Cowboy

Acowboyis an animalherderwho tendscattleonranchesinNorth America, traditionally onhorseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from thevaquerotraditions of northernMexicoand became a figure of special significance and legend.A subtype, called awrangler, specifically tends thehorsesused to work cattle. In addition to ranch work, some cowboys work for or participate inrodeos.Cowgirls, first defined as such in the late 19th century, had a less-well documented historical role, but in the modern world work at identical tasks and have obtained considerable respect for their achievements.Cattle handlers in many other parts of the world, particularlySouth AmericaandAustralia, perform work similar to the cowboy.
The cowboy has deep historic roots tracing back toSpainand the earliest Europeansettlers of the Americas. Over the centuries, differences in terrain and 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, his equipment and techniques also adapted, though many classic traditions are preserved.
The English wordcowboyhas an origin from several earlier terms that referred to both age and to cattle or cattle-tending work.
The English wordcowboywas derived fromvaquero, a Spanish word for an individual who managed cattle while mounted on horseback.Vaquerowas derived fromvaca, meaning "cow",which came from theLatinwordvacca. "Cowboy" was first used in print byJonathan Swiftin 1725, and was used in the British Isles from 1820 to 1850 to describe young boys who tended the family or community cows.Originally though, the English word "cowherd" was used to describe a cattle herder (similar to "shepherd", a sheep herder), and often referred to a pre-adolescent or early adolescent boy, who usually worked on foot. This word is very old in the English language, originating prior to the year 1000.
By 1849 "cowboy" had developed its modern sense as an adult cattle handler of the American West. Variations on the word appeared later. "Cowhand" appeared in 1852, and "cowpoke" in 1881, originally restricted to the individuals who prodded cattle with long poles to load them onto railroad cars for shipping.Names for a cowboy in American English includebuckaroo,cowpoke,cowhand, andcowpuncher.Another English word for a cowboy,buckaroo, is ananglicizationofvaquero(Spanish pronunciation:[baˈkeɾo]).
Today, "cowboy" is a term common throughout the west and particularly in theGreat PlainsandRocky Mountains, "buckaroo" is used primarily in theGreat BasinandCalifornia, and "cowpuncher" mostly inTexasand surrounding states.
Equestrianismrequired skills and an investment in horses and equipment rarely available to or entrusted to a child, though in some cultures boys rode adonkeywhile going to and from pasture. Inantiquity, herding of sheep, cattle and goats was often the job of minors, and still is a task for young people in variousDeveloping Worldcultures.
Because of the time and physical ability needed to develop necessary skills, both historic and modern cowboys often began as an adolescent. Historically, cowboys earned wages as soon as they developed sufficient skill to be hired (often as young as 12 or 13). If not crippled by injury, cowboys may handle cattle or horses for a lifetime. 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 suitable for children or early adolescents. Boys and girls growing up in aranchenvironment often learn to ride horses and perform basic ranch skills as soon as they are physically able, usually under adult supervision. Such youths, by their late teens, are often given responsibilities for "cowboy" work on the ranch.
"Cowboy" was used during theAmerican Revolutionto describe American fighters who opposed the movement for independence.Claudius Smith, an outlaw identified with theLoyalistcause, was called the "Cow-boy of the Ramapos" due to his penchant for stealing oxen, cattle and horses from colonists and giving them to the British.In the same period, a number ofguerrillabands operated inWestchester County, which marked the dividing line between the British and American forces. These groups were made up of local farmhands who would ambush convoys and carry out raids on both sides. There were two separate groups: the "skinners" fought for the pro-independence side, while the "cowboys" supported the British.
In theTombstone, Arizona, area during the 1880s, the term "cowboy" or "cow-boy" was used pejoratively to describe men who had been implicated in various crimes.One loosely organized band was dubbed "The Cowboys", and profited from smuggling cattle, alcohol, and tobacco across the U.S.–Mexico border.The San Francisco Examinerwrote in an editorial, "Cowboys [are] the most reckless class of outlaws in that wild country ... infinitely worse than the ordinary robber."It became an insult in the area to call someone a "cowboy", as it suggested he was a horse thief, robber, or outlaw. Cattlemen were generally called herders or ranchers.Othersynonymsfor cowboy were ranch hand, range hand or trail hand, although duties and pay were not entirely identical.The Cowboys' activities were ultimately curtailed by theGunfight at the O.K. Corraland the resultingEarp Vendetta Ride.
The origins of the cowboy tradition come fromSpain, beginning with thehaciendasystem ofmedieval Spain. This style of cattleranchingspread throughout much of theIberian peninsula, and later was imported to theAmericas. Both regions possessed a dry climate with sparse grass, thus large herds of cattle required vast amounts of land to obtain sufficientforage. The need to cover distances greater than a person on foot could manage gave rise to the development of the horseback-mountedvaquero.
Various aspects of the Spanishequestriantradition can be traced back toIslamic rule in Spain, includingMoorishelements such as the use ofOriental-type horses, thela jinetariding style characterized by a shorterstirrup, solid-treedsaddleand use ofspurs,the heavynosebandorhackamore,(Arabicšakīma, Spanishjaquima)and other horse-related equipment and techniques.Certain aspects of the Arabic tradition, such as the hackamore, can in turn be traced to roots inancient Persia.
During the 16th century, theConquistadorsand other Spanish settlers brought their cattle-raising traditions as well as bothhorsesand domesticatedcattleto theAmericas, starting with their arrival in what today isMexicoandFlorida.The traditions ofSpainwere transformed by the geographic, environmental and cultural circumstances ofNew Spain, which later becameMexicoand theSouthwestern United States. In turn, the land and people of the Americas also saw dramatic changes due to Spanish influence.
The arrival of horses was particularly significant, asequineshad beenextinctin the Americas since the end of the prehistoricice age. 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 ofAndalusian,BarbandArabianancestry,but a number of uniquely Americanhorse breedsdeveloped in North and South America through selective breeding and bynatural selectionof animals that escaped to the wild. Themustangand othercolonial horse breedsare now called "wild", but in reality areferal horses—descendants of domesticated animals.
Though popularly consideredAmerican, the traditional cowboy began with the Spanish tradition, which evolved further in what today isMexicoand theSouthwestern United Statesinto thevaqueroof northern Mexico and thecharroof theJaliscoandMichoacánregions. While mosthacendados(ranch owners) were ethnicallySpanishcriollos,many earlyvaqueroswereNative Americanstrained to work for the Spanish missions in caring for the mission herds.Vaqueroswent north with livestock. In 1598,Don Juan de Oñatesent an expedition across theRio Grandeinto New Mexico, bringing along 7000 head of cattle. From this beginning,vaquerosdrove cattle from New Mexico and later Texas to Mexico City.Mexican traditions spread both South and North, influencing equestrian traditions from Argentina to Canada.
AsEnglish-speaking traders and settlersexpanded westward, English and Spanish traditions, language and culture merged to some degree. Before theMexican–American Warin 1848,New Englandmerchants who traveled by ship to California encountered bothhacendadosandvaqueros, trading manufactured goods for the hides and tallow produced from vast cattleranches. American traders along what later became known as theSanta Fe Trailhad similar contacts withvaquerolife. Starting with these early encounters, the lifestyle and language of thevaquerobegan a transformation which merged with English cultural traditions and produced what became known in American culture as the "cowboy".
The arrival of English-speaking settlers in Texas began in 1821.Rip Forddescribed the country betweenLaredoandCorpus Christias inhabited by "countless droves of mustangs and ... wild cattle ... abandoned by Mexicans when they were ordered to evacuate the country between theNuecesand theRio Grandeby GeneralValentin Canalizo... the horses and cattle abandoned invited the raids theTexiansmade upon this territory."California, on the other hand, did not see a large influx of settlers from the United States until after theMexican–American War. In slightly different ways, both areas contributed to the evolution of the iconic American cowboy. Particularly with the arrival ofrailroadsand an increased demand forbeefin the wake of theAmerican Civil War, older traditions combined with the need todrive cattlefrom the ranches where they were raised to the nearestrailheads, often hundreds of miles away.
Black cowboysin the American West accounted for up to 25 percent of workers in the range-cattle industry from the 1860s to 1880s, estimated to be between 6,000 and 9,000 workers.Typically formerslavesor children of former slaves, many black men had skills in cattle handling and headed West at the end of the Civil War.
By the 1880s, the expansion of the cattle industry resulted in a 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 theRocky Mountainwest and the Dakotas.The cowboy adapted much of his gear to the colder conditions, and westward movement of the industry also led to intermingling of regional traditions from California to Texas, often with the cowboy taking the most useful elements of each.
Mustang-runners orMesteñeroswere cowboys andvaqueroswho caught, broke and drovemustangsto market in Mexico, and later American territories of what is now NorthernMexico,Texas,New MexicoandCalifornia. They caught the mustangs that roamed theGreat Plainsand theSan Joaquin Valleyof California, and later in theGreat Basin, from the 18th century to the early 20th century.
Large numbers ofcattlelived in asemi-feralor a completelyferalstate on theopen rangeand were left to graze, mostly untended, for much of the year. 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 distinctivebrand, applied with a hot iron, usually while the cattle were stillcalves.
In order to find young calves for branding, and to sort out mature animals intended for sale, ranchers would hold aroundup, usually in the spring.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.Once cattle were sorted, most cowboys were required to rope young calves and restrain them to be branded and (in the case of mostbullcalves)castrated. 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.Horses themselves were also rounded up. It was common practice in the west for youngfoalsto be born of tamemares, but allowed to grow up "wild" in a semi-feral state on the open range.There were also "wild" herds, often known asmustangs. Both types were rounded up, and the mature animals tamed, a process calledhorse breaking, or "bronco-busting", usually performed by cowboys who specialized ashorse trainers.In some cases, extremely brutal methods were used to tame horses, and such animals tended to never be completely reliable. Other cowboys recognized their need to treat animals in a more humane fashion and modified theirhorse trainingmethods,often re-learning techniques used by thevaqueros, particularly those of theCaliforniotradition.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 ofrodeodeveloped.
Prior to the mid-19th century, most ranchers primarily raised cattle for their own needs and to sell surplus meat and hides locally. There was also a limited market for hides, horns, hooves, andtallowin assorted manufacturing processes.While Texas contained vast herds of stray, free-ranging cattle available for free to anyone who could round them up,prior to 1865, there was little demand for beef.At the end of theAmerican Civil War,Philip Danforth Armouropened a meat packing plant inChicago, which became known asArmour and Company. With the expansion of themeat packing industry, the demand for beef increased significantly. 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.
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. 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.In 1867, a cattle shipping facility was built west of farm country around the railhead atAbilene, Kansas, and became a center of cattle shipping, loading over 36,000 head of cattle that year.The route from Texas to Abilene became known as theChisholm Trail, afterJesse Chisholm, who marked out the route. It ran through present-dayOklahoma, which then wasIndian Territory. Later, other trails forked off to different railheads, including those atDodge CityandWichita, Kansas.By 1877, the largest of the cattle-shipping boom towns, Dodge City, Kansas, shipped out 500,000 head of cattle.
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 (40 km) 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.On average, a herd could maintain a healthy weight moving about 15 miles (25 km) 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 (1,600 km) miles long.
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 preventstampedesand deter theft. The crew also included a cook, who drove achuck wagon, usually pulled byoxen, and a horsewranglerto take charge of theremuda, or herd of spare horses. 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.
Barbed wire, an innovation of the 1880s, allowed cattle to be confined to designated areas to preventovergrazingof the range. In Texas and surrounding areas, increased population required ranchers to fence off their individual lands.In the north, overgrazing stressed the open range, leading to insufficient winterforagefor 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.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 inKansasunnecessary. Hence, the age of the open range was gone and largecattle driveswere over.Smaller cattle drives continued at least into the 1940s, as ranchers, prior to the development of the moderncattle truck, still needed to herd cattle to local railheads for transport tostockyardsandpacking plants. Meanwhile, ranches multiplied all over the developing West, keeping cowboy employment high, if still low-paid, but also somewhat more settled.
American cowboys were drawn from multiple sources. By the late 1860s, following theAmerican Civil Warand 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.A significant number ofAfrican-Americanfreedmenalso were drawn to cowboy life, in part because there was not quite as much racial discrimination in theWestas in other areas of American society at the time.A significant number of Mexicans andAmerican Indiansalready living in the region also worked as cowboys.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 thewestern United Statesown cattle and small ranches, and many are still employed as cowboys, especially on ranches located nearIndian reservations. The "Indian Cowboy" is also part of therodeocircuit.
Because cowboys ranked low in thesocial structureof the period, there are no firm figures on the actual proportion of various races. 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".Censusrecords 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. Similarly, cowboys of Mexican descent also averaged about 15% of the total, but were more common in Texas and the southwest. Some estimates suggest that in the late 19th century, one out of every three cowboys was a Mexican vaquero, and 20% may have been African-American.Other estimates place the number of African-American cowboys as high as 25 percent.
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 thebunkhouse, usually abarracks-like building with a single open room.
Over time, the cowboys of theAmerican Westdeveloped a personal culture of their own, a blend offrontierandVictorianvalues that even retained vestiges ofchivalry. Such hazardous work in isolated conditions also bred a tradition of self-dependence andindividualism, with great value put on personal honesty, exemplified insongsandpoetry.The cowboy often worked in an all-male environment, particularly oncattle drives, and in the frontier west, men often significantly outnumbered women.
Some men were attracted to the frontier by other men.At times, in a region where men outnumbered women, even social events normally attended by both sexes were at times all male, and men could be found partnering up with one another for dances.Homosexualacts between young, unmarried men occurred, but cowboys culture itself was and remains deeply homophobic. Though anti-sodomy laws were common in the Old West, they often were only selectively enforced.
Heather Cox Richardsonargues for a political dimension to the original cowboy image in the 1870s and 1880s:
The traditions of the working cowboy were further etched into the minds of the general public with the development ofWild West showsin the late 19th and early 20th centuries, which showcased and romanticized the life of both cowboys andNative Americans.Beginning in the 1920s and continuing to the present day,Western filmspopularized the cowboy lifestyle but also formed persistentstereotypes. In some cases, the cowboy and the violentgunslingerare often associated with one another. On the other hand, some actors who portrayed cowboys promoted other values, such as the "cowboy code" ofGene Autry, that encouraged honorable behavior, respect and patriotism.Historian Robert K. DeArment draws a connection between the popularized Western code and the stereotypical rowdy cowboy image to that of the "subculture of violence" of drovers in Old West Texas that was influenced itself by the Southerncode duello.
Likewise, cowboys in movies were often shown fighting withAmerican Indians. Most armed conflicts occurred between Native people andcavalryunits of theU.S. Army.  Relations between cowboys and Native Americans were varied but were generally unfriendly.Native people usually allowed cattle herds to pass through for a toll of ten cents a head but raided cattle drives and ranches in times of active white-Native conflict or food shortages. In the 1860s, for example, theComanche created problemsin Western Texas.Similar attacks also occurred with theApache,CheyenneandUteIndians.Cowboys were armed against both predators and human thieves, and often used their guns to drive away people of any race who attempted torustlecattle.
In reality, working ranch hands past and present had very little time for anything other than the constant hard work involved in maintaining a ranch.
The history of women in the West, and women who worked on cattle ranches in particular, is not as well documented as is that of men. Institutions such as theNational Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Famein modern years have attempted to gather and document the contributions of women.
There are few records mentioning girls or women working to drive cattle up the cattle trails of the Old West. Women performed considerable ranch work, and in some cases (especially when the men went to war or on embarked 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 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 withWyomingin 1869.Early photographers such asEvelyn Camerondocumented the life of working ranch women during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
While impractical for everyday work, thesidesaddlewas a tool that afforded women the ability to ride horses in public settings instead of being left on foot or confined tohorse-drawn vehicles. Following theCivil War,Charles Goodnightmodified the traditional English sidesaddle, creating a western-styled design. The traditionalcharrasofMexicopreserve a similar tradition and ride sidesaddles today incharreadaexhibitions on both sides of the border.
It was not until the advent ofWild West showsthat "cowgirls" came into their own. These adult women were skilled performers, demonstrating riding, expert marksmanship and trick roping that entertained audiences around the world. Women such asAnnie Oakleybecame household names. By 1900, skirts split for riding astride became popular and allowed women to compete with men without scandalizing Victorian-era audiences by wearing men's clothing orbloomers. In the films that followed beginning in the early 20th century, the role of the cowgirl was expanded in popular culture and film set designers developed attractive clothing suitable for riding Western saddles.
Independently of the entertainment industry, the growth ofrodeobrought about the rodeo cowgirl. In the early Wild West shows and rodeos, women competed in all events, sometimes against other women, sometimes with the men. Cowgirls such asFannie Sperry Steelerode the same "rough stock" and assumed the same risks as the men (and all while wearing a heavy split skirt that was more encumbering than men's trousers) and competed at major rodeos such as theCalgary StampedeandCheyenne Frontier Days.
Rodeo competition for women changed in the 1920s as the result of several factors. After 1925, when Eastern promoters started staging indoor rodeos in places likeMadison Square Garden, women were generally excluded from the men's events and many of the women's events were dropped. Also, many in the public had difficulties with seeing women seriously injured or killed, and in particular, the death of Bonnie McCarroll at the 1929Pendleton Round-Upled to the elimination of women's bronc riding from rodeo competition.
In today's rodeos, men and women compete equally together only in the event ofteam roping, although women could now enter other open events. In all-women rodeos, women compete inbronc riding,bull ridingand all other traditional rodeo events. In open rodeos, cowgirls primarily compete in the timed riding events such asbarrel racing, and most professional rodeos do not offer as many women's events as they do men's events.
Boys and girls are more apt to compete against one another in all events in high-school rodeos as well asO-Mok-Seecompetition, where boys can be seen in events traditionally associated with women riders, such as barrel racing. Outside of the rodeo world, women compete equally with men in nearly all otherequestrianevents, including theOlympics, andWestern ridingevents such ascutting,reiningandendurance riding.
Today's working cowgirls generally use clothing, tools and equipment indistinguishable from those 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 specialtyhorse-showclasses. A modern working 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.
Geography, climate and cultural traditions caused differences to develop in cattle-handling methods and equipment from one part of the United States to another. The period between 1840 and 1870 marked a mingling of cultures when English and French-descended people began to settle west of the Mississippi River and encountered the Spanish-descended people who had settled in the parts of Mexico that later became Texas and California.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. Less well-known but equally distinct traditions also developed inHawaiiandFlorida. Today, the various regional cowboytraditionshave 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 purevaqueroor "buckaroo" tradition. The popular "horse whisperer" style ofnatural horsemanshipwas 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.
The vaquero, the Spanish or Mexican cowboy who worked with young, untrained horses, arrived in the 18th century and flourished inAlta Californiaand bordering territories during theSpanish Colonial period.Settlers from the United States did not enter California in significant numbers until after theMexican–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. The modern distinction betweenvaqueroandbuckaroowithin American English may also reflect the parallel differences between the California and Texas traditions of western horsemanship.
Some cowboys of the California tradition were dubbedbuckaroosby English-speaking settlers. The words "buckaroo" andvaqueroare still used on occasion in theGreat Basin, parts of California and, less often, in thePacific Northwest. Elsewhere, the term "cowboy" is more common.
The wordbuckaroois generally believed to be an anglicized version ofvaqueroand shows phonological characteristics compatible with that origin.Buckaroofirst appeared in American English in 1827.The word may also have developed with influences from the English word "buck" orbucking, the behavior of young, untrained horses.In 1960, one etymologist suggested thatbuckarooderives, throughGullah:buckra, from theIbibioandEfik:mbakara, meaning "white man, master, boss".Although that derivation was later rejected, another possibility advanced was that "buckaroo" was apunonvaquero, blending both Spanish and African sources.
In the 18th century, people inSpanish Texasbegan to herd cattle on horseback to sell in Louisiana, both legally and illegally.By the early 19th century, the Spanish Crown, and later, independentMexico, offeredempresariograntsin what would later beTexasto non-citizens, such as settlers from the United States. In 1821,Stephen F. Austinled a group which became the first English-speaking Mexican citizens.FollowingTexas independencein 1836, even more Americans immigrated into theempresarioranching areas of Texas. Here the settlers were strongly influenced by the Mexicanvaqueroculture, borrowingvocabularyandattirefrom their counterparts,but also retaining some of the livestock-handling traditions and culture of the Eastern United States andGreat Britain. The Texas cowboy was typically a bachelor who hired on with different outfits from season to season.
Following theAmerican Civil War, vaqueroculturecombined with the cattle herding and drover traditions of the southeastern United States that evolved as settlers moved west. Additional influences developed out of Texas as cattle trails were created to meet up with therailroadlines ofKansasandNebraska, in addition to expanding ranching opportunities in theGreat PlainsandRocky Mountain Front, east of theContinental Divide.The new settlers required more horses, to be trained faster, and brought a bigger and heavier horse with them.  This led to modifications in the bridling and bitting traditions used by the vaquero.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 longcattle drivesto get animals to market.
HistorianTerry Jordanproposed in 1982 that some Texan traditions that developed—particularly after the Civil War—may trace to colonial South Carolina, as most settlers to Texas were from the southeastern United States.These theories have been questioned by some reviewers.In a subsequent work, Jordan also noted that the influence of post-War Texas upon the whole of the frontier Western cowboy tradition was likely much less than previously thought.
The Florida "cowhunter" or "crackercowboy" of the 19th and early 20th centuries was distinct from the Texas and California traditions. Florida cowboys did not uselassosto herd or capture cattle. Their primary tools werebullwhipsand dogs. Since the Florida cowhunter did not need a saddle horn for anchoring alariat, many did not useWestern saddles, instead using aMcClellan saddle. While some individuals wore boots that reached above the knees for protection fromsnakes, others worebrogans. They usually wore inexpensive wool or straw hats, and usedponchosfor protection from rain.
Cattle and horses were introduced into Spanish Florida in the 16th century,andflourishedthroughout the 17th century.The cattle introduced by the Spanish persist today in two rare breeds:Florida Cracker cattleandPineywoods cattle.TheFlorida Cracker Horse, which is still used by some Florida cowboys, is descended from horses introduced by the Spanish.From shortly after 1565 until the end of the 17th century,cattle ranchesowned bySpanishofficials andmissionsoperated in northern Florida to supply the Spanish garrison inSt. Augustineand markets inCuba. Raids into Spanish Florida by theProvince of Carolinaand its Native American allies, which wiped out the native population of Florida, led to the collapse of the Spanish mission and ranching systems.
In the 18th century,Creek,Seminole, and other Indian people moved into the depopulated areas of Florida and started herding the cattle left from the Spanish ranches. 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 theConfederacyduring theAmerican Civil Warthat a unit ofCow Cavalrywas organized to round up and protect the herds fromUnionraiders.After the Civil War, and into the 20th Century, Florida cattle were periodically driven to ports on theGulf of Mexico, such asPunta RassanearFort Myers, Florida, and shipped to market inCuba.
The Florida cowhunter or cracker cowboy tradition gradually assimilated to western cowboy tradition during the 20th century.Texas tick feverand thescrew-wormwere introduced to Florida in the early 20th century by cattle entering from other states. These pests forced Florida cattlemen to separate individual animals from their herds at frequent intervals for treatment, which eventually led to the widespread use of lassos. Florida cowboys continue to use dogs and bullwhips for controlling cattle.
TheHawaiiancowboy, thepaniolo, is also a direct descendant of thevaqueroof California and Mexico. Experts in Hawaiian etymology believe "Paniolo" is a Hawaiianized pronunciation ofespañol. (TheHawaiian languagehas no /s/ sound, and allsyllablesand words must end in a vowel.) Paniolo, like cowboys on the mainland of North America, learned their skills from Mexicanvaqueros.Other theories of word origin suggestPaniolowas derived frompañuelo(Spanish for handkerchief) or possibly from a Hawai'ian language word meaning "hold firmly and sway gracefully".
CaptainGeorge Vancouverbrought cattle and sheep in 1793 as a gift toKamehameha I, monarch of the Hawaiian Kingdom. For ten years, Kamehameha forbade killing of cattle, and imposed the death penalty on anyone who violated his edict.  As a result, numbers  multiplied astonishingly, and were wreaking havoc throughout the countryside. By the reign ofKamehameha IIIthe number of wild cattle were becoming a problem, so in 1832 he sent an emissary to California, then still a part of Mexico. He was impressed with the skill of the vaqueros, and invited three to Hawai'i  to teach the Hawaiian people how to work cattle.
The first horses arrived in Hawai'i in 1803. By 1837 John Parker, a sailor from New England who settled in the islands, received permission from Kamehameha III to lease royal land near Mauna Kea, where he built a ranch.
The Hawaiian style of ranching originally included capturingwild cattleby 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 (orox) that knew where thepaddockwith food and water was located. The industry grew slowly under the reign of Kamehameha's son Liholiho (Kamehameha II).
Even today, traditional paniolo dress, as well as certain styles of Hawaiian formal attire, reflect the Spanish heritage of the vaquero.The traditional Hawaiian saddle, thenoho lio,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.
On theEastern Shore of Virginia, the "Salt Water Cowboys" are known for rounding up theferalChincoteague PoniesfromAssateague Islandand driving them acrossAssateague Channelinto pens onChincoteague Islandduring the annualPony Penning.
Ranching in Canada has traditionally been dominated by the province ofAlberta. The most successful early settlers of the province were the ranchers, who found Alberta'sfoothillsto be ideal for raising cattle. Most of Alberta's ranchers wereEnglishsettlers, but cowboys such asJohn Ware—who brought the first cattle into the province in 1876—were American.American style open range dryland ranching began to dominatesouthern Alberta(and, to a lesser extent, southwesternSaskatchewan) by the 1880s. The nearby city ofCalgarybecame the centre of the Canadian cattle industry, earning it the nickname "Cowtown". The cattle industry is still extremely important to Alberta, and cattle outnumber people in the province. 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, theRaymond Stampede, was established in 1902. In 1912, theCalgary Stampedebegan, and today it is the world's richest cash rodeo. Each year, Calgary's northern rivalEdmonton, Alberta stages theCanadian Finals Rodeo, and dozens of regional rodeos are held through the province.British Columbiaalso has a significant ranching history and cowboy culture in the interior, and has been home to theWilliams LakeStampede since 1920.
The necessity forhorse riderswho guard herds of cattle, sheep or horses is common wherever wide, open land for grazing exists. In the FrenchCamargue, riders called "gardians" herd cattle and horses. InHungary,csikósguard horses andgulyástend to cattle. The herders in the region ofMaremma, inTuscany(Italy) are calledbutteri(singular:buttero). TheAsturianpastoral population is referred to asvaqueiros de alzada.
The Spanish exported their horsemanship and knowledge of cattle ranching not only to North America, but also to South America, where traditions developed such as thegauchoofArgentina,Uruguay,Paraguayand (with the spellinggaúcho) southernBrazil,thechalánandMorochucoinPeru, thellaneroofVenezuela, and thehuasoofChile.
InAustralia, where ranches are known asstations, cowboys are known asstockmenand ringers, (jackaroosandjillarooswho also do stockwork are trainee overseers and property managers).The Australian droving tradition was influenced by Americans in the 19th century, and as well as practices imported directly from Spain. The adaptation of both of these traditions to local needs created a unique Australian tradition, which also was strongly influenced byAustralian indigenous people, whose knowledge played a key role in the success of cattle ranching in Australia's climate.
On the ranch, the cowboy is responsible for feeding the livestock,brandingand earmarking cattle (horses also are branded on many ranches), plus tending to animal injuries and other needs. 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 ofpredation, 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" orranch, theterrain, and the number of livestock. 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 whotrain horsesoften specialize in this task only, and some may"Break"or train young horses for more than one ranch.
TheUnited States Bureau of Labor Statisticscollects no figures for “cowboys”per se, and the definition is broad, encompassing ranch hands to rodeo performers, so the exact number of working cowboys is unknown. Working cowboys or ranch hands  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 atrodeos, the category includes farmhands working with other types of livestock (sheep,goats,hogs,chickens, etc.). Of those 9,730 workers, 3,290 are listed in the subcategory ofSpectator sportswhich includes rodeos,circuses, and theaters needing livestock handlers.
Most cowboy attire, sometimes termedWestern wear, grew out of practical need and the environment in which the cowboy worked. Most items were adapted from the Mexicanvaqueros, though sources from other cultures, includingNative Americansandmountain mencontributed.
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.
The traditional means of transport for the cowboy, even in the modern era, is byhorseback.Horsescan travel over terrain that vehicles cannot access. Horses, along withmulesandburros, also serve aspack animals. 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 asropingorcuttingare very rarely used on ranches. Because the rider often needs to keep one hand free while working cattle, the horse mustneck reinand have goodcow sense—it must instinctively know how to anticipate and react to cattle.
A goodstock horseis on the small side, generally under 15.2hands(62 inches) tall at thewithersand often under 1000 pounds, with a short back, sturdy legs and strong muscling, particularly in the hindquarters. While asteer ropinghorse may need to be larger and weigh more in order to hold a heavy adultcow,bullorsteeron a rope, a smaller, quick horse is needed for herding activities such ascuttingorcalf roping. 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 theAmerican Quarter Horse, which is ahorse breeddeveloped primarily inTexasfrom a combination ofThoroughbredbloodstock crossed on horses ofmustangand otherIberian horseancestry, with influences from theArabian horseand horses developed on the east coast, such as theMorgan horseand now-extinctbreeds such as the Chickasaw and Virginia Quarter-Miler.
Equipment used to ride a horse is referred to astackand includes:
The most common motorized vehicle driven in modern ranch work is thepickup truck. Sturdy and roomy, with a high ground clearance, and oftenfour-wheel drivecapability, it has an open box, called a "bed", and can haul supplies from town or over rough trails on the ranch. It is used to pull stock trailers transporting cattle and livestock from one area to another and to market. With ahorse trailerattached, it carries horses to distant areas where they may be needed. Motorcycles are sometimes used instead of horses for some tasks, but the most common smaller vehicle is thefour-wheeler. It will carry a single cowboy quickly around the ranch for small chores. In areas with heavy snowfall,snowmobilesare also common. Some jobs remain, particularly working cattle in rough terrain or close quarters, that are best performed by cowboys on horseback.
The wordrodeois from the Spanishrodear(to turn), which meansroundup. In the beginning there was no difference between the working cowboy and therodeocowboy, and in fact, the termworking cowboydid not come into use until the 1950s. 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.
The advent of professional rodeos allowed cowboys, like manyathletes, to earn a living by performing their skills before an audience. Rodeos also providedemploymentfor many working cowboys who were needed to handle livestock. Many rodeo cowboys are also working cowboys and most have working cowboy experience.
The dress of the rodeo cowboy is not very different from that of the working cowboy on his way to town. Snaps, used in lieu of buttons on the cowboy's shirt, allowed the cowboy to escape from a shirt snagged by the horns ofsteerorbull. 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 assaddle broncorbull ridingmay add safety equipment such askevlarvests or a neck brace, but use ofsafety helmetsin lieu of thecowboy hatis yet to be accepted, in spite of constant risk of injury.
As the frontier ended, the cowboy life came to be highly romanticized. Exhibitions such as those ofBuffalo Bill Cody's Wild West Show helped to popularize the image of the cowboy as an idealized representative of the tradition ofchivalry.
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 ofranchwork and cattle-tending. The cowboy is also portrayed as a masculine ideal via images ranging from theMarlboro Manto theVillage People. Actors such asJohn Wayneare thought of as exemplifying a cowboy ideal, even thoughwestern moviesseldom bear much resemblance to real cowboy life. Arguably, the modernrodeocompetitor 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.
In the United States, the Canadian West andAustralia,guest ranchesoffer people the opportunity to ride horses and get a taste of the western life—albeit in far greater comfort. Some ranches also offer vacationers the opportunity to actually perform cowboy tasks by participating in cattle drives or accompanyingwagon trains. This type ofvacationwas popularized by the 1991 movieCity Slickers, starringBilly Crystal.
In 2005, theUnited States Senatedeclared the fourth Saturday of July as "National Day of the American Cowboy" via a Senate resolution and has subsequently renewed this resolution each year, with theUnited States House of Representativesperiodically issuing statements of support.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 wearWestern wearas part of their persona. Many other people, particularly in the West, including lawyers, bankers, and otherwhite collarprofessionals wear elements of Western clothing, particularlycowboy bootsor hats, as a matter of form even though they have other jobs. 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 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 does not actually sit upon anything but the stool of thedrugstoresoda fountain—or, in modern times, abar stool. Similarly, 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 has become anarchetypalimage of Americans abroad.In the late 1950s, aCongoleseyouth subculture calling themselves theBillsbased their style and outlook onHollywood's depiction of cowboys in movies.Something similar occurred with the term "Apache", which in early 20th centuryParisiansociety was a slang term for an outlaw.
The word "cowboy" is sometimes used pejoratively. Originally this derived from the behavior of some cowboys in the boomtowns of Kansas, at the end of the trail for long cattle drives, where cowboys developed a reputation for violence and wild behavior due to the inevitable impact of large numbers of cowboys, mostly young single men, receiving their pay in large lump sums upon arriving in communities with many drinking and gambling establishments.
"Cowboy" as an adjective for "reckless" developed in the 1920s."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.Timemagazine referred to PresidentGeorge W. Bush's foreign policy as "Cowboy diplomacy",and Bush has been described in the press, particularly in Europe, as a "cowboy", not realizing that this was not a compliment.
In English-speaking regions outside North America, such as theBritish IslesandAustralasia, "cowboy" can refer to atradesmanwhose work is of shoddy and questionable value, e.g., "a cowboyplumber".The term also lent itself to the British 1980s TV sitcom,Cowboys. 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 afast or careless driveron the highway.