A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. A herder is a worker who lives a possibly semi- Nomadic life caring for various domestic Animals in places where these animals wander Pasture lands Cattle, colloquially referred to as cows, are domesticated Ungulates a member of the Subfamily Bovinae of the family A ranch is an area of landscape including various structures given primarily to the practice of ranching the practice of raising grazing livestock such as Cattle The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century became a figure of special significance and legend. ^[1] A subtype, called a wrangler, specifically tends the horses used to work cattle. See also Animal training In North America a wrangler is someone employed to handle Animals professionally especially horses, but also other The horse ( Equus caballus) is a hoofed ( Ungulate) Mammal, one of eight living species of the family Equidae. In addition to ranch work, some cowboys work for or participate in rodeos. Rodeo (ˈroʊdioʊ or /roʊˈdeɪoʊ/ is a sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States Cowgirls, first defined as such in the late 19th century, had a less-well documented historical role, but in the modern world have established the ability to work at virtually identical tasks and obtained considerable respect for their achievements. ^[2] There are also cattle handlers in many other parts of the world, particularly South America and Australia, who perform work similar to the cowboy in their respective nations. South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics.

The cowboy has deep historic roots tracing back to Spain and the earliest settlers of the Americas. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the Continents of North America and South America Over the centuries, differences in terrain, climate and the influence of cattle-handling traditions from multiple cultures created several distinct styles of equipment, clothing and animal handling. As the ever-practical cowboy adapted to the modern world, the cowboy's equipment and techniques also adapted to some degree, though many classic traditions are still preserved today.

Contents 1 Etymology and usage 2 History 2.1 Ethnicity of the traditional cowboy 2.2 Roundups 2.3 Cattle drives 2.4 End of the open range 2.5 Development of the modern cowboy 3 Cowgirls 4 Regional traditions within the United States 4.1 Texas tradition 4.2 California tradition 4.3 Florida Cowhunter or "Cracker cowboy" 4.4 Hawaiian Paniolo 4.5 Other 5 Cowboys in Canada 6 Cowboys outside North America 7 Modern working cowboys 7.1 Attire 7.2 Tools 7.3 Horses 7.4 Horse equipment or tack 7.5 Vehicles 8 Rodeo cowboys 9 Popular culture 9.1 Symbolism 9.2 Negative associations 10 In art and culture 11 See also 12 Footnotes 13 References 14 Further reading 15 External links

Etymology and usage

The English word cowboy has an origin from several earlier terms that referred to both age and to cattle or cattle-tending work.

The word "cowboy" appeared in the English language by 1725. ^[3] It appears to be a direct English translation of vaquero, a Spanish word for an individual who managed cattle while mounted on horseback. It was derived from vaca, meaning "cow. "^[4] This Spanish word has a long history, developed from the Latin word vacca. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Another English word for a cowboy, buckaroo, is an Anglicization of vaquero. Anglicisation or anglicization (see -ise vs -ize) is a process of conversion of verbal or written elements of any other language into a more comprehensible English ^[5] At least one linguist has speculated that the word "buckaroo" derives from the Arabic word bakara or bakhara, also meaning "heifer" or "young cow", and may have entered Spanish during the centuries of Islamic rule. ^[6]

Originally, the term may have been intended literally - "a boy who tends cows" - but had developed its modern sense as an adult cattle handler of the American west by 1849. Variations on the word "cowboy" appeared later. "Cowhand" appeared in 1852, and "cowpoke" in 1881, originally restricted to the individuals who prodded cattle onto railroad cars with long poles. ^[7] Names for a cowboy in American English now include buckaroo, cowpoke, cowhand, and cowpuncher. ^[8] "Cowboy" is a term common throughout the west and particularly in the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains, "Buckaroo" is used primarily in the Great Basin and California, and "cowpuncher" mostly in Texas and surrounding states. The Great Plains are the broad expanse of Prairie and Steppe which lie east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada Mountain peaks of the Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, often called the Rockies, are a Mountain range in western North America. The Great Basin is a large arid region of the western United States. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. ^[9]

The word cowboy also had English language roots beyond simply being a translation from Spanish. Originally, the English word "cowherd" was used to describe a cattle herder, (similar to "shepherd," a sheep herder) and often referred to a preadolescent or early adolescent boy, who usually worked on foot. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States (Equestrianism required skills and an investment in horses and equipment rarely available to or entrusted to a child, though in some cultures boys rode a donkey while going to and from pasture) This word is very old in the English language, originating prior to the year 1000. For the Roman class see Equestrian (Roman Equestrianism refers to the skill of riding or driving Horses This broad description The donkey or ass, Equus asinus, is a member of the Equidae or horse family and an odd-toed ungulate. ^[10] In Antiquity, herding of sheep, cattle and goats was often the job of minors, and still is a task for young people in various third world cultures. "Ancient" redirects here For other uses see Ancient_(disambiguation. Third World is a name given to nations that are generally considered to be underdeveloped economically

Because of the time and physical ability needed to develop necessary skills, the cowboy often did began his career as an adolescent, earning wages as soon as he had enough skill to be hired, (often as young as 12 or 13) and who, if not crippled by injury, might handle cattle or horses for the rest of his working life. In the United States, a few women also took on the tasks of ranching and learned the necessary skills, though the "cowgirl" (discussed below) did not become widely recognized or acknowledged until the close of the 19th century. On western ranches today, the working cowboy is usually an adult. Responsibility for herding cattle or other livestock is no longer considered a job suitable for children or early adolescents. However, both boys and girls growing up in a ranch environment often learn to ride horses and perform basic ranch skills as soon as they are physically able, usually under adult supervision. A ranch is an area of landscape including various structures given primarily to the practice of ranching the practice of raising grazing livestock such as Cattle The horse ( Equus caballus) is a hoofed ( Ungulate) Mammal, one of eight living species of the family Equidae. Such youths, by their late teens, are often given responsibilities for "cowboy" work on the ranch, and ably perform work that requires a level of maturity and levelheadedness that is not generally expected of their urban peers.

History

The Spanish originated what we now consider the cowboy tradition, beginning with the hacienda system of medieval Spain. Hacienda is a Spanish word for an estate usually but not always a vast Ranch. After the disorders of the passage of the Vandals and Alans down the Mediterranean coast of Hispania from 408, the history of Medieval Spain This style of cattle ranching spread throughout much of the Iberian peninsula and later, was imported to the Americas. A ranch is an area of landscape including various structures given primarily to the practice of ranching the practice of raising grazing livestock such as Cattle The Iberian Peninsula, or Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe, and includes modern day Spain, Portugal, Andorra The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the Continents of North America and South America Both regions possessed a dry climate with sparse grass, and thus large herds of cattle required vast amounts of land in order to obtain sufficient forage. Forage is plant material (mainly plant leaves and stems eaten by grazing Livestock. The need to cover distances greater than a person on foot could manage gave rise to the development of the horseback-mounted vaquero.

During the 16th century, the Conquistadors and other Spanish settlers brought their cattle-raising traditions as well as both horses and domesticated cattle to the Americas, starting with their arrival in what today is Mexico and Florida. This article is about the Spanish explorer soldiers of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuriesfor other uses see Conquistador (disambiguation A Conquistador The horse ( Equus caballus) is a hoofed ( Ungulate) Mammal, one of eight living species of the family Equidae. Cattle, colloquially referred to as cows, are domesticated Ungulates a member of the Subfamily Bovinae of the family The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the Continents of North America and South America The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the ^[11] The traditions of Spain were transformed by the geographic, environmental and cultural circumstances of New Spain, which later became Mexico and the Southwestern United States. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. The Viceroyalty of New Spain (Virreinato de Nueva España was a name given to the Viceroy -ruled territories of the Spanish Empire in North America, The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. The Southwestern area of the United States could be defined as the states west of the Mississippi River, with the qualification of a certain northern limit such as the 37 In turn, the land and people of the Americas also saw dramatic changes due to Spanish influence.

Thus, though popularly considered as a North American icon, the traditional cowboy actually began with a Hispanic tradition, which evolved further in what today is Mexico and the Southwestern United States into the vaquero of northern Mexico and the charro of the Jalisco and Michoacán regions. An icon (from Greek εἰκών eikōn, "image" is a religious work of art most commonly a painting from Eastern Christianity. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. The Southwestern area of the United States could be defined as the states west of the Mississippi River, with the qualification of a certain northern limit such as the 37 In Mexico charro is a term referring to a traditional Horseman or Cowboy of Mexico, originating in the State of Jalisco. Jalisco is a state in Mexico. The capital of Jalisco is the city of Guadalajara. Michoacán formally Michoacán de Ocampo (from Nahuatl Michhuacān "place of the fishermen" is one of the 31 constituent states Most vaqueros were men of mestizo and Native American origin while most of the hacendados (ranch owners) were ethnically Spanish. Mestizo is a Spanish term that was coined during the Spanish Empire to refer to people of mixed European and Amerindian ancestry in Latin For indigenous peoples in the United States other than Hawaii and Alaska see also Native Americans in the United States. ^[12]

The arrival of horses was particularly significant, as equines had been extinct in the Americas since the end of the prehistoric ice age. The horse ( Equus caballus) is a hoofed ( Ungulate) Mammal, one of eight living species of the family Equidae. In Biology and Ecology, extinction is the cessation of existence of a Species or group of taxa. An ice age is a period of long-term reduction in the Temperature of the Earth 's surface and atmosphere resulting in an expansion of continental Ice sheets However, horses quickly multiplied in America and became crucial to the success of the Spanish and later settlers from other nations. The earliest horses were originally of Andalusian, Barb and Arabian ancestry,^[13] but a number of uniquely American horse breeds developed in North and South America through selective breeding and by natural selection of animals that escaped to the wild. The Arabian horse is a breed of Horse with a reputation for Intelligence, spirit and stamina Meyers b12 s0947bjpg|thumb|Heavy or draft horse breeds]] This page is a list of Horse and Pony breeds and also includes terms used to describe types of horses that are not Natural selection is the process by which favorable Heritable traits become more common in successive Generations of a Population of The Mustang and other colonial horse breeds are now called "wild," but in reality are feral horses — descendants of domesticated animals. Feral horses are free-roaming untamed horses descended from domesticated Horses.

As English-speaking traders and settlers expanded westward, English and Spanish traditions, language and culture merged to some degree. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States This is a simplified list of United States territorial acquisitions, beginning with American independence. Before the Mexican-American War in 1848, New England merchants who traveled by ship to California encountered both hacendados and vaqueros, trading manufactured goods for the hides and tallow produced from vast cattle ranches. History See also History of New England New England's earliest inhabitants were Algonquian -speaking Native Americans including the A ranch is an area of landscape including various structures given primarily to the practice of ranching the practice of raising grazing livestock such as Cattle American traders along what later became known as the Santa Fe Trail had similar contacts with vaquero life. The Santa Fe Trail was a Historic 19th century transportation route through southwestern North America connecting Missouri with Santa Fe Starting with these early encounters, the lifestyle and language of the vaquero began a transformation which merged with English cultural traditions and produced what became known in American culture as the "cowboy". ^[14]

With the arrival of railroads, and an increased demand for beef in the wake of the American Civil War, the iconic American cowboy evolved as the older traditions combined with the need to drive cattle from the ranches where they were raised to the nearest railheads, often hundreds of miles away. Beef is the Culinary name for Meat from Bovines especially domestic Cattle (cows Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South A cattle drive is the process of moving a herd of Cattle from one place to another usually moved and herded by Cowboys on Horses Prior to the mid-19th A railhead is a terminus of a railway line that interfaces with another Transport mode, such as Shipping. ^[1]

Ethnicity of the traditional cowboy

American cowboys were drawn from multiple sources. By the late 1860s, following the American Civil War and the expansion of the cattle industry, former soldiers from both the Union and Confederacy came west, seeking work, as did large numbers of restless white men in general. Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South ^[15] A significant number of African-American ex-slaves also were drawn to cowboy life, in part because there was not quite as much discrimination in the west as in other areas of American society at the time. African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa The Western United States &mdashcommonly referred to as the American West or simply the West &mdashtraditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost ^[16] A significant number of Mexicans and American Indians already living in the region also worked as cowboys. Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States ^[17]

Many early vaqueros were Indian people trained to work for the Spanish missions in caring for the mission herds. Later, particularly after 1890, when American policy promoted "assimilation" of Indian people, some Indian boarding schools also taught ranching skills. Today, some Native Americans in the western United States own cattle and small ranches, and many are still employed as cowboys, especially on ranches located near Indian Reservations. The Western United States &mdashcommonly referred to as the American West or simply the West &mdashtraditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost An Indian reservation is an area of land managed by a Native American Tribe under the United States Department of the Interior's Bureau The "Indian Cowboy" also became a commonplace sight on the rodeo circuit. Rodeo (ˈroʊdioʊ or /roʊˈdeɪoʊ/ is a sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States

Because cowboys ranked low in the social structure of the period, there are no firm figures on the actual proportion of various races. Social structure is a term frequently used in Sociology and Social theory — yet rarely defined or clearly conceptualised (Abercrombie et al One writer states that cowboys were "… of two classes—those recruited from Texas and other States on the eastern slope; and Mexicans, from the south-western region. …"^[18] Census records suggest that about 15% of all cowboys were of African-American ancestry—ranging from about 25% on the trail drives out of Texas, to very few in the northwest. A census is the procedure of acquiring information about every member of a given population Similarly, cowboys of Mexican descent also averaged about 15% of the total, but were more common in Texas and the southwest.

Regardless of ethnicity, most cowboys came from lower social classes and the pay was poor. The average cowboy earned approximately a dollar a day, plus food, and, when near the home ranch, a bed in the bunkhouse, usually a barracks-like building with a single open room. A bunkhouse is a Hostel or Barracks -like building that historically was used to house working Cowboys on Ranches in North America. Barracks are living quarters for personnel on a Military post ^[19]

Roundups

Large numbers of cattle lived in a semi-feral, or semi-wild state on the open range and were left to graze, mostly untended, for much of the year. Cattle, colloquially referred to as cows, are domesticated Ungulates a member of the Subfamily Bovinae of the family A feral organism is one that has escaped from Domestication and returned partly or wholly to its wild state In many cases, different ranchers formed "associations" and grazed their cattle together on the same range. In order to determine the ownership of individual animals, they were marked with a distinctive brand, applied with a hot iron, usually while the cattle were still young calves. Livestock branding is any technique for marking Livestock so as to identify the owner A calf (kɑːf plural calves, /kɑːvz/ is the young of various species of Mammal. ^[20] The primary cattle breed seen on the open range was the Longhorn, descended from the original Spanish Longhorns imported in the 16th century,^[21] though by the late 19th century, other breeds of cattle were also brought west, including the meatier Hereford, and often were crossbred with Longhorns. The Texas longhorn is a breed of Cattle known for its Hereford Cattle are a widely used breed in Temperate areas mainly for beef production A crossbreed or crossbred usually refers to an animal with Purebred parents of two different breeds varieties or populations ^[22]

In order to find young calves for branding, and to sort out mature animals intended for sale, ranchers would hold a roundup, usually in the spring. ^[23] A roundup required a number of specialized skills on the part of both cowboys and horses. Individuals who separated cattle from the herd required the highest level of skill and rode specially trained "cutting" horses, trained to follow the movements of cattle, capable of stopping and turning faster than other horses. Cutting is an equestrian event in the Western riding style where a horse and rider are judged on their ability to separate a calf away from a cattle herd and keep ^[24] Once cattle were sorted, most cowboys were required to rope young calves and restrain them to be branded and (in the case of most bull calves) castrated. Castration (also referred to as Gelding, Neutering, Fixing, orchiectomy, and orchidectomy is any action surgical, chemical Occasionally it was also necessary to restrain older cattle for branding or other treatment.

A large number of horses were needed for a roundup. Each cowboy would require three to four fresh horses in the course of a day's work. ^[25] Horses themselves were also rounded up. It was common practice in the west for young foals to be born of tame mares, but allowed to grow up "wild" in a semi-feral state on the open range. A foal is a Horse that is one year old or younger More specific terms are colt for a Male foal and Filly for a Female foal ^[26] There were also "wild" herds, often known as mustangs. Both types were rounded up, and the mature animals tamed, a process called horse breaking, or "bronco-busting," (var. Horse breaking, sometimes called starting or gentling, refers to the process used by humans to get horses to let themselves be ridden or harnessed Bronco, or bronc, is a term used in the United States and Canada to refer to an untrained Horse or one that habitually bucks "bronc busting") usually performed by cowboys who specialized in training horses. ^[27] In some cases, extremely brutal methods were used to tame horses, and such animals tended to never be completely reliable. However, other cowboys became aware of the need to treat animals in a more humane fashion and modified their horse training methods,^[28] often re-learning techniques used by the vaqueros, particularly those of the Californio tradition. Horse training refers to a wide variety of practices that teach Horses to perform certain behaviors when asked to do so by humans ^[29] Horses trained in a gentler fashion were more reliable and useful for a wider variety of tasks.

Informal competition arose between cowboys seeking to test their cattle and horse-handling skills against one another, and thus, from the necessary tasks of the working cowboy, the sport of rodeo developed. Rodeo (ˈroʊdioʊ or /roʊˈdeɪoʊ/ is a sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States ^[30]

Cattle drives

Main article: Cattle drives in the United States

Prior to the mid-19th century, most ranchers primarily raised cattle for their own needs and to sell surplus meat and hides locally. A cattle drive is the process of moving a herd of Cattle from one place to another usually moved and herded by Cowboys on Horses Prior to the mid-19th There was also a limited market for hides, horns, hooves, and tallow in assorted manufacturing processses. Tallow is a rendered form of Beef or Mutton Fat, processed from Suet. Nationally, prior to 1865, there was little demand for beef. ^[31] At the end of the American Civil War, however, Philip Danforth Armour opened a meat packing plant in Chicago, which became known as Armour and Company, and with the expansion of the meat packing industry, the demand for beef increased significantly. Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South Philip Danforth Armour ( 16 May 1832 &ndash 6 January 1901) was an American Businessman who founded Armour and Company Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. Armour and Company was an American Slaughterhouse and meatpacking company founded in Chicago Illinois, in 1867 by the Armour brothers led by The meat packing industry is an Industry that handles the slaughtering, Processing and distribution of animals such as Cattle By 1866, cattle could be sold to northern markets for as much as $40 per head, making it potentially profitable for cattle, particularly from Texas, to be herded long distances to market. ^[32]

The first large-scale effort to drive cattle from Texas to the nearest railhead for shipment to Chicago occurred in 1866, when many Texas ranchers banded together to drive their cattle to the closest point that railroad tracks reached, which at that time was in Sedalia, Missouri. However, farmers in eastern Kansas, afraid that Longhorns would transmit cattle fever to local animals as well as trample crops, formed groups that threatened to beat or shoot cattlemen found on their lands. Therefore, the 1866 drive failed to reach the railroad, and the cattle herds were sold for low prices. ^[33] However, in 1867, a cattle shipping facility was built west of farm country around the railhead at Abilene, Kansas, and became a center of cattle shipping, loading over 36,000 head of cattle that year. Abilene is a city in Dickinson County, Kansas, United States, 163 miles (262 km west of Kansas City. ^[34] The route from Texas to Abilene became known as the Chisholm Trail, after Jesse Chisholm, who marked out the route. The Chisholm Trail was a dirt Trail used in the later 19th century to drive cattle overland from ranches in Texas to Kansas Railheads The trail stretched Jesse Chisholm (1805? - March 4, 1868) was an Indian trader guide and interpreter born in the Hiwassee region of Tennessee, probably in 1805 It ran through present-day Oklahoma, which then was Indian Territory. Oklahoma ( is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. The Indian Territory, also known as The Indian Country, The Indian territory or the Indian territories, was land set aside within the United States However, in spite of Hollywood portrayals of the west, there were relatively few conflicts with Native Americans, who usually allowed cattle herds to pass through for a toll of ten cents a head. Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States Later, other trails forked off to different railheads, including those at Dodge City and Wichita, Kansas. For the 1939 Western movie, see Dodge City (1939 film. Dodge City is a City and County seat of Ford Wichita (ˈwɪtʃɪtaː is the most populous City in the US state of Kansas, and the county seat of Sedgwick County. ^[35] By 1877, the largest of the cattle-shipping boom towns, Dodge City, Kansas, shipped out 500,000 head of cattle. ^[36]

Cattle drives had to strike a balance between speed and the weight of the cattle. While cattle could be driven as far as 25 miles in a single day, they would lose so much weight that they would be hard to sell when they reached the end of the trail. Usually they were taken shorter distances each day, allowed periods to rest and graze both at midday and at night. ^[37] On average, a herd could maintain a healthy weight moving about 15 miles per day. Such a pace meant that it would take as long as two months to travel from a home ranch to a railhead. The Chisholm trail, for example, was 1,000 miles long. ^[38]

On average, a single herd of cattle on a drive numbered about 3,000 head. To herd the cattle, a crew of at least 10 cowboys was needed, with three horses per cowboy. Cowboys worked in shifts to watch the cattle 24 hours a day, herding them in the proper direction in the daytime and watching them at night to prevent stampedes and deter theft. A stampede is an act of mass impulse among Herd animals or a crowd of people in which the herd (or crowd collectively begins running with no clear direction or purpose The crew also included a cook, who drove a chuck wagon, usually pulled by oxen, and a horse wrangler to take charge of the remuda, or herd of spare horses. A chuckwagon was originally a wagon that carried Food and Cooking equipment on the Prairies of the United States and Canada. Oxen (singular ox) are Cattle trained as draft animals. Often they are adult castrated males Remuda (a Noun) is a herd of Horses from which Ranch hands select their mounts The wrangler on a cattle drive was often a very young cowboy or one of lower social status, but the cook was a particularly well-respected member of the crew, as not only was he in charge of the food, he also was in charge of medical supplies and had a working knowledge of practical medicine. ^[39]

By the 1880s, the expansion of the cattle industry resulted the need for additional open range. Thus many ranchers expanded into the northwest, where there were still large tracts of unsettled grassland. Texas cattle were herded north, into the Rocky Mountain west and the Dakotas. Mountain peaks of the Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, often called the Rockies, are a Mountain range in western North America. ^[40] The cowboy adapted much of his gear to the colder conditions, and westward movement of the industry also led to intermingling of numerous regional traditions from California to Texas, often with the cowboy taking the most useful elements of each.

End of the open range

Barbed wire, an innovation of the 1880s, allowed cattle to be confined to designated areas to prevent overgrazing of the range. Overgrazing occurs when plants are exposed to Livestock Grazing for extended periods of time or without sufficient recovery periods In Texas and surrounding areas, increased population required ranchers to fence off their individual lands. ^[41] In the north, overgrazing stressed the open range, leading to insufficient winter forage for the cattle and starvation, particularly during the harsh winter of 1886-1887, when hundreds of thousands of cattle died across the Northwest, leading to collapse of the cattle industry. Forage is plant material (mainly plant leaves and stems eaten by grazing Livestock. ^[42] By the 1890s, barbed wire fencing was also standard in the northern plains, railroads had expanded to cover most of the nation, and meat packing plants were built closer to major ranching areas, making long cattle drives from Texas to the railheads in Kansas unnecessary. Kansas ( is a Midwestern state in the central region of the United States of America, an area often referred to as the American " Hence, the age of the open range was gone and large cattle drives were over. A cattle drive is the process of moving a herd of Cattle from one place to another usually moved and herded by Cowboys on Horses Prior to the mid-19th ^[42] Smaller cattle drives continued at least into the 1940s, as ranchers, prior to the development of the modern cattle truck, still needed to herd cattle to local railheads for transport to stockyards and packing plants. In Railroad terminology, a stock car is a type of Rolling stock used for carrying Livestock (not Carcasses to Meanwhile, ranches multiplied all over the developing West, keeping cowboy employment high, if still low-paid, but also somewhat more settled. ^[43]

Development of the modern cowboy

Over time, the cowboys of the American West developed a personal culture of their own, a blend of frontier and Victorian values that even retained vestiges of chivalry. The Western United States &mdashcommonly referred to as the American West or simply the West &mdashtraditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost A frontier is a Political and Geographical term referring to areas near or beyond a boundary, or of a different nature Culture The Victorian fascination with novelty resulted in a deep interest in the relationship between modernity and cultural continuities Chivalric order Chivalry is a term related to the Medieval institution of Knighthood. Such hazardous work in isolated conditions also bred a tradition of self-dependence and individualism, with great value put on personal honesty, exemplified in songs and poetry. Western music is a form of Folk music originally composed by and about the people who settled and worked throughout the Cowboy poetry is a form of Poetry which grew out of a tradition of extemporaneous composition carried on by workers on Cattle drives and Ranches After ^[44] These traditions were further etched into the minds of the general public with the development of Wild West Shows, which showcased and romanticized the life of both cowboys and Native Americans. William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody (February 26 1846 &ndash January 10 1917 was an American soldier bison hunter and Showman. Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States ^[45]

In the 1930s and 1940s, Western movies popularized the cowboy lifestyle but also formed persistent stereotypes. The Western is a fiction Genre seen in Film, Television, Radio, Literature, Painting and other Visual arts. A stereotype (from Greek: stereo + týpos = "solid impression" is a generalized perception of first impressions behaviors presumed by a group In pop culture, the cowboy and the gunslinger are often associated with one another. Popular culture (or pop culture) is the Culture — patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activities significance and importance — In reality, working ranch hands had very little time for anything other than the constant, hard work involved in maintaining a ranch. Likewise, cowboys are often shown fighting with American Indians. Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States However, the reality was that, while cowboys were armed against both predators and human thieves, and often used their guns to run off people of any race who attempted to steal, or rustle cattle, nearly all actual armed conflicts occurred between Indian people and cavalry units of the U.S. Army. The Cavalry (from French cavalerie) is the second oldest of the Combat Arms, and as Soldiers or Warriors who fought mounted on The United States Army is a military organization whose primary mission is to "provide necessary forces and capabilities.

Today, the various regional cowboy traditions have merged to some extent, though a few regional differences in equipment and riding style still remain, and some individuals choose to deliberately preserve the more time-consuming but highly skilled techniques of the pure vaquero or "buckaroo" tradition. The word tradition comes from the Latin traditionem acc of traditio which means "a giving up delivering up surrendering" and is used in a number of The popular "horse whisperer" style of natural horsemanship was originally developed by practitioners who were predominantly from California and the Northwestern states, clearly combining the attitudes and philosophy of the California vaquero with the equipment and outward look of the Texas cowboy. Camargue naturally approached 2ajpg|thumb|250px|The horse responds]] Natural Horsemanship is the philosophy of working with horses by appealing to their instincts and herd mentality

Cowgirls

The history of women in the west, and women who worked on cattle ranches in particular, is not as well documented as that of men. However, institutions such as the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame have made significant efforts in recent years to gather and document the contributions of women. The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame is a museum and association which honors women of the American West (cowgirls who have displayed courage or spirit and who have distinguished ^[46]

There are few records mentioning girls or women working to drive cattle up the cattle trails of the Old West. However women did considerable ranch work, and in some cases (especially when the men went to war or on long cattle drives) ran them. There is little doubt that women, particularly the wives and daughters of men who owned small ranches and could not afford to hire large numbers of outside laborers, worked side by side with men and thus needed to ride horses and be able to perform related tasks. The largely undocumented contributions of women to the west were acknowledged in law; the western states led the United States in granting women the right to vote, beginning with Wyoming in 1869. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The State of Wyoming ( is a sparsely populated state in the western region of the United States. ^[47] Early photographers such as Evelyn Cameron documented the life of working ranch women and cowgirls during the late 19th and early 20th century.

While impractical for everyday work, the sidesaddle was a tool that gave women the ability to ride horses in "respectable" public settings instead of being left on foot or confined to horse-drawn vehicles. Sidesaddle riding is a form of Equestrianism that uses a type of Saddle which allows a rider (usually female to sit aside rather than astride a Horse, Horse -drawn vehicles were once common worldwide but they have mostly been replaced by Automobiles and other forms of self-propelled transport Following the Civil War, Charles Goodnight modified the traditional English sidesaddle, creating a western-styled design. Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South Charles Goodnight ( March 5, 1836 &ndash December 12, 1929) was a cattle rancher in the American West, perhaps the The traditional charras of Mexico preserve a similar tradition and ride sidesaddles today in charreada exhibitions on both sides of the border. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. The charreada is a style of Rodeo developed by people in Mexico interested in keeping the traditions of the Charro ( charrería) alive

It wasn't until the advent of Wild West Shows that "cowgirls" came into their own. William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody (February 26 1846 &ndash January 10 1917 was an American soldier bison hunter and Showman. These adult women were skilled performers, demonstrating riding, expert marksmanship, and trick roping that entertained audiences around the world. Women such as Annie Oakley became household names. By 1900, skirts split for riding astride became popular, and allowed women to compete with the men without scandalizing Victorian Era audiences by wearing men's clothing or, worse yet, bloomers. Bloomers is a word which has been applied to several types of divided women's garments for the lower body at various times In the movies that followed from the early 20th century on, cowgirls expanded their roles in the popular culture and movie designers developed attractive clothing suitable for riding Western saddles.

Independently of the entertainment industry, the growth of rodeo brought about another type of cowgirl—the rodeo cowgirl. Rodeo (ˈroʊdioʊ or /roʊˈdeɪoʊ/ is a sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States In the early Wild West shows and rodeos, women competed in all events, sometimes against other women, sometimes with the men. Cowgirls such as Fannie Sperry Steele rode the same "rough stock" and took the same risks as the men (and all while wearing a heavy split skirt that was still more encumbering than men's trousers) and competed at major rodeos such as the Calgary Stampede and Cheyenne Frontier Days. The Calgary Stampede, which bills itself as The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth, is a large Festival, exhibition, and Rodeo held in Cheyenne Frontier Days, held annually since 1897, in Cheyenne, Wyoming, USA, claims to be the largest outdoor Rodeo and western ^[48]

Rodeo competition for women 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 many of the women's events were dropped. In today's rodeos, men and women compete equally together only in the event of team roping, though technically women today could enter other open events. Team roping also known as heading and heeling is a Rodeo event that features a Steer (typically a Corriente) and two mounted Cowboys There also are all-women rodeos where women compete in bronc riding, bull riding and all other traditional rodeo events. Bronc riding, either saddle bronc or bareback bronc competition is a Rodeo Event that involves a rodeo participant riding on a Horse Bull riding is a Rodeo Sport that involves a rider getting on a large bull and attempting to stay mounted for at least 8 seconds while the animal attempts However, in open rodeos, cowgirls primarily compete 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. Barrel racing is a Rodeo event in which a Horse and rider attempt to complete a pattern around preset Barrels in the fastest time

Boys and girls are more apt to compete against one another in all events in high-school rodeos as well as O-Mok-See competition, where even boys can be seen in traditionally "women's" events such as barrel racing. Gymkhana is a term used in the United Kingdom, east coast of the United States, and other English-speaking nations to describe an equestrian event Barrel racing is a Rodeo event in which a Horse and rider attempt to complete a pattern around preset Barrels in the fastest time Outside of the rodeo world, women compete equally with men in nearly all other equestrian events, including the Olympics, and western riding events such as cutting, reining, and endurance riding. For the Roman class see Equestrian (Roman Equestrianism refers to the skill of riding or driving Horses This broad description Equestrianism made its Summer Olympics debut at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, France WesternClassjpg|thumb|200 px|Modern competitors in western equipment lined up at a horse show class awaiting results]] Western riding is a style of horseback riding which evolved Cutting is an equestrian event in the Western riding style where a horse and rider are judged on their ability to separate a calf away from a cattle herd and keep Reining is a Western riding competition for Horses where the riders guide the horses through a precise pattern of circles spins and stops Endurance riding is an equestrian sport based on controlled long distance races

Today's working cowgirls generally use clothing, tools and equipment indistinguishable from that of men, other than in color and design, usually preferring a flashier look in competition. Sidesaddles are only seen in exhibitions and a limited number of specialty horse show classes. A Horse show is a judged exhibition of Horses and ponies. Many different horse breeds and equestrian disciplines hold competitions worldwide A cowgirl wears jeans, close-fitting shirts, boots, hat, and when needed, chaps and gloves. If working on the ranch, they perform the same chores as cowboys and dress to suit the situation.

Regional traditions within the United States

Geography, climate and cultural traditions caused differences to develop in cattle-handling methods and equipment from one part of the United States to another. In the modern world, remnants of two major and distinct cowboy traditions remain, known today as the "Texas" tradition and the "Spanish", "Vaquero", or "California" tradition. Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. Less well-known but equally distinct traditions also developed in Hawaii and Florida. The State of Hawaii ( or həˈwaɪʔiː Hawaiian: Mokuāina o Hawaii) is a state in the United States located on an Archipelago in the Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the

Texas tradition

In the early 1800s, the Spanish Crown, and later, independent Mexico, offered empresario grants in what would later be Texas to non-citizens, such as settlers from the United States. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. An empresario was an individual who in the early years of the settlement of Texas, had been granted the right to settle on Mexican land in exchange for recruiting and taking Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. In 1821, Stephen F. Austin and his East Coast comrades became the first Anglo-Saxon community speaking Spanish. Stephen Fuller Austin (November 3 1793 &ndash December 27 1836 known as the "Father of Texas " led the second and ultimately successful colonization of the Following Texas independence in 1836, even more Americans immigrated into the empresario ranching areas of Texas. The Texas Revolution or Texas War of Independence was fought from October 2 1835 to April 21 1836 between Mexico and the Texas (Tejas portion of the Mexican Here the settlers were strongly influenced by the Mexican vaquero culture, borrowing vocabulary and attire from their counterparts, but also retaining some of the livestock-handling traditions and culture of the Eastern United States and Great Britain. The vocabulary of a person is defined either as the set of all Words that are understood by that person or the set of all words likely to be used by that person when constructing Clothing (also called clothes, accoutrements, accouterments, or habiliments) protects the Human body from extreme Weather See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands The Texas cowboy was typically a bachelor who hired on with different outfits from season to season. ^[49]

Following the American Civil War, vaquero culture diffused eastward and northward, combining with the cow herding traditions of the eastern United States that evolved as settlers moved west. Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South Culture (from the Latin cultura stemming from colere, meaning "to cultivate" generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic Other influences developed out of Texas as cattle trails were created to meet up with the railroad lines of Kansas and Nebraska, in addition to expanding ranching opportunities in the Great Plains and Rocky Mountain Front, east of the Continental Divide. Kansas ( is a Midwestern state in the central region of the United States of America, an area often referred to as the American " Nebraska ( is a state located on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States and The Great Plains are the broad expanse of Prairie and Steppe which lie east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada The Rocky Mountain Front is an area extending over 100 miles (160 km from the central regions of the U A continental divide is a line of elevated Terrain which forms a border between two watersheds such that Water falling on one side of the line eventually ^[50]

Thus, the Texas cowboy tradition arose from a combination of cultural influences, in addition to the need for adaptation to the geography and climate of west Texas and the need to conduct long cattle drives to get animals to market. A cattle drive is the process of moving a herd of Cattle from one place to another usually moved and herded by Cowboys on Horses Prior to the mid-19th

California tradition

The vaquero, the Spanish or Mexican cowboy who worked with young, untrained horses, arrived in the 1700s and flourished in California and bordering territories during the Spanish Colonial period. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. ^[51] Settlers from the United States did not enter California until after the Mexican-American War, and most early settlers were miners rather than livestock ranchers, leaving livestock-raising largely to the Spanish and Mexican people who chose to remain in California. The California vaquero or buckaroo, unlike the Texas cowboy, was considered a highly-skilled worker, who usually stayed on the same ranch where he was born or had grown up and raised his own family there. In addition, the geography and climate of much of California was dramatically different from that of Texas, allowing more intensive grazing with less open range, plus cattle in California were marketed primarily at a regional level, without the need (nor, until much later, even the logistical possibility) to be driven hundreds of miles to railroad lines. Thus, a horse- and livestock-handling culture remained in California and the Pacific Northwest that retained a stronger direct Spanish influence than that of Texas.

Cowboys of this tradition were dubbed buckaroos by English-speaking settlers. The term officially appeared in American English in 1889 and is believed to have originated as an anglicized version of vaquero, though there is a folk etymology that the term derived from "bucking", a behavior seen in some young or fresh horses. Folk etymology is a term used in two distinct ways A commonly held misunderstanding of the origin of a particular word a False etymology. Bucking is a movement performed by a horse in which the animal lowers his head and raises his hindquarters into the air usually while kicking out with his hind legs The words "buckaroo" and Vaquero are still used on occasion in the Great Basin, parts of California and, less often, in the Pacific Northwest. The Great Basin is a large arid region of the western United States. The Pacific Northwest is a region in the northwest of North America (the term refers to the land not the ocean ^[52]

Florida Cowhunter or "Cracker cowboy"

The Florida "cowhunter" or "cracker cowboy" of the 19th and early 20th centuries was distinct from the Texas and California traditions. Florida Cracker refers to the original colonial era American Pioneer Settlers of the State of Florida. Florida cowboys did not use lassos to herd or capture cattle. Reata redirects here For the comic book character see Reata (comics A lasso, lariat, or riata (from the Spanish reata Their primary tools were bullwhips and dogs. A bullwhip is a single-tailed whip, usually made of braided leather which was originally used as a farmer's tool for working with livestock Florida cattle and horses were small. The "cracker cow", also known as the "native cow", or "scrub cow" averaged about 600 pounds, had large horns and large feet. ^[53]

Since the Florida cowhunter didn't need a saddle horn for anchoring a lariat, many did not use Western saddles, instead using a McClellan saddle. Reata redirects here For the comic book character see Reata (comics A lasso, lariat, or riata (from the Spanish reata Western saddles are used for Western riding and are the Saddles used on working Horses on Cattle Ranches throughout the United States The McClellan saddle was a riding Saddle designed by George B While some individuals wore boots that reached above the knees for protection from snakes, others wore brogans. A snake is an elongate Reptile of the suborder Serpentes Like all reptiles snakes are covered in scales. Brogan or O'Brogan is a surname originating in Ireland, Anglicized from the original Ó Brógáin. They usually wore inexpensive wool or straw hats, and used ponchos for protection from rain. A poncho is a simple garment designed to keep the body warm or if made from a watertight material to keep dry during Rain. ^[54]

Cattle and horses were introduced into Florida late in the 16th century. Throughout the 17th century, cattle ranches owned by Spanish officials and missions operated in northern Florida to supply the Spanish garrison in St. Augustine and markets in Cuba. A ranch is an area of landscape including various structures given primarily to the practice of ranching the practice of raising grazing livestock such as Cattle A religious Mission or Mission station is a location for Missionary work St Augustine is the County seat of St Johns County, Florida, in the United States. The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la ^[55] These ranches brought in some vaqueros from Spain, but many of the workers were Timucua Indians. The Timucua were an American Indian people who lived in Northeast and North Central Florida and southeast Georgia. ^[56] Diseases and Spanish suppression of rebellions severely reduced the Timucua population, plus raids by soldiers from the Province of Carolina and their Indian allies reduced the Timucuas to a remnant and ended the Spanish ranching era by the beginning of the 18th century. The Province of Carolina from 1663 to 1712, was a North American British proprietary Colony, controlled by eight English noblemen

In the 18th century, Creek, Seminole, and other Indian people moved into the former Timucua areas and started herding the cattle left from the Spanish ranches. The Seminole are a Native American people originally of Florida and now residing in Florida and Oklahoma. In the 19th century, most tribes in the area were dispossessed of their land and cattle and pushed south or west by white settlers and the United States government. By the middle of the 19th century white ranchers were running large herds of cattle on the extensive open range of central and southern Florida. The hides and meat from Florida cattle became such a critical supply item for the Confederacy during the American Civil War that a "Cow Cavalry" was organized to round up and protect the herds from Union raiders. The Confederate States of America (also called the Confederacy, the Confederate States, and CSA) formed as the government set up from 1861 Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty-three ^[57] After the Civil War, Florida cattle were periodically driven to ports on the Gulf of Mexico and shipped to market in Cuba. The Gulf of Mexico ( Spanish: Golfo de México) is the ninth largest Body of water in the world The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la ^[58]

Hawaiian Paniolo

The Hawaiian cowboy, the paniolo, is also a direct descendant of the vaquero of California and Mexico. "Kanaka" redirects here For the Tamil actress see Kanaka (actress. Experts in Hawaiian etymology believe "Paniolo" is a Hawaiianized pronunciation of español. (The Hawaiian language has no /s/ sound, and all syllables and words must end in a vowel. The Hawaiian language (Hawaiian ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i) is an Austronesian language that takes its name from Hawai'i, the largest island in the tropical A syllable ( Greek:) is a unit of organization for a sequence of speech sounds ) Paniolo, like cowboys on the mainland of North America, learned their skills from Mexican vaqueros.

By the early 1800s, Capt. George Vancouver's gift of cattle to Pai`ea Kamehameha, monarch of the Hawaiian Kingdom, had multiplied astonishingly, and were wreaking havoc throughout the countryside. Captain George Vancouver Kamehameha I, also known as Kamehameha the Great, (born February 1758 or November 1737 or May 1, 1738 – died May 8, 1819) About 1812, John Parker, a sailor who had jumped ship and settled in the islands, received permission from Kamehameha to capture the wild cattle and develop a beef industry.

The Hawaiian style of ranching originally included capturing wild cattle by driving them into pits dug in the forest floor. Once tamed somewhat by hunger and thirst, they were hauled out up a steep ramp, and tied by their horns to the horns of a tame, older steer (or ox) that knew where the paddock with food and water was located. Oxen (singular ox) are Cattle trained as draft animals. Often they are adult castrated males The industry grew slowly under the reign of Kamehameha's son Liholiho (Kamehameha II)

Later, Liholiho's brother, Kauikeaouli (Kamehameha III), visited California, then still a part of Mexico. Kamehameha II (1797 - 1824 was the second king of the Kingdom of Hawai‘i. Kamehameha III (born Kauikeaouli) ( August 11, 1813 ?&ndash December 15, 1854) was the king of Hawaii from 1824 to 1854 He was impressed with the skill of the Mexican vaqueros, and invited several to Hawai`i in 1832 to teach the Hawaiian people how to work cattle.

Even today, traditional paniolo dress, as well as certain styles of Hawaiian formal attire, reflect the Spanish heritage of the vaquero. ^[59] The traditional Hawaiian saddle, the noho lio,^[60] and many other tools of the cowboy's trade have a distinctly Mexican/Spanish look and many Hawaiian ranching families still carry the names of the vaqueros who married Hawaiian women and made Hawai`i their home.

Other

Montauk, New York, on Long Island makes a somewhat debatable claim of having the oldest cattle operation in what today is the United States, having run cattle in the area since European settlers purchased land from the Indian people of the area in 1643. Montauk is a hamlet (and Census-designated place) in Suffolk County, New York on the South Shore of Long Island. Long Island is an island located in southeastern New York, USA, its western shores directly across from Manhattan, from which the island stretches Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States ^[61] Although there were substantial numbers of cattle on Long Island, as well as the need to herd them to and from common grazing lands on a seasonal basis, no consistent "cowboy" tradition developed amongst the cattle handlers of Long Island, who actually lived with their families in houses built on the pasture grounds. ^[61] The only actual "cattle drives" held on Long Island consisted of one drive in 1776, when the Island's cattle were moved in a failed attempt to prevent them from being captured by the British during the American Revolution, and three or four drives in the late 1930s, when area cattle were herded down Montauk Highway to pasture ground near Deep Hollow Ranch. In this article the inhabitants of the thirteen colonies that supported the American Revolution are primarily referred to as "Americans" with occasional references to "Patriots" ^[61]

Cowboys in Canada

Ranching in Canada has traditionally been dominated by one province, Alberta. Alberta (ælˈbɝtə is one of Canada's prairie provinces. It became a province on September 1 1905 The most successful early settlers of the province were the ranchers, who found Alberta's foothills to be ideal for raising cattle. Foothills are geographically defined as gradual increases in hilly areas at the base of a Mountain range. Most of Alberta's ranchers were English settlers, but cowboys such as John Ware — who brought the first cattle into the province in 1876 — were American. English Canada|Canadians of English descentAn English Canadian is a Canadian whose principal language is English or who is of English ancestry; it is used John Ware ( c 1845 &ndash 12 September 1905) was an African-American born into slavery in South Carolina, or according to another ^[62] American style open range dryland ranching began to dominate southern Alberta (and, to a lesser extent, southwestern Saskatchewan) by the 1880s. Southern Alberta is a region located in the Canadian province of Alberta. Saskatchewan (səˈskætʃəwən) is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of 588276 The nearby city of Calgary became the centre of the Canadian cattle industry, earning it the nickname "Cowtown". Calgary (ˈkælgəriː is the largest city in the Province of Alberta, Canada The cattle industry is still extremely important to Alberta, and cattle outnumber people in the province. While cattle ranches defined by barbed wire fences replaced the open range just as they did in the US, the cowboy influence lives on. Canada's first rodeo, the Raymond Stampede, was established in 1902. The Raymond Stampede is an annual Rodeo that is held in the town of Raymond, Alberta, Canada every July 1. In 1912, the Calgary Stampede began, and today it is the world’s richest cash rodeo. The Calgary Stampede, which bills itself as The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth, is a large Festival, exhibition, and Rodeo held in Each year, Calgary’s northern rival Edmonton, Alberta stages the Canadian Finals Rodeo, and dozens of regional rodeos are held through the province. Edmonton (ˈɛdmɨntɨn is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta. The Canadian Finals Rodeo is the national Championship Rodeo in Canada

Cowboys outside North America

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 gaúcho) southern Brazil,^[63] the chalan in Peru, the llanero of Venezuela, and the huaso of Chile. In Mexico charro is a term referring to a traditional Horseman or Cowboy of Mexico, originating in the State of Jalisco. Gaucho ( gaúcho in Portuguese, "gaucho" in Spanish) is a term commonly used to describe residents of the South American Pampas For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. Uruguay.(official full name in República Oriental del Uruguay;, Oriental Republic of Uruguay) is a country located in the southeastern part of South America Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay ( Spanish: República del Paraguay; Guaraní: Tetã Paraguái) is one of the only |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America. A Llanero or the Llaneros is the name given to Venezuelan and Colombian Cowboys and means "plainsmen Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the A huaso (feminine huasa, although the term china is far more commonly used for his wife or sweetheart whose dress can be seen in Cueca dancing is a Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the

In Australia, which has a large ranch (station) culture, cowboys are known as stockmen and drovers^[64] (with trainee stockmen referred to as jackaroos and jillaroos). For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Station is the term for a large Australian landholding used for Livestock production In the Australian lexicon stockman is the traditional name given to a person who looks after the Livestock on a large property known as a station and owned A drover in Australia is a person typically an experienced Stockman, who moves Livestock, usually sheep or cattle "on the hoof" over long distances The Spanish tradition also influenced Australia, both via concepts adapted from the Americas, and traditions brought directly from Spain, each of which arrived along with imports of various breeds of horses, cattle, sheep and other livestock.

The idea of horseback riders who guard herds of cattle, sheep or horses is common wherever wide, open land for grazing exists. For the Roman class see Equestrian (Roman Equestrianism refers to the skill of riding or driving Horses This broad description In the French Camargue, riders called "gardians" herd cattle. The Camargue ( Occitan: Camarga in classical norm or Camargo in Mistralian norm is located south of Arles, France, between the In Hungary, csikós guard horses and gulyás tend to cattle. Hungary (Magyarország 'mɔɟɔrorsaːg) officially in English the Republic of Hungary ( Magyar Köztársaság, literally Magyar (Hungarian Republic Goulash is a dish originally from Hungary, usually made of Beef, red Onions vegetables spices and ground Paprika powder The herders in the region of Maremma, in Tuscany (Italy) are called butteros. The Maremma is an area in Italy, consisting of part of southern Tuscany (partly coincident with the Province of Grosseto) and part of northern Lazio Tuscany (Toscana is a region in Italy. It has an area of 22990 km² and a population of about 3 Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest A buttero is a Shepherd or cowboy in the region of Maremma, in Tuscany in the Northern Latium and in the Pontine Marshes. The Asturian pastoral population is referred to as Vaqueiros de alzada. Asturian (Asturian Asturianu or Bable) is a Romance language of the West Iberian group, Astur-Leonese Subgroup, spoken in the The Vaqueiros d'alzada ("nomadic Cowherds quot in Asturian language, from their word for cow cognate of Spanish Vaquero) were a northern

Modern working cowboys

See also: Ranch

On the ranch, the cowboy is responsible for feeding the livestock, branding and earmarking cattle (horses also are branded on many ranches), plus tending to animal injuries and other needs. A ranch is an area of landscape including various structures given primarily to the practice of ranching the practice of raising grazing livestock such as Cattle New Mexico ( is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States of America. Livestock branding is any technique for marking Livestock so as to identify the owner The working cowboy usually is in charge of a small group or "string" of horses and is required to routinely patrol the rangeland in all weather conditions checking for damaged fences, evidence of predation, water problems, and any other issue of concern.

They also move the livestock to different pasture locations, or herd them into corrals and onto trucks for transport. In addition, cowboys may do many other jobs, depending on the size of the "outfit" or ranch, the terrain, and the number of livestock. A ranch is an area of landscape including various structures given primarily to the practice of ranching the practice of raising grazing livestock such as Cattle Terrain, or relief, is the third or vertical dimension of land surface. On a smaller ranch with fewer cowboys—often just family members, cowboys are generalists who perform many all-around tasks; they repair fences, maintain ranch equipment, and perform other odd jobs. On a very large ranch (a "big outfit"), with many employees, cowboys are able to specialize on tasks solely related to cattle and horses. Cowboys who train horses often specialize in this task only, and some may "Break" or train young horses for more than one ranch. Horse training refers to a wide variety of practices that teach Horses to perform certain behaviors when asked to do so by humans Horse breaking, sometimes called starting or gentling, refers to the process used by humans to get horses to let themselves be ridden or harnessed

The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics collects no figures for cowboys, so the exact number of working cowboys is unknown. The Bureau of Labor Statistics ( BLS) a unit of the United States Department of Labor, is the principal fact-finding agency for the U 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 as staff or competitors at rodeos, the category includes farmhands working with other types of livestock (sheep, goats, hogs, chickens, etc. Rodeo (ˈroʊdioʊ or /roʊˈdeɪoʊ/ is a sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States The domestic goat ( Capra aegagrus hircus) is a subspecies of goat Domesticated from the Wild goat of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe Pigs, also called hogs or' swine', are Ungulates which have been domesticated as sources of food leather and similar products since ancient times The chicken ( Gallus gallus, sometimes G gallus domesticus) is a domesticated Fowl which is traditionally believed to have descended from ). Of those 9,730 workers, 3,290 are listed in the subcategory of Spectator sports which includes rodeos, circuses, and theaters needing livestock handlers. A circus is most commonly a traveling company of performers that may include acrobats, Clowns trained animals trapeze acts Hoopers, tightrope walkers

Attire

Most cowboy attire, sometimes termed Western wear, grew out of practical need and the environment in which the cowboy worked. Western wear is a category of men's and women's Clothing which derives its unique style from the clothes worn in the 19th-century American West. Most items were adapted from the Mexican vaqueros, though sources from other cultures, including Native Americans and Mountain Men contributed. Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States The Mountain Men is also the name of a 1980 movie starring Charlton Heston. ^[65]

• Cowboy hat; a hat with a wide brim to protect from sun, overhanging brush, and the elements; there are many styles, initially influenced by John B. The cowboy hat is a defining piece of attire for Farm and Ranch workers in the western and southern United States, Canada and northern Mexico Stetson's "Boss of the Plains", a design blending elements of the Mexican sombrero and both Union and Confederate Cavalry hats of the Civil War period. Stetson hats or Stetsons are a brand of hat manufactered by the John B In English -speaking countries sombrero typically refers to a type of hat originating in Mexico. The Cavalry (from French cavalerie) is the second oldest of the Combat Arms, and as Soldiers or Warriors who fought mounted on Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South
• Bandanna; a large cotton neckerchief that had a myriad of uses from mopping up sweat to masking the face from dust storms. A kerchief (from the French couvre-chef, "cover the head" is a triangular or square piece of Cloth tied around the A neckerchief is a type of Neckwear associated with Scouts and Sailors It consists of a triangular piece of cloth or a rectanglular piece folded into a In modern times, is now more likely to be a silk neckscarf for decoration and warmth.
• 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 detachable spurs. Cowboy boots refer to a specific style of Riding boot, historically worn by Cowboys They have a High heel, rounded to pointed toe high shaft and traditionally For the bone see Stapes. For other uses of the word stirrup see Stirrup (disambiguation. A spur is a metal tool designed to be worn in pairs on the heels of Riding boots for the purpose of directing a Horse to move forward or laterally while riding
• Chaps (usually pronounced "shaps"^[66]) or chinks protect the rider's legs while on horseback, especially riding through heavy brush or during rough work with livestock. The Clearing House Automated Payment System or CHAPS is a British company established in London in 1984 which offers same-day sterling The Clearing House Automated Payment System or CHAPS is a British company established in London in 1984 which offers same-day sterling
• Jeans or other sturdy, close-fitting trousers made of canvas or denim, designed to protect the legs and prevent the trouser legs from snagging on brush, equipment or other hazards. Jeans are Trousers made from Denim. Mainly designed for work, they became popular among Teenagers starting in the 1950s. Properly made cowboy jeans also have a smooth inside seam to prevent blistering the inner thigh and knee while on horseback.
• Gloves, usually of deerskin or other leather that is soft and flexible for working purposes, yet provides protection when handling barbed wire, assorted tools or clearing native brush and vegetation. A glove ( Middle English from Old English glof) is a type of Garment (and more specifically a Fashion

Many of these items show marked regional variations. Parameters such as hat brim width, or chap length and material were adjusted to accommodate the various environmental conditions encountered by working cowboys.

Tools

• Lariat; from the Spanish "la riata," meaning "the rope," sometimes called a lasso, especially in the East, or simply, a "rope". Reata redirects here For the comic book character see Reata (comics A lasso, lariat, or riata (from the Spanish reata This is a tightly twisted stiff rope, originally of rawhide or leather, now often of nylon, made with a small loop at one end called a "hondo. " When the rope is run through the hondo, it creates a loop that slides easily, tightens quickly and can be thrown to catch animals. ^[67]
• Spurs; metal devices attached to the heel of the boot, featuring a small metal shank, usually with a small serrated wheel attached, used to allow the rider to provide a stronger (or sometimes, more precise) leg cue to the horse. A spur is a metal tool designed to be worn in pairs on the heels of Riding boots for the purpose of directing a Horse to move forward or laterally while riding
• Firearms: Modern cowboys often have access to a rifle, used to protect the livestock from predation by wild animals, more often carried inside a pickup truck than on horseback, though rifle scabbards are manufactured, and allow a rifle to be carried on a saddle. A rifle is a Firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves ("rifling" cut into the barrel walls A pickup truck is a light Motor vehicle with an open-top rear cargo area which is almost always separated from the cab to allow for chassis flex when carrying or pulling A scabbard is a Sheath for holding a Sword or other large blade A saddle is a supportive structure for a rider or other load fastened to an animal's back by a girth. A pistol is more often carried when on horseback. The modern ranch hand often uses a . 22 caliber "varmit" rifle for modern ranch hazards, such as rattlesnakes, coyotes, and rabid skunks. Rattlesnakes are a group of venomous Snakes, genera Crotalus and Sistrurus. The coyote (kaɪˈoʊti ˈkaɪoʊt ( Canis latrans) also known as the prairie wolf, is a Mammal of the order Carnivora Rabies (from rabies “madness rage fury” Also known as “ hydrophobia ” is a viral Zoonotic neuroinvasive disease that Skunks (sometimes referred to as polecats) are Mammals best known for their ability to excrete a strong foul-smelling odor. In areas near wilderness, a ranch cowboy may carry a higher-caliber rifle to fend off larger predators such as mountain lions. Wilderness is generally defined as a Natural environment on Earth that has not been significantly modified by Human activity The cougar ( Puma concolor) also puma, mountain lion, or panther, depending on region is a Mammal of the Felidae family In contrast, the cowboy of the 1880s usually carried a heavy caliber revolver such as the single action . 44/40 Colt or the . 45 caliber Colt model 1872 "Peacemaker," a modified Army revolver. ^[65] The working cowboy of the 1880s rarely carried a long arm, as they could get in the way when working cattle, plus they added extra weight. However, many cowboys owned rifles, and often used them for market hunting in the off season. ^[65] Though many models were used, Cowboys who were part-time market hunters preferred rifles that could take the widely available . 45/70 "Government" ammunition, such as certain Sharps, Remington, Springfield models, as well as the Winchester 1876. ^[65] However, by far the single most popular long arms were the lever-action repeating Winchesters, particularly lighter models such as the Model 1873 that could take the same . 44/40 ammunition as the Colt revolver. ^[65]
• Knife; cowboys have traditionally favored some form of pocket knife, specifically the folding cattle knife or stock knife. A knife is a handheld sharp-edged instrument consisting of handle attached to a Blade used for cutting A pocketknife is a folding Knife with a Blade that fits inside the handle and that is small enough to fit in a Pocket. The knife has multiple blades, usually including a leather punch and a "sheepsfoot" blade.
• Other weapons; while the modern American cowboy came to existence after the invention of gunpowder, cattle herders of earlier times were sometimes equipped with heavy polearms, bows or lances. Gunpowder is a an explosive mixture of Sulfur, Charcoal and Potassium nitrate (also known as saltpetre/saltpeter that burns rapidly producing volumes A bow is a Weapon that projects arrows powered by the elasticity of the bow The term lance has become a catchall for a variety of different Pole weapons based on the Spear.

Horses

The traditional means of transport for the cowboy, even in the modern era, is by horseback. For the Roman class see Equestrian (Roman Equestrianism refers to the skill of riding or driving Horses This broad description Horses can travel over terrain that vehicles cannot access. The horse ( Equus caballus) is a hoofed ( Ungulate) Mammal, one of eight living species of the family Equidae. Horses, along with mules and burros, also serve as pack animals. In its common modern meaning a mule is the offspring of a male Donkey and a female Horse, which is classified as a kind of F1 hybrid. The donkey or ass, Equus asinus, is a member of the Equidae or horse family and an odd-toed ungulate. A packhorse (UK or pack horse (USA refers generally to an Equid such as a Horse, Mule, Donkey or Pony used for carrying The most important horse on the ranch is the everyday working ranch horse that can perform a wide variety of tasks; horses trained to specialize exclusively in one set of skills such as roping or cutting are very rarely used on ranches. Calf roping, also known as tie-down roping, is a Rodeo event that features a Calf and a rider mounted on a Horse. Cutting is an equestrian event in the Western riding style where a horse and rider are judged on their ability to separate a calf away from a cattle herd and keep Because the rider often needs to keep one hand free while working cattle, the horse must neck rein and have good cow sense—it must instinctively know how to anticipate and react to cattle. A neck rein is a type of indirect rein aid. The Horse responds to a neck rein when it has learned that a light pressure of the right Rein against

A good stock horse is on the small side, generally under 15. 2 hands (62 inches) tall at the withers and often under 1000 pounds, with a short back, sturdy legs and strong muscling, particularly in the hindquarters. See also Hand A hand (or handbreadth) is a unit of length Measurement, originally based on the breadth of a Male Human hand Wither redirects here For the comic character see Wither (comics. While a steer roping horse may need to be larger and weigh more in order to hold a heavy adult cow, bull or steer on a rope, a smaller, quick horse is needed for herding activities such as cutting or calf roping. Team roping also known as heading and heeling is a Rodeo event that features a Steer (typically a Corriente) and two mounted Cowboys Cattle, colloquially referred to as cows, are domesticated Ungulates a member of the Subfamily Bovinae of the family Cattle, colloquially referred to as cows, are domesticated Ungulates a member of the Subfamily Bovinae of the family Cutting is an equestrian event in the Western riding style where a horse and rider are judged on their ability to separate a calf away from a cattle herd and keep Calf roping, also known as tie-down roping, is a Rodeo event that features a Calf and a rider mounted on a Horse. The horse has to be intelligent, calm under pressure and have a certain degree of 'cow sense" -- the ability to anticipate the movement and behavior of cattle.

Many breeds of horse make good stock horses, but the most common today in North America is the American Quarter Horse, which is a horse breed developed primarily in Texas from a combination of Thoroughbred bloodstock crossed on horses of Mustang and other Iberian horse ancestry, with influences from the Arabian horse and horses developed on the east coast, such as the Morgan horse and now-extinct breeds such as the Chickasaw and Virginia Quarter-Miler. Meyers b12 s0947bjpg|thumb|Heavy or draft horse breeds]] This page is a list of Horse and Pony breeds and also includes terms used to describe types of horses that are not Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. The Thoroughbred is a horse breed The Iberian horse is a title given to a number of horse breeds native to the Iberian peninsula. The Arabian horse is a breed of Horse with a reputation for Intelligence, spirit and stamina In Biology and Ecology, extinction is the cessation of existence of a Species or group of taxa.

Horse equipment or tack

Main article: Horse tack

Equipment used to ride a horse is referred to as tack and includes:

• Western saddle; a saddle specially designed to allow horse and rider to work for many hours and to provide security to the rider in rough terrain or when moving quickly in response to the behavior of the livestock being herded. Tack is a term used to describe any of the various equipment and accessories worn by Horses in the course of their use as domesticated Animals Saddles stirrups Tack is a term used to describe any of the various equipment and accessories worn by Horses in the course of their use as domesticated Animals Saddles stirrups Western saddles are used for Western riding and are the Saddles used on working Horses on Cattle Ranches throughout the United States For the Roman class see Equestrian (Roman Equestrianism refers to the skill of riding or driving Horses This broad description A western saddle has a deep seat with high pommel and cantle that provides a secure seat. A saddle is a supportive structure for a rider or other load fastened to an animal's back by a girth. A saddle is a supportive structure for a rider or other load fastened to an animal's back by a girth. Deep, wide stirrups provide comfort and security for the foot. For the bone see Stapes. For other uses of the word stirrup see Stirrup (disambiguation. A strong, wide saddle tree of wood, covered in rawhide (or made of a modern synthetic material) distributes the weight of the rider across a greater area of the horse's back, reducing the pounds carried per square inch and allowing the horse to be ridden longer without harm. A saddle is a supportive structure for a rider or other load fastened to an animal's back by a girth. A horn sits low in front of the rider, to which a lariat can be snubbed, and assorted dee rings and leather "saddle strings" allow additional equipment to be tied to the saddle. Western saddles are used for Western riding and are the Saddles used on working Horses on Cattle Ranches throughout the United States Reata redirects here For the comic book character see Reata (comics A lasso, lariat, or riata (from the Spanish reata ^[68]
• Saddle blanket; a blanket or pad is required under the Western saddle to provide comfort and protection for the horse. A saddle blanket is a Blanket which is inserted under a Saddle in order to absorb Sweat, cushion the saddle and protect the Horse 's back
• Saddle bags (leather or nylon) can be mounted to the saddle, behind the cantle, to carry various sundry items and extra supplies. Additional bags may be attached to the front or the saddle.
• Bridle; a Western bridle usually has a curb bit and long split reins to control the horse in many different situations. A bridle is a piece of equipment used to control a Horse. The bridle fits over a horse's head and has the purpose of controlling the horse A curb bit is a type of bit used for riding Horses that uses leverage Reins are items of Horse tack, used to direct a Horse or other animal used for riding or Driving. Generally the bridle is open-faced, without a noseband, unless the horse is ridden with a tiedown. A noseband is the part of a horse's Bridle that encircles the nose and jaw of the Horse. Young ranch horses learning basic tasks usually are ridden in a jointed, loose-ring snaffle bit, often with a running martingale. A snaffle bit is the most common type of bit used while riding Horses. In some areas, especially where the "California" style of the vaquero or buckaroo tradition is still strong, young horses are often seen in a bosal style hackamore. A bosal (boʊ'sɑl boʊ'sæl or sometimes 'boʊsəl Spanish: β̞o'sal is a type of Noseband used on the classic Hackamore of the Vaquero A hackamore is a type of headgear for a Horse which does not have a bit.
• Martingales of various are seen on horses that are in training or have behavior problems.

Vehicles

The most common motorized vehicle driven in modern ranch work is the pickup truck. A pickup truck is a light Motor vehicle with an open-top rear cargo area which is almost always separated from the cab to allow for chassis flex when carrying or pulling Sturdy and roomy, with a high ground clearance, and often four-wheel drive capability, it has an open box, called a "bed," and can haul supplies from town or over rough trails on the ranch. Four-wheel drive, 4WD, or 4x4 ("four by four" is a four-wheeled Vehicle with a drivetrain that allows all four Wheels to 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. A horse trailer or horse van (also called a horse float in Australia and New Zealand or horse box in the British Isles) Motorcycles are sometimes used instead of horses for some tasks, but the most common smaller vehicle is the four-wheeler. An all-terrain vehicle (ATV is defined by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI as a vehicle that travels on low pressure tires with a seat that is straddled by It will carry a single cowboy quickly around the ranch for small chores. In areas with heavy snowfall, snowmobiles are also common. A snowmobile (known locally as snowmachine, snowsled or by the Brandname Ski-Doo) is a land vehicle that is commonly propelled by However, in spite of modern mechanization, there remain jobs, particularly those involving working cattle in rough terrain or in close quarters, that are best done by cowboys on horseback.

Rodeo cowboys

Main article: Rodeo

The word rodeo is from the Spanish rodear (to turn), which means roundup. Rodeo (ˈroʊdioʊ or /roʊˈdeɪoʊ/ is a sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States Bronc riding, either saddle bronc or bareback bronc competition is a Rodeo Event that involves a rodeo participant riding on a Horse 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. Rodeo (ˈroʊdioʊ or /roʊˈdeɪoʊ/ is a sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States Prior to that it was assumed that all cowboys were working cowboys. Early cowboys both worked on ranches and displayed their skills at the roundups. ^[69]

The advent of professional rodeos allowed cowboys, like many athletes, to earn a living by performing their skills before an audience. A sportsperson ( British and American English) or athlete (principally American English is any person who participates regularly in a Sport. Rodeos also provided employment for many working cowboys who were needed to handle livestock. Employment is a Contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. 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. Snaps, used in lieu of buttons on the cowboy's shirt, allowed the cowboy to escape from a shirt snagged by the horns of steer or bull. Cattle, colloquially referred to as cows, are domesticated Ungulates a member of the Subfamily Bovinae of the family Styles were often adapted from the early movie industry for the rodeo. Some rodeo competitors, particularly women, add sequins, colors, silver and long fringes to their clothing in both a nod to tradition and showmanship. Modern riders in "rough stock" events such as saddle bronc or bull riding may add safety equipment such as kevlar vests or a neck brace, but use of safety helmets in lieu of the cowboy hat is yet to be accepted, in spite of constant risk of injury. Bronc riding, either saddle bronc or bareback bronc competition is a Rodeo Event that involves a rodeo participant riding on a Horse Bull riding is a Rodeo Sport that involves a rider getting on a large bull and attempting to stay mounted for at least 8 seconds while the animal attempts Kevlar is the registered Trademark for a light strong para-aramid Synthetic fiber, related to other Aramids such as Nomex and An Equestrian helmet is worn when riding Horses. This type of Helmet is specially designed to protect the rider's head if a person falls off The cowboy hat is a defining piece of attire for Farm and Ranch workers in the western and southern United States, Canada and northern Mexico

Popular culture

As the frontier ended, the cowboy life came to be highly romanticized. Exhibitions such as those of Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West Show helped to popularize the image of the cowboy as an idealized representative of the tradition of chivalry. William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody (February 26 1846 &ndash January 10 1917 was an American soldier bison hunter and Showman. Chivalric order Chivalry is a term related to the Medieval institution of Knighthood.

In today's society, there is little understanding of the daily realities of actual agricultural life. Cowboys are more often associated with (mostly fictitious) Indian-fighting than with their actual life of ranch work and cattle-tending. A ranch is an area of landscape including various structures given primarily to the practice of ranching the practice of raising grazing livestock such as Cattle Actors such as John Wayne are thought of as exemplifying a cowboy ideal, even though western movies seldom bear much resemblance to real cowboy life. John Wayne ( May 26, 1907 &ndash June 11, 1979) was an Academy Award and Golden Globe Award -winning American The Western is a fiction Genre seen in Film, Television, Radio, Literature, Painting and other Visual arts. Arguably, the modern rodeo competitor is much closer to being an actual cowboy, as many were actually raised on ranches and around livestock, and the rest have needed to learn livestock-handling skills on the job. Rodeo (ˈroʊdioʊ or /roʊˈdeɪoʊ/ is a sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States

However, in the United States and the Canadian West, as well as Australia, guest ranches offer people the opportunity to ride horses and get a taste of the western life--albeit in far greater comfort. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Some ranches also offer vacationers the opportunity to actually perform cowboy tasks by participating in cattle drives or accompanying wagon trains. Wagon Train is a Television Western Series on NBC from 1957 - 1962 and then on ABC from 1962- This type of vacation was popularized by the 1991 movie City Slickers, starring Billy Crystal. Lists of holidays The words holiday or vacation have related meanings in different English-speaking countries and continents but will usually refer to one of City Slickers is a 1991 Academy Award -winning Comedy Film directed by Ron Underwood and starring Billy Crystal William Edward "Billy" Crystal (born March 14, 1948) is an American Golden Globe Award -nominated and Emmy Award -winning

The cowboy is also portrayed as a masculine ideal via images ranging from the Marlboro Man to the Village People. The Marlboro Man is (or in many areas was part of a Tobacco advertising campaign for Marlboro cigarettes. Village People are a concept Disco group formed in the late 1970s

Symbolism

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. Western wear is a category of men's and women's Clothing which derives its unique style from the clothes worn in the 19th-century American West.

However, many people, particularly in the West, wear elements of Western clothing, particularly cowboy boots or hats, as a matter of form even though they have other jobs, up to and including lawyers, bankers, and other white collar professionals. Cowboy boots refer to a specific style of Riding boot, historically worn by Cowboys They have a High heel, rounded to pointed toe high shaft and traditionally White-collar worker refers to a salaried professional or an educated Worker who performs semi-professional office administrative and sales coordination tasks as opposed to Conversely, some people raised on ranches do not necessarily define themselves cowboys or cowgirls unless they feel their primary job is to work with livestock or if they compete in rodeos.

Actual cowboys in general tend to value personal honesty and have derisive expressions for individuals who adopt cowboy mannerisms as a fashion pose without any actual understanding of the culture. For example, a "drugstore cowboy" means someone who wears the clothing but cannot actually ride anything but the stool of the drugstore soda fountain--or, in modern times, a bar stool. Soda fountain is a term referring to the carbonated drink Dispensers found in Fast food restaurants and Convenience stores These devices combine Syrup Barstools are a type of stool often with a foot rest which because of their height and narrowness are designed for seating in a Public house or bar. The phrase, "all hat and no cattle," is used to describe someone (usually male) who boasts about himself, far in excess of any actual accomplishments. The word "dude" (or the now-archaic term "greenhorn") indicates an individual unfamiliar with cowboy culture, especially one who is trying to pretend otherwise.

Outside of the United States, 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. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (République démocratique du Congo often referred to as DR Congo, DRC or RDC, and formerly known or referred to The Bills were a youth subculture that thrived in Léopoldville (modern-day Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo) in the late Something similar occurred with the term "Apache," which in early twentieth century Parisian society was a slang term for an outlaw. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city

Negative associations

As far back as the American Revolution, the word "cowboy" has also been used in a derogatory sense. In this article the inhabitants of the thirteen colonies that supported the American Revolution are primarily referred to as "Americans" with occasional references to "Patriots" An outlaw identified with the Loyalist cause, Claudius Smith, was referred to as the "Cow-boy of the Ramapos" due to his penchant for stealing oxen, cattle and horses from colonists and giving them to the British. This article concerns Loyalists in the American Revolution. For information on the role of those Loyalists in Canadian history after their emigration see United Empire Claudius Smith (1736 – January 22, 1779) was a notorious Loyalist guerrilla leader during the American Revolution. ^[70] Later, the boomtowns of Kansas, at the end of the trail for long cattle drives, developed a reputation for violence due to the inevitable impact of large numbers of cowboys, mostly single men, arriving at the same time of year and receiving their pay in large lump sums. ^[71]

"Cowboy" as an adjective for "reckless" developed in the 1920s. ^[7]"Cowboy" is sometimes used today in a derogatory sense to describe someone who is reckless or ignores potential risks, irresponsible or who heedlessly handles a sensitive or dangerous task. ^[72] For example, TIME Magazine had a cover article referring to President George W. Bush's foreign policy as "Cowboy Diplomacy,"^[73] and Bush has been described in the press, particularly in Europe, as a "cowboy". Time (trademarked in capitals as TIME) is a weekly American Newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. Cowboy diplomacy is a term used by critics to describe the resolution of international conflicts through brash risk-taking intimidation military deployment ^[74]

In the British Islands, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, "cowboy" is used as an adjective when applied to tradesmen whose work is of shoddy and questionable value, e. The term British Islands is used in the law of the United Kingdom to refer collectively to the following four states the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island This article is about the skilled manual worker meaning of the term for other uses see Tradesperson (disambiguation A tradesman is a skilled manual worker g. , "a cowboy plumber". A plumber is a Tradesperson who specializes in installing and maintaining systems used for potable (drinking Water, sewage Drainage, or industrial Similar usage is seen in the United States to describe someone in the skilled trades who operates without proper training or licenses. In the eastern United States, "cowboy" as a noun is sometimes used to describe a fast or careless driver on the highway. ^[75]

In art and culture

• Fashion: Western wear, Rhinestone Cowboy
• Film: Western, List of Western movies
• Fine art: Frederic Remington, Charles Russell, Earl W. Bascom, Cowboy Artists of America
• Literature: Western fiction, List of Western fiction authors, Cowboy poetry
• Music: Western Music, Western swing, List of famous Cowboy songs
• Television: TV Western
• Sports: Cowboy action shooting, Rodeo, Indian rodeo, Charreada. Western wear is a category of men's and women's Clothing which derives its unique style from the clothes worn in the 19th-century American West. " Rhinestone Cowboy " is a song written by Larry Weiss and most famously recorded by country-pop singer Glen Campbell. The Western is a fiction Genre seen in Film, Television, Radio, Literature, Painting and other Visual arts. This is a list of notable Western films and TV series ordered by year and decade of release Frederic Sackrider Remington ( October 4, 1861 - December 26, 1909) was an American painter, Illustrator, Charles Russell LLP is an international Law firm based in London Charles Russell may also refer to Charles Addison Russell (1852-1902 Earl W Bascom ( June 19, 1906 - August 28, 1995) was an American painter, printmaker and sculptor The Cowboy Artists of America (often referred to as the CA or sometimes the CAA was founded in 1965 by four prominent western artists Joe Beeler, Charlie Western fiction is a genre of literature set in the American Old West between the years of 1860 and 1900 This is a list of some notable Authors in the Western fiction genre. Cowboy poetry is a form of Poetry which grew out of a tradition of extemporaneous composition carried on by workers on Cattle drives and Ranches After Western music is a form of Folk music originally composed by and about the people who settled and worked throughout the This article is about the Musical genre. For the popular western swing Steel guitar tuning see E9 tuning. Western music is a form of Folk music originally composed by and about the people who settled and worked throughout the Television Westerns are a sub-genre of the Western, a genre of film fiction and drama in which stories are set primarily in the later half of the 19th century in the American Cowboy Action Shooting (CAS also known as Western Action Shooting or Single Action Shooting, is a competitive shooting sport that originated in California Rodeo (ˈroʊdioʊ or /roʊˈdeɪoʊ/ is a sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States Indian rodeo is the rodeo subculture of Native American Rodeo performers and in Canada, First Nations performers The charreada is a style of Rodeo developed by people in Mexico interested in keeping the traditions of the Charro ( charrería) alive

See also

• Ranch
  • Livestock branding
  • Agricultural fencing
• Station (Australian agriculture)
• Rodeo
  • Charreada
• Cowboy church
• American West
• American Old West
• Audition (performing arts) also known as a "Cattle Call. A ranch is an area of landscape including various structures given primarily to the practice of ranching the practice of raising grazing livestock such as Cattle Livestock branding is any technique for marking Livestock so as to identify the owner In Agriculture, Fences are used to keep Animals in or out of an area Station is the term for a large Australian landholding used for Livestock production Rodeo (ˈroʊdioʊ or /roʊˈdeɪoʊ/ is a sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States The charreada is a style of Rodeo developed by people in Mexico interested in keeping the traditions of the Charro ( charrería) alive Cowboy Churches are local Christian Churches within the Cowboy culture that are distinctively western heritage in character The Western United States &mdashcommonly referred to as the American West or simply the West &mdashtraditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost An audition is a sample performance by an Actor, Singer, Musician, Dancer or other performer "
• List of cowboys and cowgirls
• List of Ranches and Stations
• Herding
  • Goatherd
  • Shepherd
• Transhumance

Footnotes

References

• Denhardt, Robert M. The Horse of the Americas Norman: University of Oklahoma Press 1947
• Draper, Robert. "21st -Century Cowboys: Why the Spirit Endures. " National Geographic, December 2007, pp. 114-135
• Malone, John William. An Album of the American Cowboy. New York: Franklin Watts, Inc. , 1971. SBN: 531-01512-2
• Malone, Michael P. , and Richard B. Roeder. Montana: A History of Two Centuries. University of Washington Press; Revised edition, 1991. ISBN-10: 0295971290, ISBN-13: 978-0295971292
• Vernam, Glenn R. Man on Horseback New York: Harper & Row 1964

Further reading

• Beck, Warren A. , Haase, Ynez D. ; Historical Atlas of the American West. University of Oklahoma Press, Oklahoma, 1989. ISBN 0-8061-2193-9
• Jordan, Teresa; Cowgirls: Women of the American West. University of Nebraska Press, 1992. ISBN 0-8032-7575-7
• Nicholson, Jon. Cowboys: A Vanishing World. Macmillan, 2001. ISBN 0-333-90208-4
• Phillips, Charles; Axlerod, Alan; editor. The Encyclopedia of the American West. Simon & Schuster, New York, 1996. ISBN 0028974956
• Roach, Joyce Gibson; The Cowgirls . University of North Texas Press, 1990. ISBN 0-929398-15-7
• Slatta, Richard W. The Cowboy Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO, California, 1994. ISBN 0-87436-738-7
• Ward, Fay E. ; The Cowboy at Work: All About His Job and How He Does It. University of Oklahoma Press, Oklahoma, 1987. ISBN 0-8061-2051-7

External links

• American Cowboy Information – History, facts, and current trends.
• Na Paniola Pipi – The Hawaiian Cowboy
• A list of famous cowboy names.
• The Cowboys of Borneo
• National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
• National Cowgirl Hall of Fame & Museum - Ft. Worth, Texas
• Working Ranch Cowboys Association
• "Cowboy Myths and realities"
• Black American West Museum Denver, Colorado
• Collection of cowboy ballads with sheet music from the Kansas State Historical Society

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