Excerpt
Chapter 1: What Is a Cowboy, Anyway?
You’ve probably seen a cowboy in a movie—hat tilted low, riding a wild horse, maybe spinning a lasso and shouting things like “Yeehaw!” or “This town ain’t big enough for the both of us.” But if we’re going to talk about being a real cowboy, we’ve got to start by separating fact from fiction. Not every dusty boot and hat-wearing person was a real cowboy, and not everyone who was a cowboy looked or acted the way movies show them.
First off, cowboys weren’t just one kind of person. In fact, one of the biggest surprises is that cowboys came from all kinds of backgrounds. A lot of cowboys were Mexican, Black, and Native American. Some were white settlers too, but not as many as you might think. Cowboys spoke different languages, had different traditions, and came together out on the trail for one big job: moving cattle across long distances and taking care of herds.
Many cowboys in the American West had learned skills from Mexican vaqueros, who were the original cowboys in North America. “Vaquero” even comes from the Spanish word for cow. These horse-riding cattle experts knew how to rope, ride, and wrangle long before the American cowboy was a thing. If you’ve ever used the word rodeo, lasso, or chaps, you're already speaking vaquero!
Another thing that might surprise you: real cowboys didn’t spend all day in gunfights or chasing bandits. A cowboy’s life was tough, mostly filled with hard work. They got up before sunrise, rode for hours, and spent their nights sleeping under the stars. There were no stunt doubles, no slow-motion shootouts, and no one shouted cool one-liners while flipping a coin. Most of them were just trying to earn a living. It wasn’t glamorous. It was gritty, smelly, sometimes dangerous work.
And let’s clear something else up—cowboys weren’t outlaws. In fact, being called a “cowboy” back in the early 1800s wasn’t always a compliment. In some places, it meant you were wild or untrustworthy. Over time, though, the word changed. As more cattle drives happened and ranches popped up across the West, the cowboy became a kind of symbol. People started to see cowboys as tough, loyal, and brave. That’s when the stories and legends started growing—and when Hollywood came in, things got a little, well, over-the-top.
Let’s talk about those Wild West shows. They were kind of like circus acts but cowboy-themed. One of the most famous performers was Buffalo Bill Cody. He turned his adventures into live shows that toured the U.S. and even Europe. Audiences saw trick riders, sharpshooters, and actors pretending to be outlaws and heroes. Some real cowboys were part of these shows, but they were performing, not herding cattle. They helped spread the cowboy legend—but again, a lot of it was just that: legend.
If you’ve heard of Annie Oakley, you know that girls got into the act too. Annie was a sharpshooter who could hit a target while standing on a galloping horse. She toured with Buffalo Bill and became famous worldwide. Was she a “cowboy”? Not exactly, but she was definitely part of the Wild West scene. People started using “cowgirl” later to talk about women who rode and worked on ranches—and there were plenty of them doing tough work right alongside the men.
Let’s pause for a second. Think of your favorite cowboy movie or show. Now think about how many people in that story are riding through the desert, having shootouts, or facing off with outlaws. Now think about this: in real life, cowboys spent more time fixing fences than fighting anyone. They watched for cattle thieves, sure, but most days were about feeding animals, guiding them safely across rivers, and helping one another when storms rolled in. A cowboy was more likely to have a rope in his hand than a revolver.
Even the hats got exaggerated. The huge, curled-up cowboy hats we see in cartoons and rodeos? Real cowboys wore hats that were practical. They had to keep the sun off your face and the rain out of your eyes. Big, floppy hats did the job. Fancy hat tricks were mostly just for show.
Now, here’s something cool: cowboys had their own code. Not a written rulebook, but more like a way of living. They believed in doing your share of the work, looking out for your crew, being polite even when things got rough, and respecting the land and animals you worked with. That kind of quiet toughness made a cowboy someone you could trust.
But let’s not forget the people who weren’t really cowboys, even if they dressed like one. In the 1900s, when cowboy movies became popular, actors started wearing cowboy clothes on-screen. They had cool outfits and exciting adventures, but most had never been on a cattle drive or cleaned a horse’s hooves. They were pretend cowboys—just like you might be during a costume party.
Same goes for outlaws like Jesse James or Billy the Kid. Some people call them “cowboys,” but they didn’t herd cattle or ride trails for work. They robbed banks and trains. That’s a whole different thing. Outlaws were criminals. Cowboys were workers. It’s a big difference.
You’ve probably seen a cowboy in a movie—hat tilted low, riding a wild horse, maybe spinning a lasso and shouting things like “Yeehaw!” or “This town ain’t big enough for the both of us.” But if we’re going to talk about being a real cowboy, we’ve got to start by separating fact from fiction. Not every dusty boot and hat-wearing person was a real cowboy, and not everyone who was a cowboy looked or acted the way movies show them.
First off, cowboys weren’t just one kind of person. In fact, one of the biggest surprises is that cowboys came from all kinds of backgrounds. A lot of cowboys were Mexican, Black, and Native American. Some were white settlers too, but not as many as you might think. Cowboys spoke different languages, had different traditions, and came together out on the trail for one big job: moving cattle across long distances and taking care of herds.
Many cowboys in the American West had learned skills from Mexican vaqueros, who were the original cowboys in North America. “Vaquero” even comes from the Spanish word for cow. These horse-riding cattle experts knew how to rope, ride, and wrangle long before the American cowboy was a thing. If you’ve ever used the word rodeo, lasso, or chaps, you're already speaking vaquero!
Another thing that might surprise you: real cowboys didn’t spend all day in gunfights or chasing bandits. A cowboy’s life was tough, mostly filled with hard work. They got up before sunrise, rode for hours, and spent their nights sleeping under the stars. There were no stunt doubles, no slow-motion shootouts, and no one shouted cool one-liners while flipping a coin. Most of them were just trying to earn a living. It wasn’t glamorous. It was gritty, smelly, sometimes dangerous work.
And let’s clear something else up—cowboys weren’t outlaws. In fact, being called a “cowboy” back in the early 1800s wasn’t always a compliment. In some places, it meant you were wild or untrustworthy. Over time, though, the word changed. As more cattle drives happened and ranches popped up across the West, the cowboy became a kind of symbol. People started to see cowboys as tough, loyal, and brave. That’s when the stories and legends started growing—and when Hollywood came in, things got a little, well, over-the-top.
Let’s talk about those Wild West shows. They were kind of like circus acts but cowboy-themed. One of the most famous performers was Buffalo Bill Cody. He turned his adventures into live shows that toured the U.S. and even Europe. Audiences saw trick riders, sharpshooters, and actors pretending to be outlaws and heroes. Some real cowboys were part of these shows, but they were performing, not herding cattle. They helped spread the cowboy legend—but again, a lot of it was just that: legend.
If you’ve heard of Annie Oakley, you know that girls got into the act too. Annie was a sharpshooter who could hit a target while standing on a galloping horse. She toured with Buffalo Bill and became famous worldwide. Was she a “cowboy”? Not exactly, but she was definitely part of the Wild West scene. People started using “cowgirl” later to talk about women who rode and worked on ranches—and there were plenty of them doing tough work right alongside the men.
Let’s pause for a second. Think of your favorite cowboy movie or show. Now think about how many people in that story are riding through the desert, having shootouts, or facing off with outlaws. Now think about this: in real life, cowboys spent more time fixing fences than fighting anyone. They watched for cattle thieves, sure, but most days were about feeding animals, guiding them safely across rivers, and helping one another when storms rolled in. A cowboy was more likely to have a rope in his hand than a revolver.
Even the hats got exaggerated. The huge, curled-up cowboy hats we see in cartoons and rodeos? Real cowboys wore hats that were practical. They had to keep the sun off your face and the rain out of your eyes. Big, floppy hats did the job. Fancy hat tricks were mostly just for show.
Now, here’s something cool: cowboys had their own code. Not a written rulebook, but more like a way of living. They believed in doing your share of the work, looking out for your crew, being polite even when things got rough, and respecting the land and animals you worked with. That kind of quiet toughness made a cowboy someone you could trust.
But let’s not forget the people who weren’t really cowboys, even if they dressed like one. In the 1900s, when cowboy movies became popular, actors started wearing cowboy clothes on-screen. They had cool outfits and exciting adventures, but most had never been on a cattle drive or cleaned a horse’s hooves. They were pretend cowboys—just like you might be during a costume party.
Same goes for outlaws like Jesse James or Billy the Kid. Some people call them “cowboys,” but they didn’t herd cattle or ride trails for work. They robbed banks and trains. That’s a whole different thing. Outlaws were criminals. Cowboys were workers. It’s a big difference.