Information AboutCowboy |
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A cowboy ( Spanish '''''vaquero''''') tends Cattle and Horses on cattle ranches in North and South America. The cowboy is in charge of the horses, as is the Wrangler . In addition to ranch work, some cowboys work in and participate in Rodeo s, and many cowboys work only in the rodeo. Antecedents Originally the word designated a herdsboy who was employed as a cowherd, often on foot (riding requiring skills and investment in horse and equipment rarely available to or entrusted to a Boy ). Herdswork was often done -albeit it more often with sheep or goats- by minors in Antiquity, and still is in various third world cultures; the teenagers of a South African tribe even maintain a specific traditional form of Nguni Stick Fighting , to defend themselves and their herds. However in the western culture, herding cattle was rarely left to boys, except as trainees at least approaching manhood, especially as schooling became generalized, and the term became disassociated from the boyish age, at first retaining the notion of low status often implied by 'boy' in professional designations, later being extended to the whole ranch culture. History ]] The Spanish invented what we now consider the cowboy tradition, beginning in the Middle Ages in Spain . During the 16th Century , they brought the tradition and their horses, the ancestors of the wild Mustang s, with them to the New World through New Spain (later Mexico ). Though popularly considered as an American Icon , cowboys are a New Hispanic tradition, which originated in the Central States of Mexico, Jalisco and Michoacan , where the Mexican cowboy would eventually be known as a " Charro ". Historically, the northern parts of Mexico ( New Mexico ) originally included most of the territory of the American southwest including Texas . In the early 1600s , the Spanish crown, and later independent Mexico, began offering ''empresario'' Grants in what would later be Texas to US Citizens who agreed to become Mexican Citizen s and convert to Catholicism . In 1821 Stephen F. Austin and his East Coast comrades became the first yankee community speaking Spanish. Following Texas Independence in 1836 even more Americans immigrated into Texas and to the ''empresario'' ranching areas. Here they were absorbed by the Mexican ''vaquero'' culture, borrowing Vocabulary and Attire from their counterparts. The buckaroo, also a cowboy of the ''vaquero'' tradition, developed in California and bordering territories during the Spanish Colonial period. ''Buckaroo'' is the anglicized pronunciation (originally ''bakhara'' (1827), influenced by 'buck') of ''vaquero'' and is still a common term in the Great Basin and many areas of California and the Pacific Northwest . Following the Civil War , their Culture diffused eastward and northward combining with the earlier cowboy tradition that was following the cattle trails out of Texas northward and westward. Sharing the same base, their Traditions became indistinguishable with a few regional differences still remaining. Over time, the cowboys of the American West developed a culture of their own, a blend of Frontier and Victorian values. Such hazardous work in isolated conditions bred a tradition of self-dependence and Individualism , exemplified in their Songs and Poetry . By the 1890s, the open ranges of the Indian Territory were gone and the large cattle drives from Texas to the railheads in Kansas were over. Smaller cattle drives continued at least into the 1940s, with Arizona cattle driven to the railhead at Magdalena , New Mexico. Meanwhile, ranches multiplied all over the developing West, keeping cowboy employment high, if somewhat more settled. In the 1930s and 1940s , Western Movie s popularized the cowboy lifestyle but also formed persistent Stereotype s. In Pop Culture , the cowboy and the Gunslinger are often associated with one another. Much has been written about the racial mix of the cowboys in the West, but cowboys ranked low in the Social Structure of the period and there are no firm figures. ''The Cattle on a Thousand Hills'' by John Ambulo in the March 1887 issue of ''The Overland Monthly'' states that cowboys are ''"... of two classes—those recruited from Texas and other States on the eastern slope; and Mexicans, from the south-western region. ..."''. Census records bear that out. The cowboy occupation undoubtably appealed to the freedmen following the Civil War. It is estimated that about 15% of all cowboys were of African ancestry—ranging from about 25% on the trail drives out of Texas, to very few on the northern ranges. Similarly, cowboys of Mexican descent also averaged about 15%, but were more common in Texas and the southwest. American Indian s also found employment as cowboys early in the history of the West. Many of the early ''vaqueros'' were Indians trained to work for the Spanish missions in caring for the mission herds. Following the dissolution of the reservation system around 1900, many of the Indian trade schools also taught ranching skills to Indian youth. Hawaian Paniolo The Hawaii an cowboy, the ''paniolo'', a word thought to have originated as a Hawaiianized pronunciation of ''español'', like the mainland cowboy, learned their skills from Mexican ''vaqueros''. Hawaiian King Kamehameha III brought these ''vaqueros'' over from California in 1832 to teach the cow herders how to handle their cattle. At that time California was still part of Mexico, and Hawaii was known as the Sandwich Islands . Cowboys of other nations In addition to the original Mexican ''vaquero'', the Mexican '' Charro '', the North American cowboy, and the Hawaiian ''paniolo'', the Spanish also exported their horsemanship and knowledge of cattle ranching to the '' Gaucho '' of Argentina , Uruguay , Paraguay and (with the spelling "gaúcho") southern Brazil , the '' Llanero '' of the ''llano'' (South American prairie-like plains, as in Venezuela ), the '' Huaso '' of Chile , and, indirectly through the Americans, to Australia . In Australia, which has a large ranch ( Station ) culture, cowboys are known as Ringers and Stockmen (with trainee stockmen being known as ''jackaroos'' and ''jillaroos''). American style free-range dry land ranching was introduced to Canada (specifically southern Alberta ) in the 1880s. The cowboy way of life became prominent throughout the foothills of the Canadian Rocky Mountains. The nearby city of Calgary, Alberta 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. Eventually fenced cattle farms outgrew true ranches, but the cowboy influence lived on. In the 1912 the Calgary Stampede began, and today it is the world’s richest cash rodeo. Each year Calgary’s more northern rival Edmonton stages the Canadian Finals Rodeo and dozens of regional rodeos are held through the province. The idea of horsemen who guard herds of cattle, sheep or horses is common wherever wide, open land for grazing exists. In the French Camargue , horsemen called " Gardians " herd cattle. In Hungary , the Csikós guard horses. The herdsmen in the region of Maremma , in Tuscany ( Italy ) are called Buttero s. Working cowboys , USA]] On the ranch, the cowboy is responsible for feeding the livestock, branding or marking cattle and horses, and tending to their injuries or other needs. They also move the livestock to market. In addition, cowboys repair fences, maintain ranch equipment, and perform other odd jobs around the ranch. These jobs vary depending on the size of the ranch, the Terrain , and the number of livestock. On larger ranches, or on those with lots of cattle, a cowboys may specialize in one task or another. On smaller ranches with fewer cowboys—often just family members—the cowboy tends to be a generalist employed in many tasks. The United States Bureau Of Labor Statistic s collects no figures for cowboys, so the exact number of working cowboys is unknown. Cowboys are included in the 2003 category, ''Support activities for animal production'', which totals 9,730 workers averaging $19,340 per annum. In addition to cowboys working on ranches, in Stockyard s, and in rodeos, the category includes farm hands working with other types of livestock ( Sheep , Goat s, Hog s, Chicken s, etc.). Of those 9,730 workers, 3,290 of them are listed in the subcategory of ''Spectator sports'' which includes rodeos, circuses, and theaters needing livestock handlers. Dress Most cowboy dress, thought of as '' Western Wear '', grew out of the environment in which the cowboy worked. Many of the items were adapted from the Mexican ''vaqueros''.
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Mount & tack The traditonal mode of transport is on Horse back on a large ranch. It travels where vehicles cannot. Horses, along with Mule s and Burro s, also serve a pack animals. The most important horse on the ranch is the the everyday working ranch horse, cutting horses are very rarely used on ranches. Because the rider is busy working while riding, the horse must Neck Rein and have good ''cow sense''—it must instinctively know how to anticipate and react to cattle. Tack:
Vehicles The most common vehicle driven in ranch work is the Pickup Truck . Sturdy and roomy, with a high ground clearance, it can haul ranch supplies from town and still handle 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, but the most common smaller vehicle is the 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. Rodeo cowboys 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. The early cowboys worked on the ranches and displayed their skills at the roundups. The word ''rodeo'' is from the Spanish ''rodear'' (to turn), which means ''roundup''. The advent of professional rodeos allowed cowboys, like many Athlete s, to earn a living by performing their skills before an audience. The rodeos also provided Employment for the many working cowboys needed to handle the livestock. Many rodeo cowboys are also working cowboys and most have working cowboy experience. The dress of the rodeo cowboy is not much different than that of the working cowboy on his way to town. What is known as the ''cowboy shirt'' however, coming from the early movie industry, was adapted especially for the rodeo. Snaps, used in lieu of buttons, allowed the cowboy to escape from a shirt snagged by the horns of Steer or Bull . Synonyms Other names for a cowboy in American English include ''cowman, cattleman, cowpoke, cowhand, cowherd and puncher''. The term "cowpuncher" was especially popular with cowboys who worked in the Cherokee Strip since they were entitled to join the Cherokee Strip Cowpunchers Association which was organized in 1920. Cowgirls Although cowgirls share much with cowboys, their history is somewhat different. There is no record of any girls or women driving cattle up the cattle trails of the Old West. Although many of them undoubtedly helped on the ranches, and in some cases (especially when the men went to war) ran them, few routinely dressed in the suitable clothing for working cattle from horseback. Charles Goodnight , however, did invent a side-saddle following the Civil War that allowed women to comfortably ride horses while fashionably dressed. The West was too vast for walking and too rough for carriages and buggies in many places. The traditional ''charras'' of Mexico ride such side-saddles today while exhibiting superb horsemanship in '' Charreada s'' on both sides of the border. It wasn't until the advent of the Wild West shows that cowgirls came into their own. Their riding, expert marksmanship, and trick roping entertained audiences around the world. By 1900, skirts split for riding came into design, freeing women to compete with the men in many events. In the movies that followed they expanded their roles in the popular culture and movie designers developed attractive clothing suitable for riding Western saddles. The growth of the rodeo brought about another type of cowgirl—the rodeo cowgirl. In the early Wild West shows and rodeos, women competed in all events, sometimes with the men. That changed after 1925 when Eastern promoters started staging indoor rodeos in places like Madison Square Garden. Women were generally excluded from the men's events and the women's events dropped. In today's rodeos, cowgirls compete mostly in the timed riding events such as Barrel Racing , and most professional rodeos do not offer as many women's events as men's events. Cowgirls seldom compete in the men’s events once they reach adulthood although several do compete in all events in high-school and college rodeos. Outside of the rodeo, cowgirls also compete in Western Pleasure Riding, Reining , and Endurance Riding competitions. Today's cowgirls have adapted cowboy clothing and riding techniques to suit their own needs. Seldom does today's cowgirl ride sidesaddle. A cowgirl may wear either a skirt cut so as to allow her to sit in the saddle, or jeans. If working on the ranch, where they perform most of the same chores as cowboys (and are seldom referred to as cowgirls), they generally dress to suit the situation. Popular culture Regional identification 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 don Western wear as part of their persona. Many people, however, particularly in the West, wear Western clothing as a matter of form and think of themselves as lawyers, bankers, etc.—even those raised on ranches do not consider themselves cowboys or cowgirls unless so occupied. Outside of the West, the cowboy became an archetypal symbol of American individualism. In the late 1950s , a Congolese youth subculture calling themselves the Bills based their style and outlook on Hollywood 's depiction of cowboys in movies. Negative associations In the British Isles , Australia and New Zealand, the term cowboy is derogatory, and usually applied to Tradesmen whose work is of shoddy and questionable value, e.g., "a cowboy Plumber ". The term predates the discovery of the New World and originates from the perception that herdsmen are unskilled laborers. On the European continent the term 'cowboy' is also sometimes used to someone who behaves as hot-headed and rash as the 'civilised' outsiders expect from the 'savage' inhabitants of the '''Wild'' West'. In art and culture
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