Hard-working cowboys helped make the West a productive part of the United States. In the process, they came to stand for the frontier spirit of courage, independence, and self-reliance. Today, the life of a cowboy on the old frontier might seem glamorous and exciting. Cowboys were sometimes called cowpokes or cowpunchers because they used sticks to poke cattle onto loading ramps. Today, most cowboys prefer to be called cowhands because they are hired hands, or workers, who tend cows.
Cowboys call all cattle cows, even bulls and calves.
The big sombrero worn by vaqueros became an American cowboy hat. His clothing served a useful purpose. A cowboy hat, for example, had a wide brim to keep rain, snow, and sun off the cowboy's face. The air space in the hat's deep crown kept the cowboy's head cool. A cowboy also used his hat to fan a fire, to signal to other cowboys, and to scoop up water from a stream.