A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. Cattle drives ensure the herds health in finding pasture and bring them to market. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the vaquero traditions of northern Mexico and became a figure of special significance and legend. A subtype, called a wrangler, specifically tends the horses used to work cattle. In addition to ranch work, some cowboys work for or participate in rodeos. Cowgirls, first defined as such in the late 19th century, had a less well-documented historical role, but in the modern world work at identical tasks and have obtained considerable respect for their achievements. Cattle handlers in many other parts of the world, particularly in South America and stockmen and jackaroos in Australia, perform work similar to the cowboy.
The cowboy has deep historic roots tracing back to Spain and the earliest European colonizers of the Americas. Over the centuries, differences in terrain and climate, and the influence of cattle-handling traditions from multiple cultures, created several distinct styles of equipment, clothing and animal handling. As the ever-practical cowboy adapted to the modern world, his equipment and techniques also adapted, though many classic traditions are preserved.
Etymology and mainstream usage
The English word cowboy has an origin from several earlier terms that referred to both age and to cattle or cattle-tending work. The English word cowboy was derived from vaquero, a Spanish word for an individual who managed cattle while mounted on horseback. Vaquero was derived from vaca, meaning "cow", which came from the Latin word vacca. "Cowboy" was first used in print by Jonathan Swift in 1725, and was used in the British Isles from 1820 to 1850 to describe young boys who tended the family or community cows. Originally though, the English word "cowherd" was used to describe a cattle herder (similar to "shepherd", a sheep herder), and often referred to a pre-adolescent or early adolescent boy, who usually worked on foot. This word is very old in the English language, originating prior to the year 1000.
The term cowboy was in use by 1849, although it was not used in all locations. The men who drove cattle for a living in the southwest were usually called cowhands, drovers, or stockmen. Variations on the word appeared later. "Cowhand" appeared in about 1852, and "cowpoke" in 1881, originally restricted to the individuals who prodded cattle with long poles to load them onto railroad cars for shipping. Names for a cowboy in American English include buckaroo, cowpoke, cowhand, and cowpuncher. Another English word for a cowboy, buckaroo, is an anglicization of vaquero (Spanish pronunciation: [baˈkeɾo]). Today, "cowboy" is a term common throughout the west and particularly in the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains, "buckaroo" is used primarily in the Great Basin and California, and "cowpuncher" mostly in Texas and surrounding states.
Equestrianism required skills and an investment in horses and equipment rarely available to or entrusted to a child, though in some cultures boys rode a donkey while going to and from pasture. In antiquity, herding of sheep, cattle and goats was often the job of minors, and still is a task for young people in various Developing World cultures. Because of the time and physical ability needed to develop necessary skills, both historic and modern cowboys often began work as an adolescent. Historically, cowboys earned wages as soon as they developed sufficient skills to be hired (often as young as 12 or 13). If not disabled by injury, cowboys may handle cattle or horses for a lifetime. In the United States, a few women also took on the tasks of ranching and learned the necessary skills, though the "cowgirl" (discussed below) did not become widely recognized or acknowledged until the close of the 19th century.
On western ranches today, the working cowboy is usually an adult. Responsibility for herding cattle or other livestock is no longer considered suitable for children or early adolescents. Boys and girls growing up in a ranch environment often learn to ride horses and perform basic ranch skills as soon as they are physically able, usually under adult supervision. Such youths, by their late teens, are often given responsibilities for "cowboy" work on the ranch.
History
The origins of the cowboy tradition come from Spain, beginning with the hacienda system of medieval Spain. This style of cattle ranching spread throughout much of the Iberian peninsula, and later was imported to the Americas. Both regions possessed a dry climate with sparse grass, thus large herds of cattle required vast amounts of land to obtain sufficient forage. The need to cover distances greater than a person on foot could manage gave rise to the development of the horseback-mounted vaquero.
If you want to read a lot more, go here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cowboy
- SERVES
- 6
- COOK TIME
- 45 Min
Whether you serve this as a snack or a side dish, it's sure to be a hit. Golden and crispy potato wedges pair perfectly with our creamy avocado dip. It's hard not to get addicted to our recipe for Crispy Potato Wedges with California Dip; it's that good.
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 6 large potatoes, cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch wedges
- AVOCADO DIP
- 1 avocado, pitted and peeled
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- Preheat oven to 425º. Coat baking sheets with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, combine oil, paprika, chili powder, salt, and pepper; mix well. Add potato wedges and toss until evenly coated. Place potatoes in a single layer on baking sheets.
- Bake 45 to 50 minutes, or until golden brown, turning once halfway through cooking.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mash avocado. Stir in remaining ingredients. Serve potato wedges with avocado dip.
1962 – The Rolling Stones perform their first ever concert, at the Marquee Club in London.
Thank God for George, or what would I take pictures with???
1864 – George Washington Carver, American botanist (d. 1943)
- Complete heterochromia – one iris is a different color from the other.
- Partial heterochromia or sectoral heterochromia – part of one iris is a different color from the rest of the iris.
- Central heterochromia – an inner ring is a different color than the rest of the iris.
