Cowboy Subculture Paper free essay sample

The word cowboy brings to mind images of the old west, mostly movies. Ten gallon hats, boots, spurs, horses, revolvers and of course cows. In todays society the term cowboy or cowgirl isnt always a favorable one. It can mean ignorant, country, reckless, or just refer to boots and hats. Are Cowboys even still around? Not the wan be hat on the weekends type of person, the genuine article. The answer may surprise you. In todays modern world, cowboys arent just still around; they have developed into the subculture in which I belong.The cowboy subculture can be found all across the Ignited States and Hawaii. What is the Cowboy Culture and who belongs in it? The cowboy culture is made up Of many different types Of people from many different backgrounds. The cowboy culture is made up of working cowboys, professional rodeo cowboys, arena cowboys and cowgirls, Cattle people, horse people, and cowboy mentality people. The word cowboy originated from earlier terms translated from vaquero, a Spanish word for an individual who managed cattle while mounted on horseback.Originally Cowboy was a literal term, to describe a job like lawyer or Doctor. Cowboys started their profession at an early age, it took years to be able to handle both horse and Attlee with some skill, so cowboys were hired on as young as 12 or 13. These boys could look forward to handling cattle and horses for the larger outfits the rest of his adult life if he was lucky enough to avoid serious injury. At that time quite a few women also took on the tasks of ranching and learned the necessary skills, though the cowgirl didnt come into being until the 19th century and only then in the wild west shows. On western ranches today, even though the working cowboy is a grown man, the subculture of the cowboy is a lot of times one you are born into. Children of today, both boys ND girls that are raised on a ranch are expected to learn to ride and understand how to care for animals from an early age. Children of the cowboy culture grow up with hard work and responsibility. They show maturity and lavishnesss that is not generally found in urban kids. The cowboy clothing style grew out of practical need and the environment in which the cowboy worked.The western style of cowboy blind, rhinestones, Stetsons, Cinch and Wrangler jeans, Art and Justine boots all brands unique to the Cowboy culture and typical clothing of the cowboy all evolved out of necessity. The standard wear of any individual in the cowboy subculture is made up of if not every item at least several pairs of one or more articles of clothing such as Chaps, Hat, Boots, Jeans, and gloves. Chaps usually pronounced shapes or chinks protect the riders legs while on horseback, especially riding through heavy brush or during rough work with livestock.Cowboy hat: Wide brim to protect from sun, overhanging brush, and the elements. Cowboy boots; a boot with a high top to protect the lower legs, pointed toes to help guide the foot into the stirrup, and high heels to keep the tot from slipping through the stirrup while working in the saddle. Gloves, usually of deerskin or other leather that is soft and flexible for working purposes, yet provides protection when handling barbed wire, assorted tools or clearing native brush and vegetation. Jeans: Designed to protect the legs and prevent the trouser legs from snagging on brush, equipment or other hazards.Other tools of the cowboy culture which are necessary and are used or carried and can be found in any members tack room are: Knife; cowboys have traditionally favored some form of pocket knife, specifically the folding Attlee kni fe or stock knife. The knife has multiple blades, usually including a leather punch and a sheepfold blade. Lariat; from the Spanish la rata, meaning the rope, sometimes called a lasso, especially in the East, or simply, a rope. This is a tightly twisted stiff rope, originally of rawhide or leather, now often of nylon, made with a small loop at one end called a Hondo.Spurs; metal devices attached to the heel of the boot, featuring a small metal shank, usually with a small serrated wheel attached, used to allow the rider to provide a stronger (or sometimes, more precise) leg cue to the ores. Horse: Either Quarter horse or mustang. Tack: (Gear for your horse) each area of the cowboy subculture has a certain type of saddle that they use. For instance Team ropers saddles are heavier with a thicker horn in order to with stand the weight of the cow they rope, while Barrel Racers saddles are lighter with a narrow horn to allow for a better hold and less weight on their horse.Bridle; a Western bridle usually has a curb bit and long split reins to control the horse in many different situations Sad dle blanket; a blanket or pad is required under the Western addle to provide comfort and protection for the horse. Western saddle; a saddle specially designed to allow horse and rider to work for many hours and to provide security to the rider in rough terrain or when moving quickly in response to the behavior of the livestock being herded. A western saddle has a deep seat with high pommel and cantle that provides a secure seat.Deep, wide stirrups provide comfort and security for the foot. A strong, wide saddle tree of wood, covered in rawhide (or made of a modern synthetic material) distributes the weight of the rider across a greater area of the horses back, educing the pounds carried per square inch and allowing the horse to be ridden longer without harm. A horn sits low in front of the rider, to which a lariat can be snubbed, and assorted Dee rings and leather saddle strings allow additional equipment to be tied to the saddle.All these tools and more make up the gear of the cowboy culture. It hasnt changed since the 1 asss. Everyone in the cowboy culture is expected to know how to use and care for each piece of equipment. The Cowboy culture is made up of a group of people that have a certain ideals and ways Of thinking. People Of the cowboy ultra believe that they should be kind, tough, hardworking and have a strong sense of moral and religion. Morals: They accomplish any job given to them.They are very proud and will compete for that pride in their skills, not for the actual belt buckle or title They will stay out all night looking for cattle, or could at the same time go twenty miles out of his way to take a sick dog to a vet for a child. They dont usually look for trouble, but when it comes, they face it with courage and dignity. They defend good people, who cannot defend themselves, look out for their neighbors and expect the same in turn. Modern Cowboys are not all molded together.Each has its own style and is unique. Some of todays Cowboys still ride, rope and brand. Some have never even seen a cow up close. To become a Cowboy one does not have to actually ride the range, the cowboy culture has many different cultures within itself, each with its own unique sayings, rules, tack and dress. There are working cowboys, those that make all or part of their living on horseback. Professional Rodeo Cowboys that make all or part of their living in the rodeo circuit. Arena Cowboys and Cowgirls, this group make their living other places ND spend their weekends competing in the arena at various events. Team roping, Headers and Heelers, an event where pairs of cowboys race out and rope and tie a calf, the fastest team wins, Barrel Racers, usually women that race out onto the arena and run their horse in a cloverleaf pattern around barrels, fastest time wins, Bull riders, not considered the brightest of the bunch, Bronco riders, Calf scramble, is an event for children, the kids line up and 10 calves are released into the arena, three with a tag on its tail.The object is to grab the tag off the tail and return to the starting line. Mutton gusting event is also for small children, padded up and helmeted a child is placed on a sheep which is then released into the arena. The child with the longest time on the sheep wins. Cattle People, they range from owning a few thousand head of cattle to a single steer for an FAA project.Horse People, this group love s horses and have still more subcultures, the show horses, the halter class, speed racers, and western pleasure riders. Cowboys at heart, this group loves the Cowboy way and what it stands for. If you go on the scenario that all Cowboys walk bow legged, have missing teeth, and all spit bacon, then you will miss out on a great many true Cowboys.Besides family owned ranches and selected country born individuals, the Cowboy of today is trying to grab onto our roots of the past, with the sprawl of the cement world, it becomes harder and harder to find a spot in the world to call your own, and the Cowboy needs his space to ride. The cowboy culture bands together in small communities and big cities across America, trying to keep our culture alive. I hope this paper has given some insight into the cowboy subculture, and next time you see a pair of boots or a hat it means more to you than just clothing.