Why the horse?????

 Some things are unique to the American Cowboy. His hat. His weapon. His horse.

Most of these are self explanatory. The hat shielded his eyes from the blinding sun as well as protected his head from the heat and kept it from boiling his brains. A weapon was used for self-protection,  to restore order, and to keep cattle and family safe. But why the horse?

It is often said that a cowboy of foot is worth little. And probably so. Ranches, at the height of the cowboy era, might have encompassed several states and started with as little as 500 acres and grow to 800,000 acres. In order to work these large tracts of land, cowboys needed a good source of transportation. Thus, the horse has become one of the trademarks of the American West and the Cowboy.

On average, a ranch would hire up to a dozen good cowboys for each of these cowboys six horses would be at their beck and call for different ranch duties. A good ranch horse was used to move the cattle, round up the cattle and calves for a yearly count and for market. Some were used just for roping, some for cutting cattle, another might have a good easy gate that didn't shake a man's insides for long distances. Some animals were none as bomb proof meaning they weren't spooked or startled by things going on around them. It would be the right horse on a storm night that wouldn't lose his head if the cattle got startled.

Cowboys rode different breeds of horses. Of course, we've all heard of the Mustang. The American Quarter horse was developed for its maneuverability and stamina on a short distance run. Appaloosas were another distinct American breed as were the Missouri Fox Trotters, American Standard Bred, Morgan, and even Arabians. Back in the heyday of the cowboy a good horse might cost 150.00 to 200.00 dollars. Considering a cowboy often made only a dollar a day, it was a big investment.

A cowboy needed his horse to work with him, not against him. If he were to do the job given to him. They needed to earn their horses trust. Being thrown in the field might be life or death for the rider. So trust and understanding on both sides must come first. Some of this starts before a saddles is even introduced. Leading  your horse, talking to your horse gains that first level of trust. A cowboy might not have time to say a command. His horse must learn to know the signals of a heel against it's side, the lifting of the reins, the touch of a hand. A trait that ensures the cowboys ability to work.

 Often it is said, that a cowboy and his horse are one.  It is this iconic image that makes the American Cowboy heroic in anyone's eyes.