The term cowboys is wholly and American term used to describe the men who worked on the cattle ranches throughout the country primarily in the 1800s. While other countries have their own cowboys who are called by other terms, the American cowboy got his name because of the type of work he did. Which was to watch over cows on ranches and then drive them to shipyards to be sold about once a year. Originally called cow pokes, the name cowboy came into usage as more and more young men, in their preteens and teens sought jobs on ranches and driving cows.
Cowboys were generally pretty poor working for a roof over their heads, food in their bellies, and little bit of money. They were however, as a whole honest and hard working.
Cowboy Clothing
Although the material sometimes was different depending on the area and the climate where a cowboy worked the standard clothing was basically the same and meant to protect the cowboy from the changing day to day weather conditions.
The cowboy’s shirt was usually homespun and had long sleeves to protect his arms from exposure to the sun and the the occasional rope burn. Jeans were the standard material in pants as they were could stand up to the wear and tear of life on the range better than other materials.
A cowboy’s boots were usually his most expensive item of clothing and were high with pointed toes to slide easily into the stirrups and heels to keep them there. The soles of these boots needed to tough for walking over rocks and the leather stiff to help protect from snake bites. The boots either came with permanent or detachable spurs.
To help protect the cowboys legs from brush and rope burns when he was working, he often wore chaps made form cowhide over his jeans. These chaps also kept some of the dust from his pants. Chaps were originally designed and worn by Mexicans who needed protection from the cacti in their area.
Wide brimmed hats were a necessary to protect a cowboy’s face and neck from the sun and to prevent rain from blocking his vision when out in rough weather. Most cowboys also wore bandannas around their necks. These bandannas could be used to wipe sweat from their brow when the temperatures got hot and could also be pulled over their mouths to keep them from eating dirt during a dust storm.
The vests we think of as typical cowboy wear was seldom worn by the true cowboy in the old west. Cowboys often wore whatever they could find and most often they wore second hand clothes that wealthier people got rid no longer wanted. It was movies that made the cowboys vest famous, and the modern day rodeo has served to increase the use of vests among modern day cowboys who can afford such accompaniments to their wardrobes.
Cowboys were a rare breed of individuals who were known for their honesty, hard work, and hard living perhaps that is why at one time or another every little girl wants to grow to be a cowboy or a cow girl.
View original: Why are Cowboys Called Cowboys?
Popularity: 5% [
If you’re new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
Related Posts:
- Betrayal and Abandonment
- The Name Game
- Own Your Actions
- Are your relationships based on equality or based on power?
- Dating Advice for Men (part 1)
- How To Share The Holidays In A Divorce Situation
- FEAR: a concern about something that threatens to bring bad news or results
- Tips for Taking Care of Yourself During a Divorce
- “Thank You” by Noah
- Did You And Your Partner Become Roommates?





