Editing Cowboy

{{short description|Traditional ranch worker in North America}}
{{Redirect|Ranch hand|other uses|Cowboy (disambiguation)|and|Ranch hand (disambiguation)}}
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[[File:HerdQuit.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|Cowboys portrayed in Western art. ''The Herd Quitter'' by [[Charles Marion Russell|C. M. Russell]]]]
A '''cowboy''' is an animal [[herder]] who tends [[cattle]] on [[ranch]]es in [[North America]], traditionally on [[horse]]back, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the ''[[vaquero]]'' traditions of northern [[Mexico]] and became a figure of special significance and legend.<ref name="Malone1">Malone, J., p. 1.</ref> A subtype, called a [[Wrangler (profession)|wrangler]], specifically tends the [[horse]]s used to work cattle. In addition to ranch work, some cowboys work for or participate in [[rodeo]]s. '''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.<ref name="Cowgirl Hall of Fame website">{{cite web |title=Home Page |url=http://www.cowgirl.net/ |website=Cowgirl Hall of Fame & Museum |access-date=July 23, 2019}}</ref> Cattle handlers in many other parts of the world, particularly [[South America]] and [[Australia]], perform work similar to the cowboy.

The cowboy has deep historic roots tracing back to [[Spain]] and the earliest European [[Settlement of the Americas|settlers 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.

==Etymology and mainstream usage==
[[File:The Cow Boy 1888.jpg|thumb|American cowboy, 1887]]
[[File:King of the Plains.jpg|thumb|upright|"King of the Plains" postcard, 1898–1924]]
The English word ''cowboy'' has an origin from several earlier terms that referred to both age and to cattle or cattle-tending work.

The English word ''cowboy'' was derived from ''vaquero'', a Spanish word for an individual who managed cattle while mounted on horseback.  ''Vaquero'' was derived from ''vaca'', meaning "cow",<ref>{{cite web |last1=Asale |first1=Rae |title=vaca |url=https://dle.rae.es/ |website=«Diccionario de la lengua española» – Edición del Tricentenario |access-date=July 28, 2019 |language=es}}</ref> which came from the [[Latin]] word ''vacca''. "Cowboy" was first used in print by [[Jonathan Swift]] in 1725, and was used in the British Isles from 1820 to 1850 to describe young boys who tended the family or community cows.<ref>{{cite web |title=On the History of the Word "Cowboy" |url=http://longstreet.typepad.com/thesciencebookstore/2012/01/on-the-history-of-the-word-cowboy.html |website=JF Ptak Science Books |access-date=July 23, 2019}}</ref><ref name="cowboy">{{cite web |title=Definition of cowboy |url=http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/cowboy |website=Dictionary.com |publisher=[[Dictionary.com]]|access-date=July 23, 2019 |language=en}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Definition of cowherd |url=http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/cowherd |website=Dictionary.com |access-date=July 23, 2019}}</ref>

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.<ref name="Etymology-cow">{{cite web |title=cowboy |url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=cowboy&searchmode=nl |work=[[Online Etymology Dictionary]] |access-date=July 23, 2019}}</ref> Names for a cowboy in American English include ''buckaroo'', ''cowpoke'', ''cowhand'', and ''cowpuncher''.<ref name=Vernam294>Vernam, p. 294.</ref> Another English word for a cowboy, ''buckaroo'', is an [[Anglicisation|anglicization]] of ''vaquero'' ({{IPA|es|baˈkeɾo}}).<ref>{{cite journal |last1= Cassidy |first1= F.G. |last2= Hill |first2= A.A. |year=1979 |title= Buckaroo Once More |journal= American Speech |volume= 54 |issue= 2 |pages= 151–153 |doi= 10.2307/455216 |jstor= 455216 }}</ref>

Today, "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.<ref>Draper, p. 121.</ref>

[[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. In [[ancient history|antiquity]], herding of sheep, cattle and goats was often the job of minors, and still is a task for young people in various [[Developing country|Developing World]] cultures.

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 a [[ranch]] environment 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.<ref>{{cite web|author=Amanda Radke |url=http://beefmagazine.com/blog/value-growing-agriculture |title=The Value Of Growing Up In Agriculture |work=Beef Daily |date=2012-05-16 |access-date=2013-02-28}}</ref>

===Other historic word uses===
"Cowboy" was used during the [[American Revolution]] to describe American fighters who opposed the movement for independence.  [[Claudius Smith]], an outlaw identified with the [[Loyalist (American Revolution)|Loyalist]] cause, 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Wanted: Claudius Smith |url=http://www.northjerseyhistory.org/history/smith/claudius.htm |website=North Jersey Highlands Historical Society |access-date=July 23, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081228100042/http://www.northjerseyhistory.org/history/smith/claudius.htm |archive-date=December 28, 2008}}</ref> In the same period, a number of [[Guerrilla warfare|guerrilla]] bands operated in [[Westchester 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.<ref name=HoranSann>''Pictorial History of the Wild West'' by James D. Horan and Paul Sann, {{ISBN|0-600-03103-9}}, {{ISBN|978-0-600-03103-1}}.</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Results for: cowboy |url=http://www.answers.com/topic/cowboy |website=Answers.com |access-date=July 11, 2019}}</ref>

In the [[Tombstone, Arizona]], area during the 1880s, the term "cowboy" or "cow-boy" was used pejoratively to describe men who had been implicated in various crimes.<ref name=linder2005/> One loosely organized band was dubbed "[[Cochise County Cowboys|The Cowboys]]", and profited from smuggling cattle, alcohol, and tobacco across the U.S.–Mexico border.<ref name="stone">{{cite web|url=http://www.discoverseaz.com/History/TStone.html|title=History of Old Tombstone|access-date=2011-02-07|publisher=Discover Southeast Arizona}}</ref><ref name="skeleton">{{cite web|url=http://www.ghosttowns.com/states/az/skeletoncanyon.html|title=Skeleton Canyon |access-date=2011-02-07|publisher=Ghost Towns}}</ref> ''[[The San Francisco Examiner]]'' wrote in an editorial, "Cowboys [are] the most reckless class of outlaws in that wild country&nbsp;... infinitely worse than the ordinary robber."<ref name=linder2005>{{cite web |url=http://www.law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/earp/earpaccount.html |first=Douglas O. |last=Linder |year=2005 |title=The Earp-Holliday Trial: An Account |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160205102621/http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/earp/earpaccount.html |archive-date=2016-02-05 }}</ref> 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.<ref name="stone"/> Other [[synonym]]s for cowboy were ranch hand, range hand or trail hand, although duties and pay were not entirely identical.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3Pej4eIprCYC&dq=140&pg=PA140 |publisher=University of Oklahoma Press (Norman) |edition=4 |page=140 |date=1977 |access-date=2022-10-26|isbn=0806114282 |last=Haley |first=James Evetts |title=The XIT Ranch of Texas and the Early Days of the Llano Estacado }}</ref> The Cowboys' activities were ultimately curtailed by the [[Gunfight at the O.K. Corral]] and the resulting [[Earp Vendetta Ride]].<ref name=linder2005/>

==History==
The origins of the cowboy tradition come from [[Spain]], beginning with the [[hacienda]] system of [[medieval Spain]]. This style of cattle [[ranch]]ing spread throughout much of the [[Iberian peninsula]], and later was imported to the [[Americas]]. Both regions possessed a dry climate with sparse grass, thus large herds of cattle required vast amounts of land to obtain sufficient [[forage]]. The need to cover distances greater than a person on foot could manage gave rise to the development of the horseback-mounted ''vaquero''.

===Spanish roots===
[[File:Dragon de cuera.jpg|thumb|18th-century [[soldado de cuera]] in colonial Mexico]]
Various aspects of the Spanish [[equestrianism|equestrian]] tradition can be traced back to [[Al-Andalus|Islamic rule in Spain]], including [[Moors|Moorish]] elements such as the use of [[oriental horse|Oriental-type horses]], the ''[[Jinete|la jineta]]'' riding style characterized by a shorter [[stirrup]], solid-treed [[saddle]] and use of [[spur]]s,<!--need further research on bit question--><ref name=Ceyhan/> the heavy [[noseband]] or [[hackamore]],<ref name="Bennett54"/> (Arabic ''šakīma'', Spanish ''jaquima'')<ref>{{cite web |title=Definition of hackamore |url=http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hackamore |website=Dictionary.com |access-date=July 27, 2019 |language=en}}</ref> and other horse-related equipment and techniques.<ref name=Ceyhan>{{Cite journal|title=Riding the Horse, Writing the Cultural Myth: The European Knight and the American Cowboy as Equestrian Heroes|author=Metin Boşnak, Cem Ceyhan|journal=Turkish Journal of International Relations|volume=2|issue=1|date=Fall 2003|pages=157–81}}</ref><ref name="Bennett54">Bennett, pp. 54–55</ref> Certain aspects of the Arabic tradition, such as the hackamore, can in turn be traced to roots in [[ancient Persia]].<ref name="Bennett54"/>

During the 16th century, the [[Conquistadors]] and other Spanish settlers brought their cattle-raising traditions as well as both [[horse]]s and domesticated [[cattle]] to the [[Americas]], starting with their arrival in what today is [[Mexico]] and [[Florida]].<ref name=Vernam190>Vernam, p. 190.</ref> 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]]. In turn, the land and people of the Americas also saw dramatic changes due to Spanish influence.

The arrival of horses was particularly significant, as [[equine]]s had been [[extinct]] in the Americas since the end of the prehistoric [[ice 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 of [[Andalusian horse|Andalusian]], [[Barb (horse)|Barb]] and [[Arabian horse|Arabian]] ancestry,<ref name=Denhardt20>Denhardt, p. 20.</ref> but a number of uniquely American [[list of horse breeds|horse breeds]] developed in North and South America through selective breeding and by [[natural selection]] of animals that escaped to the wild. The [[Mustang (horse)|mustang]] and other [[Colonial Spanish Horse|colonial horse breeds]] are now called "wild", but in reality are [[feral horse]]s—descendants of domesticated animals.

===Vaqueros===
{{main|Vaquero}}
[[File:Vaqueros.jpg|thumb|Vaqueros in California, circa 1830s]]

Though popularly considered [[The Americas|American]], the traditional cowboy began with the Spanish 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. While most ''hacendados'' (ranch owners) were ethnically [[Spanish people|Spanish]] ''[[Criollo people|criollos]]'',<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mPoqfoiIp4sC&pg=PA379 |publisher=Wadsworth Publishing |edition=5 |page=379 |date=2007-11-30 |access-date=2013-02-28|isbn=9780495501831 |last1=Adler |first1=Philip |last2=Pouwels |first2=Randall |title=World Civilizations }}</ref> many early ''vaqueros'' were [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]] trained to work for the Spanish missions in caring for the mission herds.<ref name=Vaqueros>{{cite web|url=http://west.stanford.edu/cgi-bin/pager.php?id=14 |title=Vaqueros |access-date=2010-10-11 |author=Exploring the West |publisher=Stanford University |year=2000 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100818221801/http://west.stanford.edu/cgi-bin/pager.php?id=14 |archive-date=August 18, 2010 }}</ref> ''Vaqueros'' went north with livestock. In 1598, [[Don Juan de Oñate]] sent an expedition across the [[Rio Grande]] into New Mexico, bringing along 7000 head of cattle. From this beginning, ''vaqueros'' drove cattle from New Mexico and later Texas to Mexico City.<ref name="Geographic">{{cite web |last1=Haeber |first1=Jonathan |title=Vaqueros: The First Cowboys of the Open Range |url=http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/08/0814_030815_cowboys.html |website=National Geographic News |access-date=July 27, 2019 |date=August 15, 2003}}</ref> Mexican traditions spread both South and North, influencing equestrian traditions from Argentina to Canada.{{citation needed|date=November 2021}}

===American development===
As [[English language|English]]-speaking traders and settlers [[Territorial acquisitions of the United States|expanded westward]], English and Spanish traditions, language and culture merged to some degree. 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 [[ranch]]es. American traders along what later became known as the [[Santa Fe Trail]] had similar contacts with ''vaquero'' life. 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".<ref>Malone J., p. 3.</ref>

The arrival of English-speaking settlers in Texas began in 1821.<ref name=Geographic /> [[Rip Ford]] described the country between [[Laredo, Texas|Laredo]] and [[Corpus Christi, Texas|Corpus Christi]] as inhabited by "countless droves of mustangs and&nbsp;... wild cattle&nbsp;... abandoned by Mexicans when they were ordered to evacuate the country between the [[Nueces River|Nueces]] and the [[Rio Grande]] by General [[Valentin Canalizo]]&nbsp;... the horses and cattle abandoned invited the raids the [[Texians]] made upon this territory."<ref name=Ford>Ford, J.S., 1963, ''Rip Ford's Texas''. Austin: University of Texas Press, page 143. {{ISBN|0-292-77034-0}}</ref> California, on the other hand, did not see a large influx of settlers from the United States until after the [[Mexican–American War]]. In slightly different ways, both areas contributed to the evolution of the iconic American cowboy. Particularly with the arrival of [[railroad]]s and an increased demand for [[beef]] in the wake of the [[American Civil War]], older traditions combined with the need to [[cattle drive|drive cattle]] from the ranches where they were raised to the nearest [[railhead]]s, often hundreds of miles away.<ref name="Malone1" />

[[Black cowboys]] in 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.<ref name="Porter">{{cite book|last1=Porter|first1=Kenneth|title=Peoples of Color in the American West |date=1994 |publisher=Heath|location=Lexington, Mass. [u.a.]|isbn=0669279137|pages=[https://archive.org/details/peoplesofcolorin0000unse/page/158 158–167]|edition=[Nachdr.]|chapter=African Americans in the Cattle Industry, 1860s–1880s|chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/peoplesofcolorin0000unse/page/158}}</ref><ref name="JBHE">{{cite journal|title=Deadwood Dick and the Black Cowboys|journal=The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education|date=1998|issue=22|pages=30|doi=10.2307/2998819|jstor=3650843}}</ref> Typically former [[Slavery in the United States|slaves]] or children of former slaves, many black men had skills in cattle handling and headed West at the end of the Civil War.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Goldstein-Shirley|first1=David|title=Black Cowboys in the American West: An Historiographical Review|journal=Ethnic Studies Review|date=30 April 1997|volume=6|issue=20|page=30|issn=1555-1881}}</ref>

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 the [[Rocky Mountain]] west and the Dakotas.<ref name="MaloneJ76">Malone, J., p. 76.</ref> 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 or ''Mesteñeros'' were cowboys and [[vaqueros]] who caught, broke and drove [[Mustang horse|mustangs]] to market in Mexico, and later American territories of what is now Northern [[Mexico]], [[Texas]], [[New Mexico]] and [[California]]. They caught the mustangs that roamed the [[Great Plains]] and the [[San Joaquin Valley]] of California, and later in the [[Great Basin]], from the 18th century to the early 20th century.<ref>C. Allan Jones, '''Texas roots: agriculture and rural life before the Civil War''', Texas A&M University Press, 2005, pp. 74–75</ref><ref>Frank Forrest Latta, Joaquín Murrieta and His Horse Gangs, Bear State Books, Santa Cruz, 1980, p.84</ref>

[[File:Colorado. Round up on the Cimarron.jpg|thumb|An 1898 [[photochrom]] of a round-up in [[Colorado]]]]

Large numbers of [[cattle]] lived in a [[semi-feral]] or a completely [[feral]] state on the [[open range]] and 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 distinctive [[livestock branding|brand]], applied with a hot iron, usually while the cattle were still [[calf (animal)|calves]].<ref>Malone, p. 10.</ref>

In order to find young calves for branding, and to sort out mature animals intended for sale, ranchers would hold a [[muster (livestock)|roundup]], usually in the spring.<ref>Malone, J., p. 11.</ref> 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 (sport)|cutting]]" horses, trained to follow the movements of cattle, capable of stopping and turning faster than other horses.<ref>Malone, J., p. 13.</ref> 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) [[Castration#Animals|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.<ref>Malone, J., p. 22.</ref> Horses themselves were also rounded up. It was common practice in the west for young [[foal]]s to be born of tame [[mare (horse)|mares]], but allowed to grow up "wild" in a semi-feral state on the open range.<ref>Malone, J., p. 19.</ref> There were also "wild" herds, often known as [[mustang]]s. Both types were rounded up, and the mature animals tamed, a process called [[horse breaking]], or "[[bronco]]-busting", usually performed by cowboys who specialized as [[horse trainer]]s.<ref>Malone, p. 18.</ref> 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 their [[horse training]] methods,<ref>Malone, J., p. 21.</ref> often re-learning techniques used by the ''vaqueros'', particularly those of the ''Californio'' tradition.<ref>Connell, Ed (1952) ''Hackamore Reinsman''. The Longhorn Press, Cisco, Texas. Fifth Printing, August, 1958.</ref> 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.<ref>Malone, J., p. 37.</ref>

===Cattle drives===
{{Main|Cattle drives in the United States}}
{{See also|Cattle towns}}
[[File:Cattle Roundup, Great Falls, MT, Geo B Bonnell, c1890.jpg|thumb|Cattle roundup near [[Great Falls, Montana]], circa 1890]]
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, and [[tallow]] in assorted manufacturing processes.<ref name=Malone5>Malone, J., p. 5.</ref> While Texas contained vast herds of stray, free-ranging cattle available for free to anyone who could round them up,<ref name=Geographic/> prior to 1865, there was little demand for beef.<ref name=Malone5/> At the end of the [[American Civil War]], [[Philip Danforth Armour]] opened a meat packing plant in [[Chicago]], which became known as [[Armour and Company]]. With the expansion of the [[meat 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.<ref>Malone, J., p. 6.</ref>

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.<ref>Malone, J., pp. 38–39.</ref> 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.<ref>Malone, p. 40.</ref> The route from Texas to Abilene became known as the [[Chisholm Trail]], after [[Jesse Chisholm]], who marked out the route. It ran through present-day [[Oklahoma]], which then was [[Indian Territory]]. Later, other trails forked off to different railheads, including those at [[Dodge City, Kansas|Dodge City]] and [[Wichita, Kansas]].<ref name="Malone, J., p. 42">Malone, J., p. 42.</ref> By 1877, the largest of the cattle-shipping boom towns, Dodge City, Kansas, shipped out 500,000 head of cattle.<ref>Malone, J., p. 70.</ref>

Cattle drives had to strike a balance between speed and the weight of the cattle. While cattle could be driven as far as {{convert|25|mi|km|sigfig=2}} 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.<ref>Malone, J., pp. 46–47.</ref> On average, a herd could maintain a healthy weight moving about {{convert|15|mi|km|round=5}} 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 {{convert|1000|mi|km}} miles long.<ref>Malone, J., p. 52.</ref>

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 [[stampede]]s and deter theft. The crew also included a cook, who drove a [[chuck wagon]], usually pulled by [[oxen]], and a horse [[Wrangler (profession)|wrangler]] to take charge of the ''[[remuda]]'', 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.<ref>Malone, J., pp. 48–50.</ref>

===End of the open range===
{{See also|Open range}}
[[File:Chinook2.gif|thumb|''Waiting for a Chinook'', by [[Charles Marion Russell|C.M. Russell]]. Overgrazing and harsh winters were factors that brought an end to the age 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. In Texas and surrounding areas, increased population required ranchers to fence off their individual lands.<ref name="MaloneJ76"/> 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.<ref name="Malone79">Malone, J., p. 79.</ref> 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. Hence, the age of the open range was gone and large [[Cattle drives in the United States|cattle drives]] were over.<ref name="Malone79"/> 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 [[feedlot|stockyards]] and [[Meat packing industry|packing plants]]. Meanwhile, ranches multiplied all over the developing West, keeping cowboy employment high, if still low-paid, but also somewhat more settled.<ref>Malone, M., et al. (page number needed)</ref>

==Culture==

===Ethnicity===
[[File:Indian students branding cattle.png|thumb|Southern Cheyenne and Arapaho youths learning to brand cattle at the Seger Indian School, Oklahoma Territory, ca. 1900]]
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.<ref>Malone, J., p. 7.</ref> A significant number of [[African-American]] [[freedmen]] also were drawn to cowboy life, in part because there was not quite as much racial discrimination in the [[Western United States|West]] as in other areas of American society at the time.<ref>Malone, J., p. 8.</ref> A significant number of Mexicans and [[American Indians in the United States|American Indians]] already living in the region also worked as cowboys.<ref name="Malone48">Malone, J., p. 48.</ref> 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 reservation]]s. The "Indian Cowboy" is also part of the [[rodeo]] circuit.

Because cowboys ranked low in the [[social structure]] of 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".<ref>Ambulo, John. "The Cattle on a Thousand Hills" ''The Overland Monthly'' March 1887.</ref> [[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. 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.<ref name=Geographic/> Other estimates place the number of African-American cowboys as high as 25 percent.<ref name="Nodjimbadem">{{cite web |last1=Nodjimbadem |first1=Katie |title=The Lesser-Known History of African-American Cowboys |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/lesser-known-history-african-american-cowboys-180962144/ |website=Smithsonian |access-date=6 July 2019 |language=en |date=February 13, 2017}}</ref>

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.<ref>Malone, J., p. 27.</ref>

[[File:Cowboys Shooting Craps (NYPL b12647398-68227).tiff|thumb|Cowboys playing a [[craps]] game]]

===Social world===
Over time, the cowboys of the [[American West]] developed a personal culture of their own, a blend of [[frontier]] and [[Victorian era|Victorian]] values that even retained vestiges of [[chivalry]]. Such hazardous work in isolated conditions also bred a tradition of self-dependence and [[individualism]], with great value put on personal honesty, exemplified in [[List of famous Cowboy songs|songs]] and [[cowboy poetry|poetry]].<ref name=CattleKings241>Atherton, Lewis ''The Cattle Kings'', Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press 1961 {{ISBN|0-8032-5759-7}} pp. 241–262.</ref> The cowboy often worked in an all-male environment, particularly on [[Cattle drives in the United States|cattle drives]], and in the frontier west, men often significantly outnumbered women.<ref name=Wilke/>

Some men were attracted to the frontier by other men.<ref>John D'Emilio and Estelle Freedman; ''Intimate Matters: A History of Sexuality in America''; {{ISBN|9780226923802}} Page needed.</ref> 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.<ref name=Wilke>Wilke, Jim. "Frontier Comrades: homosexuality in the America West". pp. 164–172; ''Out In All Directions: The Almanac of Gay and Lesbian America''; Edited by Lynn Witt, Sherry Thomas and Eric Marcus; New York: Warner Books; 1995; p. 635 {{ISBN|9780756775520}}</ref> [[Homosexual]] acts 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.<ref>Garceau, Dee. "Nomads, Bunkies, Cross-dressers, and Family Men: cowboy identity and the gendering of ranch work". p. 149–168; ''Across the Great Divide: Cultures of Manhood in the American West''; Edited by Matthew Basso, Laura McCall, and Dee Garceau; New York: [[Routledge]]; 2001; p. 308; {{ISBN|978-0415924702}}</ref>

===Popular image===
[[File:Roy Rogers and Dale Evans at the 61st Academy Awards.jpg|thumb|Roy Rogers and Dale Evans at the 61st Academy Awards in 1989]]
{{See also|Western lifestyle}}

[[Heather Cox Richardson]] argues for a political dimension to the original cowboy image in the 1870s and 1880s:<ref>Heather Cox Richardson ''To make men free: A history of the Republican party (2014) p. 77</ref><blockquote>The timing of the cattle industry's growth meant that cowboy imagery grew to have extraordinary power. Entangled in the vicious politics of the postwar years, Democrats, especially those in the old Confederacy, imagined the West as a land untouched by Republican politicians they hated. They developed an image of the cowboys as men who worked hard, played hard, lived by a code of honor, protected themselves, and asked nothing of the government. In the hands of Democratic newspaper editors, the realities of cowboy life -- the poverty, the danger, the debilitating hours -- became romantic. Cowboys embodied virtues Democrats believed Republicans were destroying by creating a behemoth government catering to lazy ex-slaves. By the 1860s, cattle drives were a feature of the plains landscape, and Democrats had made cowboys a symbol of rugged individual independence, something they insisted Republicans were destroying. </blockquote>

The traditions of the working cowboy were further etched into the minds of the general public with the development of [[Wild West Show|Wild West show]]s in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, which showcased and romanticized the life of both cowboys and [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]].<ref>Malone, J., p. 82.</ref> Beginning in the 1920s and continuing to the present day, [[Western movie|Western film]]s popularized the cowboy lifestyle but also formed persistent [[stereotype]]s. In some cases, the cowboy and the violent [[gunslinger]] are often associated with one another. On the other hand, some actors who portrayed cowboys promoted other values, such as the "cowboy code" of [[Gene Autry]], that encouraged honorable behavior, respect and patriotism.<ref>{{cite web |title=Gene Autry: Gene Autry's Cowboy Code |url=http://geneautry.com/geneautry/geneautry_cowboycode.html |publisher=The Official Website for Gene Autry |access-date=July 27, 2019 |archive-date=September 17, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100917062349/http://www.geneautry.com/geneautry/geneautry_cowboycode.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> 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 Southern [[Code duello#Western US code duello|code duello]].<ref>DeArment, Robert K. ''Deadly Dozen: Forgotten Gunfighters of the Old West, Volume 3''. University of Oklahoma Press; First edition (March 15, 2010). c. Introduction. {{ISBN|978-0-8061-4076-6}}</ref>

Likewise, cowboys in movies were often shown fighting with [[Native Americans in the United States|American Indians]]. Most armed conflicts occurred between Native people and [[cavalry]] units of the [[U.S. Army]].  Relations between cowboys and Native Americans were varied but were generally unfriendly.<ref name="Malone, J., p. 42"/><ref name="Carter">Carter, Sarah, ''Cowboys, Ranchers and the Cattle Business: Cross-Border Perspectives on Ranching History'', University Press of Colorado (2000) p.&nbsp;95. {{ISBN|978-1-55238-019-2}}</ref> 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, the [[Texas-Indian wars#Indian attacks on cowboys|Comanche created problems]] in Western Texas.<ref name="Lewis">Lewis, Mary C. ''Ebony Jr., Black Settlers of the Old West''. Johnson Publication. May 1984 . pp. 18–19</ref> Similar attacks also occurred with the [[Empire Ranch#Apaches|Apache]], [[Colorado War#Indian retaliation|Cheyenne]] and [[Ute Wars#Wars|Ute]] Indians.<ref>Michno, Gregory. ''Encyclopedia of Indian Wars: Western Battles and Skirmishes, 1850–1890''. Mountain Press Publishing Company (August 10, 2003). pp. 160–180. {{ISBN|978-0-87842-468-9}}</ref> Cowboys were armed against both predators and human thieves, and often used their guns to drive away people of any race who attempted to [[Cattle raiding|rustle]] cattle.

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.

==Cowgirls<!--'Cowgirl' and 'Cowgirls' redirect here-->==
{{Redirect|Cowgirl}}
[[File:Russellrodeocowgirlonabuckinghorse.gif|thumb|upright|''Rodeo Cowgirl'' by [[Charles Marion Russell|C.M. Russell]]]]
[[File:FannieSperrySteele.jpg|thumb|[[Fannie Sperry Steele]], Champion lady bucking horse rider, Winnipeg Stampede, 1913]]{{More citations needed section|date=December 2022}}
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 the [[National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame]] in modern years have attempted to gather and document the contributions of women.<ref name="Cowgirl Hall of Fame website" />

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 with [[Wyoming]] in 1869.<ref>{{cite web |title=Wyoming grants women the vote |url=https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/wyoming-grants-women-the-vote |website=History: This Day in History |access-date=July 11, 2019}}</ref> Early photographers such as [[Evelyn Cameron]] documented the life of working ranch women during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

While impractical for everyday work, the [[sidesaddle]] was a tool that afforded women the ability to ride horses in public settings instead of being left on foot or confined to [[horse-drawn vehicle]]s. Following the [[American Civil War|Civil War]], [[Charles Goodnight]] modified the traditional English sidesaddle, creating a western-styled design. The traditional ''charras'' of [[Mexico]] preserve a similar tradition and ride sidesaddles today in ''[[charreada]]'' exhibitions on both sides of the border.

It was not until the advent of [[Wild West shows]] that "'''cowgirls'''<!--boldface per WP:R#PLA-->" 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 as [[Annie Oakley]] became 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 or [[Bloomers (clothing)|bloomers]]. 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 of [[rodeo]] brought 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 as [[Fannie Sperry Steele]] rode 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 the [[Calgary Stampede]] and [[Cheyenne Frontier Days]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Fannie Sperry Made the Ride of Her Life |url=https://www.historynet.com/fannie-sperry-made-the-ride-of-her-life.htm |website=HistoryNet |access-date=July 11, 2019 |date=June 12, 2006}}</ref>

[[File:Cowgirl Lasso 4889218394.jpg|thumb|Modern rodeo cowgirl]]
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 like [[Madison 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 1929 [[Pendleton Round-Up]] led to the elimination of women's bronc riding from rodeo competition.<ref name=eduwrite>{{cite web|url=http://www.eduwrite.com/rodeoevents.html|title=Rodeo Events and Women|publisher=EduWrite |access-date=March 18, 2010}}</ref>

In today's rodeos, men and women compete equally together only in the event of [[team roping]], although women could now enter other open events. In all-women rodeos, women compete in [[bronc riding]], [[bull riding]] and all other traditional rodeo events. 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 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 as [[Gymkhana (Equestrian)|O-Mok-See]] competition, 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 other [[equestrianism|equestrian]] events, including the [[Equestrian at the Summer Olympics|Olympics]], and [[Western riding]] events such as [[cutting (sport)|cutting]], [[reining]] and [[endurance 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 specialty [[horse show|horse-show]] classes. 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.

==Regional traditions==
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.<ref name=Bennett125>Bennett, p. 125</ref>  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 in [[Hawaii]] and [[Florida]]. Today, the various regional cowboy [[tradition]]s 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 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.

===California and Pacific region===
{{See also|Vaquero}}
The vaquero, the Spanish or Mexican cowboy who worked with young, untrained horses, arrived in the 18th century and flourished in [[Alta California]] and bordering territories during the [[Spanish Colonial period]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Stewart |first1=Kara L. |title=The Vaquero Way |url=http://www.horsechannel.com/western-horse-training/vaquero-way-17722.aspx |website=Horse Illustrated |access-date=July 27, 2019 |date=November 16, 2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110103050504/http://www.horsechannel.com/western-horse-training/vaquero-way-17722.aspx |archive-date=January 3, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Settlers from the United States did not enter California in significant numbers 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. The modern distinction between ''vaquero'' and ''buckaroo'' within American English may also reflect the parallel differences between the California and Texas traditions of western horsemanship.<ref name=free>{{cite web|url=http://www.thefreedictionary.com/vaquero |title= Vaquero. |work= American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language |date=2009| publisher=Houghton Mifflin Company}}</ref>
[[File:Wade Saddle.jpg|thumb|upright|A "Wade" saddle, popular with working ranch Buckaroo tradition riders, derived from vaquero saddle designs]]

====Buckaroos====
Some cowboys of the California tradition were dubbed ''buckaroos'' by English-speaking settlers. The words "buckaroo" and ''vaquero'' are still used on occasion in the [[Great Basin]], parts of California and, less often, in the [[Pacific Northwest]]. Elsewhere, the term "cowboy" is more common.<ref name="Buckaroos">{{cite web |url=http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ncrhtml/crview03.html|title=Buckaroos: Views of a Western Way of Life|work=Buckaroos in Paradise: Ranching Culture in Northern Nevada, 1945–1982
|publisher=Library of Congress|year=1980|access-date=2010-08-06}}</ref>

The word ''buckaroo'' is generally believed to be an anglicized version of ''vaquero'' and shows phonological characteristics compatible with that origin.<ref name=cassidy1/><ref name=cassidy2>{{cite journal|last=Cassidy|first=F. G. and A. A. Hill|title=Buckaroo Once More|journal=American Speech|date=Summer 1979|volume=54|issue=2|doi=10.2307/455216 |jstor=455216|pages=151–153|publisher=Duke University Press}}{{subscription required}}</ref><ref name=Gonzalez>{{cite journal |last=González|first=Félix Rodríguez|title=Spanish Contribution to American English Wordstock: An Overview|journal=Atlantis|date=December 2001|volume=23|issue=2|pages=83–90|publisher=Aedean: Asociación española de estudios anglo-americanos{{subscription required}}}}</ref><ref name=Smead>{{cite book|last=Smead|first=Ronald K|title=Vocabulario Vaquero/Cowboy Talk: A Dictionary of Spanish Terms from the American West|year=2005|publisher=University of Oklahoma Press|location=Norman|isbn=978-0-8061-3631-8|page=30 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MR4SY5n3_L8C }}</ref> ''Buckaroo'' first appeared in American English in 1827.<ref name=Merriam>{{cite web|title=Buckaroo|url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/buckaroo|work=Merriam-Webster |date=n.d. |access-date=August 29, 2013}}</ref>  The word may also have developed with influences from the English word "buck" or [[bucking]], the behavior of young, untrained horses.<ref name=cassidy2/><!-- @ p. 152. --> In 1960, one etymologist suggested that ''buckaroo'' derives, through {{langx|gul|buckra}}, from the [[Ibibio language|Ibibio]] and {{langx|efi|mbakara}}, meaning "white man, master, boss".<ref name=mason>{{cite journal|last=Mason|first=Julian|title=The Etymology of 'Buckaroo'|journal=American Speech|date=February 1960|volume=35|issue=1|pages=51–55|jstor=453613|publisher=Duke University Press|doi=10.2307/453613}}{{subscription required}}</ref> Although that derivation was later rejected, another possibility advanced was that "buckaroo" was a [[pun]] on ''vaquero'', blending both Spanish and African sources.<ref name=cassidy1>{{cite journal|last=Cassidy|first=F. G.|title=Another Look at Buckaroo|journal=American Speech|date=Spring 1978|volume=53|issue=1|pages=49–51|doi=10.2307/455339|publisher=Duke University Press|jstor=455339}}{{subscription required}}</ref><ref name=cassidy2/>

===Texas tradition===
In the 18th century, people in [[History of Texas#Spanish Texas (1690–1821)|Spanish Texas]] began to herd cattle on horseback to sell in Louisiana, both legally and illegally.<ref name=Bennett362f>Bennett, pp. 362–362</ref>  By the early 19th century, the Spanish Crown, and later, independent [[Mexico]], offered [[empresario|''empresario'' grants]] in what would later be [[Texas]] to non-citizens, such as settlers from the United States. In 1821, [[Stephen F. Austin]] led a group which became the first English-speaking Mexican citizens.<ref name=Geo>{{cite web|url=http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/08/0814_030815_cowboys_2.html |title=Vaqueros: The First Cowboys of the Open Range |publisher=[[National Geographic Society]]|date=2010-10-28 |access-date=2013-05-17}}</ref> Following [[Texas Revolution|Texas independence]] in 1836, even more Americans immigrated into the ''empresario'' ranching areas of Texas. Here the settlers were strongly influenced by the Mexican ''vaquero'' culture, borrowing [[vocabulary]] and [[attire]] from their counterparts,<ref name=Bennett363>Bennett, p. 363</ref> but also retaining some of the livestock-handling traditions and culture of the Eastern United States and [[Great Britain]]. The Texas cowboy was typically a bachelor who hired on with different outfits from season to season.<ref>{{cite web |title=Definition of vaquero |url=http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/vaquero |publisher=Dictionary.com |access-date=July 27, 2019}}</ref>

Following the [[American Civil War]], vaquero [[culture]] combined 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 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]].<ref name=Vernam289>Vernam, p. 289.</ref>  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.<ref name=Bennett126>Bennett, p. 126</ref>  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.

Historian [[Terry G. Jordan-Bychkov|Terry Jordan]] proposed 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.<ref>Terry Jordan. ''Trails to Texas: Southern Roots of Western Cattle Ranching''. Pg. 90–94. University of Nebraska Press, 1981{{full citation needed|date=May 2013}}</ref><ref>Terry Jordan, with John L. Bean, Jr, and William M. Holmes; Westview Geographies of the United States. Pg. 74</ref><ref>"Origins of the Free Immigrant Population of Texas, 1850" U.S. Census Bureau.{{full citation needed|date=May 2013}}</ref><ref>Raymond Gastil. "Cultural Regions of the United States" Pg. 199. University of Washington Press. 1975</ref> These theories have been questioned by some reviewers.<ref>Sandra L. Myres. Review of Terry Jordan's Trails To Texas. 1982. http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2645&context=greatplainsquarterly.</ref>  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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Definition of vaquero |url=http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/vaquero |website=The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, Houghton Mifflin Company:2000 |publisher=Dictionary.com |access-date=July 27, 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Jordan |first1=Terry |title=North American Cattle-Ranching Frontiers: Origins, Diffusion, and Differentiation |date=2000 |publisher=University of New Mexico Press |isbn=978-0-8263-1422-2 |edition=1st |url=http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2049&context=greatplainsquarterly}}</ref>

===Florida and the southeastern US===
[[File:Remington A cracker cowboy.jpg|thumb|''A Cracker Cowboy'' by [[Frederic Remington]]]]
The Florida "cowhunter" or "[[Florida cracker|cracker]] cowboy" of the 19th and early 20th centuries was distinct from the Texas and California traditions. Florida cowboys did not use [[lasso]]s to herd or capture cattle. Their primary tools were [[bullwhip]]s and dogs. Since the Florida cowhunter did not need a saddle horn for anchoring a [[Lasso|lariat]], many did not use [[Western saddle]]s, instead using a [[McClellan saddle]]. While some individuals wore boots that reached above the knees for protection from [[snake]]s, others wore [[Brogan (shoes)|brogans]]. They usually wore inexpensive wool or straw hats, and used [[poncho]]s for protection from rain.<ref>Tinsley, Jim Bob. 1990. ''Florida Cow Hunter''. University of Central Florida Press. {{ISBN|0-8130-0985-5}} pp. 42–3.</ref>

Cattle and horses were introduced into Spanish Florida in the 16th century,<ref>{{cite book|title=Florida Cattle Ranching: Five Centuries of Tradition|date=2013|publisher=Florida Cattleman's Foundation|location=Kissimmee, Florida|isbn=978-0-9860337-0-4|pages=10, 11}}</ref> and [[Cattle ranching in Spanish Florida|flourished]] throughout the 17th century.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Arnade|first=Charles W.|date=1961|title=Cattle Raising in Spanish Florida, 1513-1763|url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/3740622|journal=Agricultural History|volume=35|issue=3|pages=116–124|issn=0002-1482|jstor=3740622}}</ref> The cattle introduced by the Spanish persist today in two rare breeds: [[Florida Cracker cattle]] and [[Pineywoods cattle]].<ref name="Ekarius2008">{{cite book |title=Storey's Illustrated Breed Guide to Sheep, Goats, Cattle and Pigs |last=Ekarius |first=Carol |year=2008 |publisher=[[Storey Publishing]] |isbn=978-1-60342-036-5 |pages=87–88 119 }}</ref> The [[Florida Cracker Horse]], which is still used by some Florida cowboys, is descended from horses introduced by the Spanish.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.floridacrackerhorses.com/history.htm |title="History of the Cracker Horse" Florida Cracker Horse Association. Accessed January 4, 2010 |publisher=Floridacrackerhorses.com |access-date=2013-02-28}}</ref> From shortly after 1565 until the end of the 17th century, [[Cattle ranching in Spanish Florida|cattle ranches]] owned by [[Spanish people|Spanish]] officials and [[Mission (station)|missions]] operated in northern Florida to supply the Spanish garrison in [[St. Augustine, Florida|St. Augustine]] and markets in [[Cuba]]. Raids into Spanish Florida by the [[Province of Carolina]] and its Native American allies, which wiped out the native population of Florida, led to the collapse of the Spanish mission and ranching systems.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Bushnell|first=Amy|title=The Menendez Marquez Cattle Barony at La Chua and the Determinants of Economic Expansion in Seventeenth-Century Florida|journal=The Florida Historical Quarterly|date=April 1978|volume=56|issue=4|pages=407–431}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Bushnell|first=Amy Turner|title=Spanish Pathways in Florida/Caminos Españoles en La Florida|year=1991|publisher=Pineapple Press|location=Sarasota, Florida|isbn=1-56164-003-4|pages=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781561640034/page/118 118–139]|editor=Ann L. Henderson and Gary L. Mormino|chapter=Thomas Menéndez Márquez: ''Criolla'', Cattleman, and ''Contador''/Tomás Menéndez Márquez: Criolla, Ganadero y Contador Real|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781561640034/page/118}}</ref>

In the 18th century, [[Creek people|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 the [[Confederate States of America|Confederacy]] during the [[American Civil War]] that a unit of [[1st Florida Special Cavalry Battalion|''Cow Cavalry'']] was organized to round up and protect the herds from [[Union (American Civil War)|Union]] raiders.<ref>{{cite web |title=Raid on Gopher Ridge |url=http://www.explorenaples.com/raid_on_gopher_ridge.php |website=explorenaples.com |access-date=July 27, 2019}}</ref> After the Civil War, and into the 20th Century, Florida cattle were periodically driven to ports on the [[Gulf of Mexico]], such as [[Punta Rassa]] near [[Fort Myers]], Florida, and shipped to market in [[Cuba]].<ref>Tinsley, Jim Bob. 1990. ''Florida Cow Hunter''. University of Central Florida Press. {{ISBN|0-8130-0985-5}} pp. 47–51.</ref>

The Florida cowhunter or cracker cowboy tradition gradually assimilated to western cowboy tradition during the 20th century. [[Babesiosis|Texas tick fever]] and the [[Cochliomyia hominivorax|screw-worm]] were 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.<ref>{{cite book|title=Florida Cattle Ranching: Five Centuries of Tradition|date=2013|publisher=Florida Cattleman's Foundation|location=Kissimmee, Florida|isbn=978-0-9860337-0-4|pages=26, 30, 62, 76, 78}}</ref>

===Hawai'i===
[[File:Loading Cattle at Kailua, Geography of the Hawaiian Islands (1908).jpg|thumb|Loading cattle at [[Kailua, Hawaii County, Hawaii|Kailua-Kona]], at the start of the 20th century]]
[[File:Hawaiian Paniolo (PP-97-1-008).jpg|thumb|Photograph of Hawaiian Paniolo]]
The [[Native Hawaiians|Hawaiian]] cowboy, the ''paniolo'', is also a direct descendant of the ''vaquero'' of California and Mexico. Experts in Hawaiian etymology believe "Paniolo" is a Hawaiianized pronunciation of ''español''. (The [[Hawaiian language]] has no /s/ sound, and all [[syllable]]s and words must end in a vowel.) Paniolo, like cowboys on the mainland of North America, learned their skills from Mexican ''vaqueros''.<ref>Slatta, R. W. (1996). ''The Cowboy Encyclopedia''. W. W. Norton & Company. p. 275. {{ISBN|0-393-31473-1}}.</ref> Other theories of word origin suggest ''Paniolo'' was derived from ''pañuelo'' (Spanish for handkerchief) or possibly from a Hawai'ian language word meaning "hold firmly and sway gracefully".<ref name="Ediger"/>

Captain [[George Vancouver]] brought cattle and sheep in 1793 as a gift to [[Kamehameha 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 of [[Kamehameha III]] the 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.<ref name="Ediger">{{cite journal|last1=Edinger-Marshall|first1=Susan|title=Hawai'i: The California Connection|journal=Rangelands|date=October 2000|volume=22|issue=5|pages=15–16|doi=10.2458/azu_rangelands_v22i5_edinger-marshall|url=https://journals.uair.arizona.edu/index.php/rangelands/article/download/11481/10754|access-date=21 March 2017|doi-access=free}}</ref>

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.<ref name="Ediger"/>

The Hawaiian style of ranching originally included capturing [[Hawaiian wild cattle|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 [[Pen (enclosure)|paddock]] with 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.<ref name="GenegabusPanioloWays">{{cite web |url= http://starbulletin.com/2003/03/17/features/story1.html |title= Paniolo Ways: Riding the range is a lifestyle that reaches back 170 years in Hawaii |author= Jason Genegabus. Photos by Ken Ige |work= [[Honolulu Star-Bulletin]] |date= 17 March 2003 |access-date= 15 October 2007 |archive-date= 24 June 2008 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080624233722/http://starbulletin.com/2003/03/17/features/story1.html |url-status= dead }}</ref> The traditional Hawaiian saddle, the ''noho lio'',<ref name="KaheleCecilHanaHou">{{cite web |url= http://www.hanahou.com/pages/Magazine.asp?Action=DrawArticle&ArticleID=467&MagazineID=28 |title= Way of the Noho Lio |author= Rose Kahele. Photos by Ann Cecil |work= [[Hana Hou!]] Vol. 9, No. 3 |date= June–July 2006 }}</ref> 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.

===Virginia===
On the [[Eastern Shore of Virginia]], the "Salt Water Cowboys" are known for rounding up the [[feral horse|feral]] [[Chincoteague pony|Chincoteague Ponies]] from [[Assateague Island]] and driving them across [[Assateague Channel]] into pens on [[Chincoteague, Virginia|Chincoteague Island]] during the annual [[Pony Penning]].

==Canada==
[[File:StampedeRodeo2002.JPG|thumb|Rider at the [[Calgary Stampede]] rodeo, 2002]]
Ranching in Canada has traditionally been dominated by the province of [[Alberta]]. The most successful early settlers of the province were the ranchers, who found Alberta's [[foothills]] to be ideal for raising cattle. Most of Alberta's ranchers were [[English Canadian|English]] settlers, but cowboys such as [[John Ware (cowboy)|John Ware]]—who brought the first cattle into the province in 1876—were American.<ref>{{cite web |title=Government of Alberta – About Alberta – History |url=http://www.gov.ab.ca/home/index.cfm?Page=27 |access-date=July 11, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080418044220/http://www.gov.ab.ca/home/index.cfm?Page=27 |archive-date=April 18, 2008}}</ref> American style open range dryland ranching began to dominate [[southern Alberta]] (and, to a lesser extent, southwestern [[Saskatchewan]]) by the 1880s. The nearby city of [[Calgary]] became the centre of the Canadian cattle industry, earning it the nickname "Cowtown". The cattle industry is still extremely important to Alberta, and cattle outnumber people in the province. 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. In 1912, the [[Calgary Stampede]] began, and today it is the world's richest cash rodeo. Each year, Calgary's northern rival [[Edmonton]], Alberta stages the [[Canadian Finals Rodeo]], and dozens of regional rodeos are held through the province. [[British Columbia]] also has a significant ranching history and cowboy culture in the interior, and has been home to the [[Williams Lake, British Columbia|Williams Lake]] Stampede since 1920.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Williams Lake Stampede |url=https://williamslakestampede.com/ |access-date=2022-08-13 |website=Williams Lake Stampede |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Outside North America==
[[File:Tomsics Hortobágyi puszta.jpg|thumb|A csikós in the [[puszta]] of Hungary, 1846]]
The necessity for [[equestrianism|horse riders]] who guard herds of cattle, sheep or horses is common wherever wide, open land for grazing exists. In the French [[Camargue]], riders called "[[gardian]]s" herd cattle and horses. In [[Hungary]], [[Csikos|csikós]] guard horses and [[gulyás (equestrian)|gulyás]] tend to cattle. The herders in the region of [[Maremma]], in [[Tuscany]] ([[Italy]]) are called [[buttero|butteri]] (singular: ''buttero''). The [[Asturian people|Asturian]] pastoral population is referred to as ''[[vaqueiros 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 the ''[[gaucho]]'' of [[Argentina]], [[Uruguay]], [[Paraguay]] and (with the spelling ''gaúcho'') southern [[Brazil]],<ref name=CattleKings243>Atherton, Lewis ''The Cattle Kings'' Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press 1961 {{ISBN|0-8032-5759-7}} p. 243.</ref> the ''[[wikt:chalán|chalán]]'' and ''[[Morochuco]]'' in [[Peru]], the ''[[llanero]]'' of [[Venezuela]] and [[Colombia]], and the ''[[huaso]]'' of [[Chile]].

In [[Australia]], where ranches are known as [[Station (Australian agriculture)|stations]], cowboys are known as [[Stockman (Australia)|stockmen]] and ringers, (''jackaroos'' and ''jillaroos'' who also do stockwork are trainee overseers and property managers).<ref name="MD">Delbridge, Arthur, "The Macquarie Dictionary", 2nd ed., Macquarie Library, North Ryde, 1991</ref> 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 by [[Australian Aborigines|Australian indigenous people]], whose knowledge played a key role in the success of cattle ranching in Australia's climate.

==Modern work==
[[File:Cattle round up.jpg|thumb|Cattle drive in [[New Mexico]]]]
{{See also|Ranch}}

On the ranch, the cowboy is responsible for feeding the livestock, [[livestock branding|branding]] and 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 of [[predator|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. 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 [[horse training|train horses]] often specialize in this task only, and some may [[horse breaking|"Break"]] or train young horses for more than one ranch.

The [[Bureau of Labor Statistics|United States Bureau of Labor Statistics]] collects 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 at [[rodeo]]s, the category includes farmhands working with other types of livestock ([[sheep]], [[goat]]s, [[Pig|hogs]], [[chicken]]s, etc.). Of those 9,730 workers, 3,290 are listed in the subcategory of ''Spectator sports'' which includes rodeos, [[circus]]es, and theaters needing livestock handlers.

===Attire===
Most cowboy attire, sometimes termed ''[[Western wear]]'', grew out of practical need and the environment in which the cowboy worked. Most items were adapted from the Mexican ''vaqueros'', though sources from other cultures, including [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]] and [[Mountain man|mountain men]] contributed.<ref name="Rickey">Rickey, Don, Jr. ''$10 Horse, $40 Saddle: Cowboy Clothing, Arms, Tools and Horse Gear of 1880s'' The Old Army Press, First printing, 1976. LC no. 76-9411.</ref>
* [[Bandanna]]; a large cotton [[neckerchief]] that had myriad uses: from mopping up sweat to masking the face from dust storms. In modern times, is now more likely to be a silk neckscarf for decoration and warmth.
* [[Chaps]] (usually pronounced "shaps"<ref>Cassidy, Frederic G., ed. [[Dictionary of American Regional English]], vol. I. Cambridge/London:Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1985 {{ISBN|0-674-20511-1}} (vol I).</ref>) or [[chaps|chinks]] protect the rider's legs while on horseback, especially riding through heavy brush or during rough work with livestock.
* [[Cowboy boot]]s; 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 [[spur]]s.
* [[Cowboy hat]]; High crowned hat with a wide brim to protect from sun, overhanging brush, and the elements. There are many styles, initially influenced by [[John B. Stetson]]'s [[Boss of the Plains]], which was designed in response to the climatic conditions of the West.<ref>Snyder, Jeffrey B. (1997) ''Stetson Hats and the John B. Stetson Company 1865–1970''. p. 50 {{ISBN|0-7643-0211-6}}.</ref>
* [[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.
* [[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. Properly made cowboy jeans also have a smooth inside seam to prevent blistering the inner thigh and knee while on horseback.

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===
[[File:Texascowboys2.jpg|thumb|Modern Texas cowboys]]
* [[Lasso|Lariat]]; from the Spanish "la riata", meaning "the rope", sometimes called a ''lasso'', especially in the East, or simply, a "rope". 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.<ref name=Vernam297>Vernam, p. 297.</ref>
* [[Spur]]s; 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.
* Firearms: Modern cowboys may utilize a [[rifle]] to protect livestock from wild animals or feral dogs.  Rifles may be carried on horseback in a  [[scabbard]] attached to a [[saddle]]. Riders may instead carry a [[pistol]]. ln modern use, firearms are often carried in a [[pickup truck]] or [[All-terrain vehicle|ATV]].
* [[Knife]]; cowboys have traditionally favored some form of [[pocket knife]], specifically the folding cattle knife or stock knife. The knife has multiple blades, usually including a leather punch and a "[[Sheepsfoot knife|sheepsfoot]]" blade.

[[File:Brauner.JPG|thumb|upright|A stock type horse suitable for cattle work]]

===Horses===
{{See also|Stock horse}}
The traditional means of transport for the cowboy, even in the modern era, is by [[equestrianism|horseback]]. [[Horse]]s can travel over terrain that vehicles cannot access. Horses, along with [[mule]]s and [[burro]]s, also serve as [[packhorse|pack 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 as [[calf roping|roping]] or [[cutting (sport)|cutting]] are very rarely used on ranches. 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 good [[stock horse]] is on the small side, generally under 15.2 [[hand (length)|hands]] (62&nbsp;inches) tall at the [[withers]] and often under 1000 pounds, with a short back, sturdy legs and strong muscling, particularly in the hindquarters. While a [[team roping|steer roping]] horse may need to be larger and weigh more in order to hold a heavy adult [[cow]], [[bull]] or [[Cattle#Terminology|steer]] on a rope, a smaller, quick horse is needed for herding activities such as [[cutting (sport)|cutting]] or [[calf 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 the [[American Quarter Horse]], which is a [[list of horse breeds|horse breed]] developed primarily in [[Texas]] from a combination of [[Thoroughbred]] bloodstock crossed on horses of [[Mustang (horse)|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.

===Tack===
{{Main|Horse tack}}
[[File:WesternSaddle2.jpg|thumb|A western saddle]]
Equipment used to ride a horse is referred to as ''[[horse tack|tack]]'' and includes:
* [[Bridle]]; a Western bridle usually has a [[curb bit]] and long split [[rein]]s to control the horse in many different situations. Generally the bridle is open-faced, without a [[noseband]], unless the horse is ridden with a [[Martingale (tack)|tiedown]]. Young ranch horses learning basic tasks usually are ridden in a jointed, loose-ring [[snaffle bit]], often with a [[Martingale (tack)|running martingale]]. 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]].
* [[Martingale (tack)|Martingales]] of various types are seen on horses that are in training or have behavior problems.
* 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.
* [[Saddle blanket]]; a blanket or pad is required under the Western saddle to provide comfort and protection for the horse.
* [[Western saddle]]; a saddle specially designed to allow horse and [[equestrianism|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. A western saddle has a deep seat with high [[saddle|pommel]] and [[saddle|cantle]] that provides a secure seat. Deep, wide [[stirrup]]s provide comfort and security for the foot. A strong, wide [[saddle|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 [[Western saddle|horn]] sits low in front of the rider, to which a [[Lasso|lariat]] can be snubbed, and assorted dee rings and leather "saddle strings" allow additional equipment to be tied to the saddle.<ref name=Vernam298>Vernam, p. 298–299.</ref>

===Vehicles===
The most common motorized vehicle driven in modern ranch work is the [[pickup truck]]. 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. It is used to pull stock trailers transporting cattle and livestock from one area to another and to market. With a [[horse trailer]] attached, it carries horses to distant areas where they may be needed. Motorcycles are sometimes used instead of horses for some tasks, but the most common smaller vehicle is the [[All-terrain vehicle|four-wheeler]]. It will carry a single cowboy quickly around the ranch for small chores. In areas with heavy snowfall, [[snowmobile]]s are also common. Some jobs remain, particularly working cattle in rough terrain or close quarters, that are best performed by cowboys on horseback.
[[File:Broncobuster3.jpg|thumb|A rodeo cowboy in [[saddle bronc]] competition]]

==Rodeo==
{{Main|Rodeo}}
The word ''rodeo'' is from the Spanish ''rodear'' (to turn), which means ''roundup''. In the beginning there was no difference between the working cowboy and the [[rodeo]] cowboy, and in fact, the term ''working cowboy'' did not come into use until the 1950s. Prior to that it was assumed that all cowboys were working cowboys. Early cowboys both worked on ranches and displayed their skills at the roundups.<ref name=Vernam395>Vernam, pp. 394–395.</ref>

The advent of professional rodeos allowed cowboys, like many [[Sportsperson|athletes]], to earn a living by performing their skills before an audience. Rodeos also provided [[employment]] for 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 of [[Cattle#Terminology|steer]] or [[bull]]. 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 [[equestrian helmet|safety helmets]] in lieu of the [[cowboy hat]] is yet to be accepted, in spite of constant risk of injury.

==In popular culture==
{{See also|Western (genre)}}
[[File:Buffalo bill wild west show c1899.jpg|thumb|Buffalo Bill's wild west and congress of rough riders of the world – circus poster showing cowboys rounding up cattle, c. 1899]]
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]].<ref name="Agnew">Agnew, Jeremy. December 2, 2014. ''The Creation of the Cowboy Hero: Fiction, Film and Fact'', pp. 74. McFarland. {{ISBN|978-0-7864-7839-2}}</ref>

In today's society, there is little understanding of the daily realities of actual agricultural life.<ref name="Savage">Savage, Williams. ''The Cowboy Hero: His Image in American History & Culture''. University of Oklahoma Press (March 15, 1985). pp. 3–4, 24, 117–118. {{ISBN|978-0-8061-1920-5}}</ref> Cowboys are more often associated with (mostly fictitious) Indian-fighting than with their actual life of [[ranch]] work and cattle-tending. The cowboy is also portrayed as a masculine ideal via images ranging from the [[Marlboro Man]] to the [[Village People]]. Actors such as [[John Wayne]] are thought of as exemplifying a cowboy ideal, even though [[Western (genre)|western movies]] seldom bear much resemblance to real cowboy life. 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.

In the United States, the Canadian West and [[Australia]], [[guest ranch]]es offer 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 accompanying [[wagon train]]s. This type of [[Tourism|vacation]] was popularized by the 1991 movie ''[[City Slickers]]'', starring [[Billy Crystal]].

===Symbolism===
In 2005, the [[United States Senate]] declared 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 the [[United States House of Representatives]] periodically issuing statements of support.<ref>{{cite web |title=Legislative Search Results |url=https://www.congress.gov/search?q=%7B%22congress%22%3A%22116%22%2C%22source%22%3A%22legislation%22%2C%22search%22%3A%22National%20Day%20of%20the%20American%20Cowboy%22%7D&searchResultViewType=expanded |website=www.congress.gov |access-date=July 28, 2019}}</ref>
The long history of the West in popular culture tends to define those clothed in Western clothing as cowboys or cowgirls whether they have ever been on a horse or not. This is especially true when applied to entertainers and those in the public arena who wear [[Western wear]] as part of their persona. Many other people, particularly in the West, including lawyers, bankers, and other [[White-collar worker|white collar]] professionals wear elements of Western clothing, particularly [[cowboy boot]]s or 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 the [[Pharmacy|drugstore]] [[soda fountain]]—or, in modern times, a [[bar 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.<ref>Owen, James P. ''Cowboy Values: Recapturing What America Once Stood For''. Lyons Press; 1st edition (May 13, 2008). pp. 48. {{ISBN|978-1-59921-271-5}}</ref> 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 an [[archetypal]] image of Americans abroad.<ref>Watts, Linda. ''Encyclopedia of American Folklore (Facts on File Library of American Literature)''.  Facts on File; 1st Edition (December 2006). p. 93. {{ISBN|978-0-8160-5699-6}}</ref> In the late 1950s, a [[Democratic Republic of the Congo|Congolese]] youth subculture calling themselves the [[Bills (subculture)|Bills]] based their style and outlook on [[Cinema of the United States|Hollywood]]'s depiction of cowboys in movies.<ref>{{cite book |author1=Philipp Blom |title=The Vertigo Years: Europe, 1900–1914 |date=2008 |publisher=Basic Books |isbn=978-0-7867-2670-7 |page=372 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-3G9gMNCpowC&pg=PA372|author1-link=Philipp Blom }}</ref> Something similar occurred with the term "[[Apache]]", which in early 20th century [[Paris]]ian society was a slang term for an outlaw.<ref>{{citation |title= Reinventing Order in the Congo: How People Respond to State Failure in Kinshasa |author= Theodore Trefon |edition= illustrated |publisher= Zed Books |year= 2004 |isbn= 978-1-84277-491-5 |page= 138 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=5VAAHi93y0sC }}</ref>

===Word===
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.<ref>Malone, J. p. 58.</ref>

"Cowboy" as an adjective for "reckless" developed in the 1920s.<ref name="Etymology-cow"/> "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.<ref name="cowboy" /> ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine referred to President [[George W. Bush]]'s foreign policy as "[[Cowboy diplomacy]]",<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Ratnesar |first1=Romesh |last2=Allen |first2=Mike |title=The End of Cowboy Diplomacy: Why George W. Bush's Grand Strategy for Remaking the World Had to Change |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1211578,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060716114821/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0%2C9171%2C1211578%2C00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 16, 2006 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |access-date=July 27, 2019 |date=July 9, 2006}}</ref> 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 the [[British Isles]] and [[Australasia]], "cowboy" can refer to a [[tradesman]] whose work is of shoddy and questionable value, e.g., "a cowboy [[plumber]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.channel5.com/shows/cowboy-builders |title=Cowboy Builders |publisher=Channel 5 |access-date=2013-02-28}}</ref> The term also lent itself to the British 1980s TV sitcom, ''[[Cowboys (TV series)|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 a [[Reckless driving|fast or careless driver]] on the highway.<ref name="cowboy" /><ref>{{cite web |title=European press review: Mr. Bush Goes to Europe |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/1387617.stm |website=BBC News |access-date=July 27, 2019 |date=June 14, 2001}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=D.C |first1=Alexander Schwabe |title=Bush Hosts the Pope: The Cowboy and the Shepherd |url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,547723,00.html |website=Spiegel Online |access-date=July 27, 2019 |date=April 16, 2008}}</ref>

==See also==
{{commons category}}
{{Commons category|Cowgirls}}

{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
* [[American Old West]]
* [[American West]]
* [[Black cowboys]]
* [[Cowboy church]]
* [[Estancia]]
* [[Gaucho]]
* [[Gunfighter]]
* [[Herding]]
* [[List of cowboys and cowgirls]]
*[[List of Ranches and Stations]]
* [[Agricultural fencing]]
*[[Livestock branding]]
* [[Station (Australian agriculture)]]:
**[[Stockman (Australia)]]
*[[Singing cowboys]]
* [[Transhumance]]
{{div col end}}
;In art and culture
* [[Audition (performing arts)]] also known as a "cattle call".
* Fashion: "[[Rhinestone Cowboy]]", [[Western wear]]
* Film: ''[[Drugstore Cowboy]]'', [[Western movie]] ("Western"), [[List of Western movies]]
* Fine art: [[Earl W. Bascom]], [[Frederic Remington]], [[Charles Marion Russell|Charles Russell]], [[Cowboy Artists of America]]
* Literature: [[Cowboy poetry]], [[Western fiction]], [[List of Western fiction authors]]
* Music: [[List of famous Cowboy songs]], [[Western Music (North America)]], [[Western swing]], [[Western Music Association]], [[Academy of Western Artists]]
* Sports: [[Cowboy action shooting]], [[Charreada]], [[Indian rodeo]], [[Rodeo]].
* Television: [[TV Western]]

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==References==
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=T-3YnQEACAAJ Bennett, Deb (1998) ''Conquerors: The Roots of New World Horsemanship'']. Amigo Publications Inc.; 1st edition. {{ISBN|0-9658533-0-6}}
* 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.&nbsp;114–135.
* Malone, John William. ''An Album of the American Cowboy''. New York: Franklin Watts, Inc., 1971. SBN: 531–01512–2.
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=p-P59FkOPg0C Malone, Michael P., and Richard B. Roeder. ''Montana: A History of Two Centuries'']. University of Washington Press; Revised edition, 1991. {{ISBN|0-295-97129-0}}, {{ISBN|978-0-295-97129-2}}.
* Rickey, Don Jr. ''$10 Horse, $40 Saddle: Cowboy Clothing, Arms, Tools and Horse Gear of the 1880s'' The Old Army Press, First printing, 1976. LC no. 76–9411.
* Vernam, Glenn R. ''Man on Horseback'' New York: Harper & Row 1964.

==Further reading==
* {{cite web |title=Black, Hispanic riding clubs keep cowboy identity alive after years of 'whitewashing' |date=29 Aug 2020 |website=ABC News |url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/black-hispanic-riding-clubs-keep-cowboy-identity-alive-after-years-of-whitewashing/ar-BB18v2Q9?ocid=spartan-ntp-feeds}}
* {{cite web |title=Black cowboys of Mississippi 'so much more than just John Wayne or the Marlboro man' |date=3 Oct 2018 |author=Hayley Bartels |website=ABC News |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/delta-hill-riders-black-cowboys-mississippi/story?id=57940416}}
* {{cite web |title=The Forgotten Black Cowboys Of The Wild West |author=William DeLong |date=24 Mar 2018 |website=All That's Interesting |url=https://allthatsinteresting.com/black-cowboys#}}
* Beck, Warren A., Haase, Ynez D.; ''Historical Atlas of the American West''. University of Oklahoma Press, Oklahoma, 1989. {{ISBN|0-8061-2193-9}}.
* Davis, David Brion. "Ten-Gallon Hero: The Myth of the Cowboy". in ''Myth America: A Historical Anthology, Volume II''. 1997. Gerster, Patrick, and Cords, Nicholas. (editors) Brandywine Press, St. James, NY. {{ISBN|1-881089-97-5}}
* Glasrud, Bruce A. and Michael N. Searles, eds. ''Black Cowboys in the American West: On the Range, on the Stage, behind the Badge'' (U of Oklahoma Press, 2016). xii, 248 pp. 
* 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|0-02-897495-6}}.
* Roach, Joyce Gibson; ''The Cowgirls''. University of North Texas Press, 1990. {{ISBN|0-929398-15-7}}.
* {{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aybuBElBnlgC&pg=PA242 |last=Slatta |first=Richard W. |title=Cowboys of the Americas |date=January 1990 |publisher=Yale University Press |isbn=0300056710 }}
* 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}}.

{{Mounted stock herders}}
{{Rodeo}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:American cattlemen| ]]
[[Category:Pastoralists]]
[[Category:Equestrianism]]
[[Category:Western-style riding]]
[[Category:Cowboys|*]]
[[Category:Cowboy culture]]
[[Category:Culture of Spain]]
[[Category:Horse history and evolution]]
[[Category:Horse-related professions and professionals]]
[[Category:American folklore]]
[[Category:Animal husbandry occupations]]