When the shot cuts, though, the strings are immediately tucked back over his ears.
Factual error: Despite taking a three-day trek across the blazing Arizona desert with no food, water or provisions (and definitely no knives or razors), neither John nor Manolito grows a beard, or even any stubble. They both arrive in Nevermore perfectly clean shaven.
The New Lion of Sonora - S4-E14
Continuity mistake: When Buck tries to comfort a bereft Manolito, Mano is sobbing and leaning his forehead against a tree trunk. But when the shot reverses angles, he's abruptly standing upright a foot away from the tree. (00:14:10)
Continuity mistake: Two of the ten orphaned Apache children are found hiding near the house, bringing the total so far to six. But later, after Chodi sends out a signal, two more children come in from the desert, and these are again counted as five and six. But the fifth and sixth of the children were already there - so the new total should have been eight, not six.
Revealing mistake: When the Apache war party starts its charge toward the High Chaparral, the dirt road beside them shows clear tire tread marks from the camera truck. (00:30:05)
The Stallion - S2-E1
Continuity mistake: Blue leaves his regular horse exhausted at the ranch and takes another one in order to pursue the young Apache. But in mid-chase, Blue is suddenly back on his regular horse again.
Factual error: The Apache spearhead Buck appropriates is very obviously made from machine-tooled steel. Indian tribes in 1870s Arizona made their weapons points from hand-knapped stone and on rare occasions, iron. They never developed steel-making technology.
Continuity mistake: One of the Apaches throws his lance at Manolito's feet, and it lands beside him at a 30 degree angle. In the next shot, though, as Mano walks away, the lance is sticking straight up out of the ground.
Plot hole: This episode comprises a flashback to the year 1866, but it sets up a chronology that completely contradicts the rest or the series. It contends that the Cannons moved west to Arizona in 1867. In the pilot and throughout the series, it was stated that they arrived in Arizona in the 1870s, at least ten years after the U.S. Civil War.
Deliberate mistake: Though it was, overall, far more historically accurate than most TV westerns, "High Chaparral" retained one anachronism throughout its run. For safety reasons, all the coal-oil lamps and lanterns on the set contained obvious electric light bulbs rather than burning wicks.
Continuity mistake: Just after Buck jumps in to break Charly's fall, his right hand is high on her shoulder in full shots. But in close-ups, his hand and arm are around her waist instead.
Continuity mistake: A heavy black bag falls from the Simmons' wagon as they pull away from their house. A short time later, it has disappeared from the spot where it landed.
Continuity mistake: Victoria is wearing a torn white blouse after the stage coach overturns, then, after she and Jim are walking through the desert, and they find water, she is wearing a pristine pink blouse. Then, a later shot shows the white blouse again, and while she and Jim are camping for the night, she is shown changing into the pink blouse.
Continuity mistake: Blue's arms at the jail cell window instantly switch back and forth from being together to apart to together.
