A Cowboy is Born
What is a cowboy? They are portrayed in books and movies as manly men. They are overflowing with testosterone and able to leap tall buildings with a single bound. Well, that might be Superman but many of us still think of them as super heroes.
One dictionary defines a cowboy as "a man, typically one on horseback, who herds and tends cattle, especially in the western US and as represented in westerns and novels".
Cowboys in literature remain popular in the romance genre. I can think of few women who wouldn't be tantalized by a man riding to her rescue on a white horse. But the origins of cowboys really started in Mexico.
According to the American Cowboy (americancowboy.com), the Vaquero (Spanish for cow) influenced what most of us in the U.S. consider to be the origin of the cowboy. Horses were imported from Spain in the early 1500's to Mexico and natives were taught to ride and manage cattle. Cattle ranching spread from Mexico into the Southwest of what is now the U.S. Known for their expert horsemanship and roping skills it was said that a cowboy wouldn't dismount for anyone other than a pretty girl.
By the mid-1800's ranching had spread to non-native Mexican people. Some known as Californios rode a smaller horse (probably pony-sized or the precursor to the Quarter Horse) and used the large horns for leverage when roping cattle. Texans used many of the same techniques as the Buckaroos (derived from Vaquero) and as cattle were moved to the western seaports of California, riding the range was at it's peak in the mid to late 1800's.
I grew up watching Bonanza and the Rifleman. My good friend from Great Britain is an expert on The Big Valley and Sugarfoot. My guy knows them all and has the autographs of many of the stars of the early westerns. It might be why even today I still find something irresistible about a man in worn Wrangler jeans, cowboy hat and dirty boots.
Happy Trails,
Leslie
Visit my website
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One dictionary defines a cowboy as "a man, typically one on horseback, who herds and tends cattle, especially in the western US and as represented in westerns and novels".
Cowboys in literature remain popular in the romance genre. I can think of few women who wouldn't be tantalized by a man riding to her rescue on a white horse. But the origins of cowboys really started in Mexico.
According to the American Cowboy (americancowboy.com), the Vaquero (Spanish for cow) influenced what most of us in the U.S. consider to be the origin of the cowboy. Horses were imported from Spain in the early 1500's to Mexico and natives were taught to ride and manage cattle. Cattle ranching spread from Mexico into the Southwest of what is now the U.S. Known for their expert horsemanship and roping skills it was said that a cowboy wouldn't dismount for anyone other than a pretty girl.
By the mid-1800's ranching had spread to non-native Mexican people. Some known as Californios rode a smaller horse (probably pony-sized or the precursor to the Quarter Horse) and used the large horns for leverage when roping cattle. Texans used many of the same techniques as the Buckaroos (derived from Vaquero) and as cattle were moved to the western seaports of California, riding the range was at it's peak in the mid to late 1800's.
I grew up watching Bonanza and the Rifleman. My good friend from Great Britain is an expert on The Big Valley and Sugarfoot. My guy knows them all and has the autographs of many of the stars of the early westerns. It might be why even today I still find something irresistible about a man in worn Wrangler jeans, cowboy hat and dirty boots.
Happy Trails,
Leslie
Visit my website
Twitter Instagram Facebook Menu for Murder Cocktails at Sunset
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