The American western cowboy has been in existence since the 1800s. "The cowboy has been shown and romanticized over the years in movies and Wild West shows. kinds of weather. The horse and cowboy were the best of friends because each of them needed the other to get the job done.
They had to gather cows, vaccinate, brand, sort the herd and read the range – stay mounted and work cattle. They were very skilled at their jobs and were proud of the kind of work they did. Even thou motorized vehicles came into play, using a horse and a rope was still the best way to work cattle. The attire for most of the cowboys was a cowboy hat, gloves, bandana, cowboy boots, chaps, close fitting trousers or jeans. He would also carry a lasso, gun, knife, and wear spurs. On his horse he would need a saddle, blanket, bridle and a bed role.
As the western range became more crowded the trail drives ended. More of the ranchers were putting up wooden or barbed wire fencing which made the trails impassable. Also the environmentalists pointed out that in many cases the ranges had been mismanaged and abused. They demanded that all the grazing on America's public land be stopped. Many of the large ranches were subdivided and sold to inexperienced ranchers that wanted to try their hand at becoming cowboys.
As every decade sees changes in technology, science and economics, the western cowboy must change too. The western cowboy does still exit. There are still large and small ranches out west that need the cowboy and his horse. The cowboy has had to change with the times. Some work the ranches, some still patrol the ranges and some have started working the rodeos. Let's all try to keep this hard working rugged cowboy and his horse in existence.
