"Ehhaaa! " When we think of cowboys we think of a guy in a horse, with a lasso, a big funny hat, up on a horse, and maybe smoking tobacco. But is this really what cowboys were all about? Actually, no. That's only what we think they were because that's how they are portrayed on TV and in Hollywood. Big shot guys who have power and live in southern towns with big horses and big guns! But cowboys weren't about this at all. They were normal hard working people who had it hard just like anybody else.
Cowboys were all about their own culture. They worked within their own towns, helped each other and dressed to suit their work. Their clothing was made so that it was practical for them and functional for while they worked. The basic wardrobe of the men in the cowboy culture were long sleeved cotton or wool shirts and simple work pants. Sometimes they also wore vests that had pockets so that they could carry small items, since neither their pants or shirts had small pockets or any pockets at all. Hats and kerchiefs, which are what we always link to cowboys, were crucial in their attire since they had many uses. To protect their feet the cowboys used high lathered boots. Cowboys also had tools to work. But their most important piece of equipment was off course their horse. They were practically a cowboys best friend. They were used to travel long distances and most important to herd all day.
A cowboys job was to herd, or manage cattle all day. At the beginning of each day the cowboys were given their daily work every morning by the range boss. The range boss was like a manger to their work. He was the one who managed all the cowboys and made sure that everything was getting done how it was supposed to be done. There were four seasonal phases to a cowboys year. In each phase the had different tasks that suited whichever season it was. These four phases were: the spring roundup, the tail drive, the fall roundup, and winter work. This basically became a cycle for cowboys as they grew up. The most work was done during the spring and fall roundups.
Since cowboys worked so hard throughout the year they also gave themselves to relax and have fun in their own way. At the end of each of their hard working days they would all meet up and enjoyed activities such as playing games and cards and singing and dancing around bonfires as well, but the thing that was most enjoyed by them was the telling and listening of stories. Other forms of recreation throughout the years included rodeos, which their horses were involved in and the wild west shows. These were part of their culture and mean a whole lot to them.
Cowboys lived in cottage-like houses with lots of land around, these were called ranches. They were often big and grand-like and decorated with stones and many colors all around. The ranches were big enough to held their herd and to nourish and train their horses as well. Most of the times ranches were big and opened space. they had one or two random trees here and there, which aided them as shade when they were out working.
So as you can see cowboys were not at all what Hollywood portrays them as. They were hard working people who had big families and responsibilities as priorities. They did not just go around in their horses with big guns and lassos being heroes all the time. They had priorities and were ordinary people just like we are today. So next time you think about cowboys remember that they were people just like us and that they shouldn't be taken for granted.
