As we all know, Hollywood and television made the life of the cowboy a very romantic thing. Yet, the nature of being a cowboy is some of the hardest work ever accomplished.
The men of the trail often worked up to twenty hours a day. We find ourselves exhausted after eight. A typical cowboy day begins before the sun rises. Horses are saddled in the predawn and then its on to the range where their jobs consist of moving uncooperative cattle or horses from one watering hole to the next or shifting herds from grassland devoured to ones rich with green. It doesn't stop for seasons, holidays, or inclement weather.
But it wasn't just moving from spot A to B, cowboys were the first protection for the ranchers investments. Danger from weather, four footed, and two footed predators often snatched stray cattle or wandering horses.Small thefts added up. It was up to the cowboy to keep these loses to a minimum in order to keep smaller spreads from drying up. If injured, cowboys had to treat the animals with whatever preventative care they carried in their saddlebags. Medicinal homemade remedies were good for man or beast.
Sometimes distractions such as stampedes shifted the riders attentions. A downed rider could be and often was trampled under the hooves of frightened cattle. Another fear on the trail were river crossings. This fear was equally as great for man as it was for beast. Most young men didn't know how to swim.
When we think of these seasoned hands, images like Wayne, Selleck or Elliott come to mind. This was far from the truth. Many young men hit the trails at the tender age of 12 to 13. It wasn't until labor laws were established in the early 1900's that defined childhood, school, and working hours. Children of ranchers often had to stand toe to toe with the adults in order to make ranches successful.
The work was long, hard, and dangerous. When time came to slow down, these pre-teens turned to gun play, whiskey, cards, and other pursuits that spelled trouble. With medical care often no existent, the average life span of a cowboy was only 35 years of age.
Yet, the tradition of being a cowboy continues. The Department of Agriculture records there are anywhere between 600,000 to a million working cowboys in the US today. Of these numbers one third are women. The range is an equal opportunity investment for those willing to try.
So hats off, to the young men and women who keep our nation fed, who rise early and get to bed late, and get the job down. Down to earth, close to heaven, God loves the American Cowboy!
Celebrate National Cowboy Day - July 22, 2023.
Great post, Nan! I've always loved the cowboy and have great respect for the jobs they do. I know I could never do what they do.
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