Cowboy

The classic vision of the American cowboy, as portrayed by Frederic Remington

A cowboy (Spanish vaquero) tends cattle and horses on cattle ranches in North and South America. The cowboy is normally a ranch hand in charge of the horses and/or cattle, as is the wrangler. In addition to ranch work, some cowboys work in and participate in rodeos, and many cowboys work only in the rodeo.

Antecedents

Originally the word designated a herdsboy who was employed as a cowherd, often on foot (riding requiring skills and investment in horse and equipment rarely available to or entrusted to a boy). Herdswork was often done - more often with sheep or goats - by minors in Antiquity, and still is in various third world cultures; the teenagers of a South African tribe even maintain a specific traditional form of Nguni stick fighting, to defend themselves and their herds.

But in the western culture, herding cattle was rarely left to boys, except as trainees at least approaching manhood, especially as schooling became generalized, and the term became disassociated from the boyish age, at first retaining the notion of low status often implied by 'boy' in professional designations, later being extended to the whole ranch culture.

History

American cowboy circa 1887

The Spanish invented what we now consider the cowboy tradition, beginning in medieval Spain.

America

During the 16th century, they brought the tradition and their horses, the ancestors of the "wild" mustangs, with them to the New World through New Spain (later Mexico). The mustangs are called wild but in reality these are feral animals as they are descended from domestic horses.

Though popularly considered as an American icon, cowboys are a New Hispanic tradition, which originated in the Central States of Mexico, Jalisco and Michoacan, where the Mexican cowboy would eventually be known as a "charro". Historically, the northern parts of Mexico (New Mexico) originally included most of the territory of the American southwest including Texas. In the early 1600s, the Spanish crown, and later independent Mexico, began offering empresario grants in what would later be Texas to US citizens who agreed to become Mexican citizens and convert to Catholicism. In 1821 Stephen F. Austin and his East Coast comrades became the first yankee community speaking Spanish. Following Texas independence in 1836 even more Americans immigrated into Texas and to the empresario ranching areas. Here they were impressed by the Mexican vaquero culture, borrowing vocabulary and attire from their counterparts.

The buckaroo, also a cowboy of the vaquero tradition, developed in California and bordering territories during the Spanish Colonial period. The word Buckaroo, still a common term in the Great Basin and many areas of California and intermittently in the Pacific Northwest, appeared in 1889 in American English, derived (influenced by 'buck', as folk etymology) from bakhara, itself an anglicized alternate since 1827 of 'vaquero', Spanish for cowherd which only entered English one year earlier and itself originates in the Latin vaca 'cow'.

Following the American Civil War, their culture diffused eastward and northward combining with the earlier cowboy tradition that was following the cattle trails out of Texas northward and westward. Sharing the same base, their traditions became indistinguishable with a few regional differences still remaining.

Over time, the cowboys of the American West developed a culture of their own, a blend of frontier and Victorian values. Such hazardous work in isolated conditions bred a tradition of self-dependence and individualism, exemplified in their songs and poetry.

By the 1890s, the open ranges of the Indian Territory were gone and the large cattle drives from Texas to the railheads in Kansas were over. Smaller cattle drives continued at least into the 1940s, with Arizona cattle driven to the railhead at Magdalena, New Mexico. Meanwhile, ranches multiplied all over the developing West, keeping cowboy employment high, if somewhat more settled.

In the 1930s and 1940s, Western movies popularized the cowboy lifestyle but also formed persistent stereotypes. In pop culture, the cowboy and the gunslinger are often associated with one another.

Much has been written about the racial mix of the cowboys in the West, but cowboys ranked low in the social structure of the period and there are no firm figures. The Cattle on a Thousand Hills by John Ambulo in the March 1887 issue of The Overland Monthly states that cowboys are "... of two classes—those recruited from Texas and other States on the eastern slope; and Mexicans, from the south-western region. ...". Census records bear that out. The cowboy occupation undoubtedly appealed to the freedmen following the Civil War. It is estimated that about 15% of all cowboys were of African ancestry—ranging from about 25% on the trail drives out of Texas, to very few on the northern ranges. Similarly, cowboys of Mexican descent also averaged about 15%, but were more common in Texas and the southwest. American Indians also found employment as cowboys early in the history of the West. Many of the early vaqueros were Indians trained to work for the Spanish missions in caring for the mission herds. Following the dissolution of the reservation system around 1900, many of the Indian trade schools also taught ranching skills to Indian youth.

American Indian youths learning to brand cattle at the Seger Indian Industrial School near Colonyâ€"on the old Cheyenne-Arapaho reservation in Oklahoma Territory, ca. 1900.

Hawaiian Paniolo

The Hawaiian cowboy, the paniolo, a word widely thought to have originated as a Hawaiianized pronunciation of espaÃ±ol (an alternative is ?Hawaian for means, "To sit tall" or "To be full of pride"), like the mainland cowboy, learned their skills from Mexican vaqueros. Hawaiian King Kamehameha III brought these vaqueros over from California in 1832 to teach the cow herders how to handle their cattle. At that time California was still part of Mexico, and Hawaii was known as the Sandwich Islands.

Cowboys of other nations

In addition to the original Mexican vaquero, the Mexican charro, the North American cowboy, and the Hawaiian paniolo, the Spanish also exported their horsemanship and knowledge of cattle ranching to the gaucho of Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and (with the spelling "gaÃºcho") southern Brazil, the llanero of the llano (South American prairie-like plains, as in Venezuela), the huaso of Chile, and, indirectly through the Americans, to Australia. In Australia, which has a large ranch (station) culture, cowboys are known as ringers and stockmen (with trainee stockmen being known as jackaroos and jillaroos).

American style free-range dry land ranching was introduced to Canada (specifically southern Alberta) in the 1880s. The cowboy way of life became prominent throughout the foothills of the Canadian Rocky Mountains. The nearby city of Calgary, Alberta became the centre of the Canadian cattle industry, earning it the nickname "Cowtown". The cattle industry is still extremely important to Alberta, and cattle outnumber people in the province. Eventually fenced cattle farms outgrew true ranches, but the cowboy influence lived on. In the 1912 the Calgary Stampede began, and today it is the world's richest cash rodeo. Each year Calgary's more northern rival Edmonton stages the Canadian Finals Rodeo and dozens of regional rodeos are held through the province.

The idea of horsemen who guard herds of cattle, sheep or horses is common wherever wide, open land for grazing exists. In the French Camargue, horsemen called "gardians" herd cattle. In Hungary, the csikÃ³s guard horses. The herdsmen in the region of Maremma, in Tuscany (Italy) are called butteros.

Working cowboys

Cattle drive in Colorado, USA

On the ranch, the cowboy is responsible for feeding the livestock, branding or marking cattle and horses, and tending to their injuries or other needs. They also move the livestock to market. In addition, cowboys repair fences, maintain ranch equipment, and perform other odd jobs around the ranch. These jobs vary depending on the size of the ranch, the terrain, and the number of livestock. On larger ranches, or on those with lots of cattle, a cowboys may specialize in one task or another. On smaller ranches with fewer cowboys—often just family members—the cowboy tends to be a generalist employed in many tasks.

The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics collects no figures for cowboys, so the exact number of working cowboys is unknown. Cowboys are included in the 2003 category, Support activities for animal production, which totals 9,730 workers averaging $19,340 per annum. In addition to cowboys working on ranches, in stockyards, and in rodeos, the category includes farm hands working with other types of livestock (sheep, goats, hogs, chickens, etc.). Of those 9,730 workers, 3,290 of them are listed in the subcategory of Spectator sports which includes rodeos, circuses, and theaters needing livestock handlers.

Dress

Most cowboy dress, thought of as Western wear, grew out of the environment in which the cowboy worked. Many of the items were adapted from the Mexican vaqueros.
*Cowboy hat; a hat with a wide brim to protect from brush and vegetation, the sun and the elements; there are many styles, probably influenced by both the Mexican sombrero and US (and Confederate) Cavalry hats.
*Cowboy boots; a boot with a high top to protect the lower legs, pointed toes to help guide the foot into the stirrup, and high heels to keep the foot from slipping through the stirrup while working in the saddle; with or without spurs (often detachable).
*Jeans, or other sturdy tight-fitting trousers; heavy canvas trousers designed to protect the legs and snug fitting to prevent the trouser legs from blistering the inner thigh and knee while horseback, and from snagging on brush, corral equipment or other hazards.

Tools

Modern Texas cowboys. Note that their clothes are similar to those of the 19th century cowboy above

*Chaps; guards worn to protect the legs when riding through heavy brush or during rough work with the livestock.
*Lariat; from the Spanish "la riata," meaning "the rope," a tightly twisted stiff rope with a loop at one end enabling it to be thrown to catch animals (sometimes called a lasso, especially in the East).
*Spurs; a tool, attached to the rider's heel, designed to help a rider communicate with the horse when the hands are busy or when it is too noisy for oral commands.
*Rifle; a firearm used to protect the livestock from predation by wild animals. Occasionally cowboys will carry a pistol when not physically working cattle, especially in brushy areas. The modern American cowboys came to existence in an age of guns, but cattle herders of earlier times were equipped with long sticks, Bows and sometimes lances.
*Cow dog; many people, including cowboys, find a herding dog invaluable in locating and controlling livestock.

Mount & tack

The traditonal mode of transport is on horseback on a large ranch. Horses can traverse terrain vehicles cannot. Horses, along with mules and burros, also serve as pack animals. The most important horse on the ranch is the everyday working ranch horse; cutting horses are very rarely used on ranches. Because the rider is busy working while riding, the horse must neck rein and have good cow sense—it must instinctively know how to anticipate and react to cattle.

Tack:
*Western Saddle; a saddle specially designed for working with cattle; the rider's feet rest in stirrups to allow the rider to stand or resist the pull of livestock while working; a horn sits low in front of the rider, to which the lariat can be snubbed, "saddle strings" or tiedowns to provide secure mountings for any additional equipment needed for work on the ranch; and various other modifications.
*Saddle blanket; a blanket or pad is required under the Western saddle to provide comfort and protection for the horse.
*Bridle; a Westen bridle usually has a curb bit and long split reins to control the horse in many different situations.
* Saddle bags (leather or nylon) can be mounted to the saddle, to carry various sundry items and extra supplies.
* Wade Saddle: One of the most popular saddle styles today is the Wade saddle, a "buckaroo style" saddle made popular by clinicians such as Ray Hunt and Buck Brannaman. See more of the history of the Wade saddle at http://www.cowboyshowcase.com/wade_saddle.htm

Vehicles

The most common vehicle driven in ranch work is the pickup truck. Sturdy and roomy, with a high ground clearance, it can haul ranch supplies from town and still handle rough trails on the ranch. It is used to pull stock trailers transporting cattle and livestock from one area to another and to market. With a horse trailer attached, it carries horses to distant areas where they may be needed. Motorcycles are sometimes used, but the most common smaller vehicle is the four-wheeler. It will carry a single cowboy quickly around the ranch for small chores. In areas with heavy snowfall, snowmobiles are also common.

Rodeo cowboys

In the beginning there was no difference between the working cowboy and the rodeo cowboy, and in fact, the term working cowboy did not come into use until the 1950s. Prior to that it was assumed that all cowboys were working cowboys. The early cowboys worked on the ranches and displayed their skills at the roundups. The word rodeo is from the Spanish rodear (to turn), which means roundup.

The advent of professional rodeos allowed cowboys, like many athletes, to earn a living by performing their skills before an audience. The rodeos also provided employment for the many working cowboys needed to handle the livestock. Many rodeo cowboys are also working cowboys and most have working cowboy experience.

The dress of the rodeo cowboy is not very different from that of the working cowboy on his way to town. What is known as the cowboy shirt was adapted from the early movie industry especially for the rodeo. Snaps, used in lieu of buttons, allowed the cowboy to escape from a shirt snagged by the horns of steer or bull. Rodeo chaps frequently are larger and more brightly-colored than working everday chaps or chinks. Rodeo competitors add sequins, colors, silver and long fringes to excite the bucking animal, increasing competitors' scores and making a good show for spectators too.

Synonyms

Other names for a cowboy in American English include cowman, cattleman, cowpoke, cowhand, cowherd, waddie and puncher.

The term "cowpuncher" was especially popular with cowboys who worked in the Cherokee Strip since they were entitled to join the Cherokee Strip Cowpunchers Association which was organized in 1920.

Cowgirls

Although cowgirls share much with cowboys, their history is somewhat different. There is no record of any girls or women driving cattle up the cattle trails of the Old West. Although many of them undoubtedly helped on the ranches, and in some cases (especially when the men went to war) ran them, few routinely dressed in the suitable clothing for working cattle from horseback.

Charles Goodnight, however, did invent a side-saddle following the Civil War that allowed women to comfortably ride horses while fashionably dressed. The West was too vast for walking and too rough for carriages and buggies in many places. The traditional charras of Mexico ride such side-saddles today while exhibiting superb horsemanship in charreadas on both sides of the border.

It wasn't until the advent of the Wild West shows that cowgirls came into their own. Their riding, expert marksmanship, and trick roping entertained audiences around the world. By 1900, skirts split for riding came into design, freeing women to compete with the men in many events. In the movies that followed they expanded their roles in the popular culture and movie designers developed attractive clothing suitable for riding Western saddles.

The growth of the rodeo brought about another type of cowgirl—the rodeo cowgirl. In the early Wild West shows and rodeos, women competed in all events, sometimes with the men. That changed after 1925 when Eastern promoters started staging indoor rodeos in places like Madison Square Garden. Women were generally excluded from the men's events and the women's events dropped. In today's rodeos, cowgirls compete mostly in the timed riding events such as barrel racing, and most professional rodeos do not offer as many women's events as men's events. Cowgirls seldom compete in the men's events once they reach adulthood although several do compete in all events in high-school and college rodeos. Outside of the rodeo, cowgirls also compete in Western Pleasure Riding, Reining, and Endurance Riding competitions.

Today's cowgirls have adapted cowboy clothing and riding techniques to suit their own needs. Seldom does today's cowgirl ride sidesaddle. A cowgirl may wear either a skirt cut so as to allow her to sit in the saddle, or jeans. If working on the ranch, where they perform most of the same chores as cowboys (and are seldom referred to as cowgirls), they generally dress to suit the situation.

Popular culture

In today's world there is little recognition of the daily realities of actual agricutural subcultures in our society. Cowboys have become less known for their hard life of cow-tending, but from the imagery of wild fights with Native Americans (which most likely didn't happen). Cowboys and range living have become the topics of jokes as well.

Regional identification

The long history of the West in popular culture tends to define those clothed in Western clothing as cowboys or cowgirls whether they have ever been on a horse or not. This is especially true when applied to entertainers and those in the public arena who wear 'Western wear' as part of their persona.

Many people, however, particularly in the West, wear Western clothing as a matter of form and think of themselves as lawyers, bankers, etc. — even those raised on ranches do not consider themselves cowboys or cowgirls unless so occupied.

Outside of the West, the cowboy became an archetypal symbol of American individualism. In the late 1950s, a Congolese youth subculture calling themselves the Bills based their style and outlook on Hollywood's depiction of cowboys in movies.

Negative associations

In the British Isles, Australia and New Zealand, the term cowboy can be used as an adjective in a derogatory sense. It is usually applied to tradesmen whose work is of shoddy and questionable value, e.g., "a cowboy plumber". This usage predates the discovery of the New World and originates from the perception that herdsmen are unskilled laborers.

On the European continent the term 'cowboy' is also sometimes used to someone who behaves as hot-headed and rash as the 'civilised' outsiders expect from the 'savage' inhabitants of the 'Wild West'.