In the movies and on television, the cowboy
is usually pictured as a hero on horseback who spends most of his time
rescuing ladies in distress or tracking down cattle rustlers and bank robbers.
In reality, the cowboy of the 1870s and 1880s spent as many as 18 hours
a day in the saddle rounding up cattle. In the spring new calves were branded;
and in the fall the mature, full-grown cattle were rounded up to be driven
north-a dangerous three-month trek-to railhead towns for shipment East.
In the winter the cowboy often had to ride through blizzards to pick up
sick cows and calves, or drive straying animals to wind-cleared hillsides
where they could find grass.
At any season he might have to spend months
living alone in an isolated cabin, called a "line camp," from which he
patrolled the ranch's boundaries to keep the owner's cattle from wandering
off. For this hard, often dangerous, work he earned $25 to $30 a month,
plus his food and a bunk. He was usually single, and his loyalty was to
the men in his outfit and not to the owner.
The cowboy was not a "boy" but a young
man. And he did not tend cows-he handled them from the back of a 900-lb
(400 kg.) horse. Each cowboy was responsible for the condition of 7 to
10 horses; and if these animals
showed signs of mistreatment, the cowboy
was likely to be fired. Cowboys also tried their hand frequently at breaking
wild horses to the saddle. A ride on a violently bucking bronco often caused
a man to bleed from the mouth and ears. These animals were trained as cutting
horses, night horses, or rope horses. A good cutting horse seemed to know
which steer its rider wanted to cut out, or separate, from the herd during
roundup. A night horse, noted for its calmness and surefootedness, was
used by cowboys who kept watch over a herd at night. A rope horse was taught
to stop short when its rider roped a steer, then maneuver quickly to keep
the rope taut while the rider prepared the animal for branding.
More important to the cowboy than a pistol
or rifle were his hat, boots, and saddle. A good hat with a wide brim shielded
him from the dangerously hot sun. He wanted high boots made of the best
leather to protect his legs. A bandanna tied around his neck helped screen
the trail dust from his nostrils. The cowboy's saddle provided a firm seat
and a workbench out on the range, and he would spend his last dollars for
a good one. It was considered a disgrace for a cowboy, even when he was
down on his luck, to sell his saddle.
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