What Makes a Real Cowboy?

The word cowboy is bandied around quite often today, especially with the
Yellowstone influence. In reality it has been used for decades without a clear
definition but with many interpretations. Some try to clarify the term by designating
vaquero, Californio, buckaroo, cowpuncher, singer, football player, or current slang usage and the list goes on. With that concept to define, we hear generic examples of “a cowboy”, such as a man who works with cows, or a rancher, or a guy who works on ranches and
sometimes farms. We hear about horsemen and now horsewomen, trainers and
riders and owners. Let’s not forget the rodeo contestants in their special world of
horses and cows. And there are the entertainers who wear their holey jeans,
cowboy hats, and sing songs about “the cowboy way”. Even businessmen and
women are referred to as cowboys when they tend to think outside the box or
venture into new arenas.

I think it is wonderful to be an object or person that so many aspire to share the
identity, that they too want to use the term “cowboy”. We appreciate your interest,
your admiration for our lifestyle, and your contributions to our economy. We do
reciprocate: We watch the stock market, we vacation all over the world, we share
the politics, we eat French, Italian, and fusion cuisines, and sometimes we don’t
wear our jeans. There are some dresses and slacks in the closet, and brand-new
creased blue jeans.

There really is no one picture of an individual in the dictionary that sums up what a
cowboy looks like or does. I do exemplify the life we built as a cowboy family in the
new Heritage Edition of One Man’s Collection of Early California Spade Bits. Here I would like to talk about the heart and soul of a cowboy, what he is inside. It is
similar to what the Navajo call Dine. This is what guides him to what he does and
how he treats the world. To my family and to me, that is the true essence, the
deep-earned respect for a real cowboy. This really is the measure of a cowboy
based upon tradition, values, and self-respect.

The enigma and the allure of the cowboy lifestyle is beckoning to many after
watching television programs or seeing these mavericks in the wide open spaces,
riding freely and fearlessly. We welcome all to see below the surface of the man
and woman who live it everyday. It is in the fabric of all we do, everyday 24/7/365.
The cowboys I know and remember have a code of honor and respect. We trust and
admire them for their excellence with humility, for their manners with humor, and
for their loyalty without wavering.

First, let’s talk about the check-off lists that some think a cowboy has to be or have.
A person can do any of these, just realize that isn’t what makes you a cowboy.
There is much more to the life and the man/woman. We have many fine people who
fit the cowboy model. He doesn’t have to be male, can be female too. He (I use
that word generically in this piece) can be male or female, tall or short, white, black,
brown, red, or yellow. Those are just things; it’s much, much more. Boots, jeans,
and a cowboy hat in all its configurations do not complete the cowboy. Packing a
gun is seldom done nor required. Owning land, cattle, or horses doesn’t make a
cowboy either. It may be a start, but not an instant entry. Pushing the lines of decency, morality, or manners definitely does not make you a cowboy. Driving a
big, loud truck is not a requirement, except when moving cattle and horses. And
cussing is a new phenomenon, not really respected in the cowboy world. A cowboy
is so much more, it is under the skin and in his heart.

Like all of us, cowboys owe it to themselves to be the best they can be and to be
proud of themselves for what they do and think. They have a strong sense of self-
worth that moves them to grow and to help others at the same time. The cowboys
measure their success with the satisfaction of doing their best at that time, not that
they might seem better than someone else. Watch the rodeos where the
contestants help and support each other to do their individual best. There are
today’s winners, and tomorrow might have a different arena winner. That is life;
best is a moving target with each minute going by. They also take care that their
animals are in the peak of their performance. Their reward is knowing that they did
right and their best. A cowboy is happy to see another succeed because he knows
that could be him tomorrow when his best shines. We look at that in work ethic, in
learning, and in behaviors. That is in the heart and drive of a cowboy.

They, men and women alike, honor and protect their families with all their heart and
not to the detriment of others. They help their loved ones assimilate into
communities and activities, once again to become the best possible. A cowboy
lifestyle is measured in the family with a good home, secure environment, and
abundant opportunities. None of this is measured by dollars, although money is
nice and essential. That bank account is a plus and part of the “dream”, but the
ultimate feeling of success is in the soul and the smiles of the loved ones. For
instance the family travels miles to get a machine part so Dad can finish that work
before midnight. The cattle drive down the road with the family mounted safely and
working as a unit. The evening is opportunity to gather and share their events of
the day. The family encourages learning, exploring new ideas, and stretching their
horizons, building the next generation.

Cowboys are very involved with the community. No one can do this life alone. A
community can be different things: a neighborhood, a group of ranches or farms,
an organization, or bigger. The first illustration of this comradery is the brandings
that so many are honored to join. This is where skilled people come together to
help each other care of their stock. Skilled is essential because this is where one
enters into another man’s livelihood and business with respect. Community
involvement is helping another person take care of their property or animals, maybe
for disability, or emergencies, or just plain friendship. They volunteer at events and
establishments to honor and protect the environment and the heritage. A cowboy is
an active part, albeit sometimes quiet, of the world, and he takes the responsibility
readily.

Nothing is more inviting than the tenderness and manners of a cowboy. His
momma, and daddy too, taught him right from wrong. And he continues that. He
takes his hat off for a lady or a peer, he is present and involved. That hat comes off
as he enters homes and sits at tables of friends. When he goes to town, the fresh
blue jeans are on, the shirt is neat and clean. He is showing respect to his family, friends, and community. A knowing eye doesn’t need to see dirt and holes to
determine a strong work ethic. His hand is kind to man and animal. You can see a
connection of a kind, trusting touch, equal and almost unnoticeable, as he catches
or reaches for the horse or cow or child. All kindness does come back. Although, he
does respond to attitudes and behaviors he receives, he can reciprocate quickly and
efficiently. Crude, vulgar language may be uttered in private, protected situations,
but the public is not subjected to it.

A cowboy likes to laugh and to have fun; it is a balance to all this responsibility.
Sometimes to the outsider, this is what is spotlighted and they miss the heart and
the determination. Singing has been around for centuries, keeping the cattle quiet
or serenading a love. It can sooth the soul, rekindle memories, and help tomorrow
come. Many, but not all, can add a fancy-footwork-dance to that music too. Maybe
their rhythm comes from learning to ride and partner with a multi-strided working
horse. There is rhythm to it. Barbecue get-togethers have been a central part of
the culture, evolving into backyard parties and picnics. Time to smile and reflect or
project. A good joke or trick is always fun, but it doesn’t wound the soul. And it will
probably be reciprocated. When they smile, there is a little bit of bedevilment in it,
inviting and interesting. Just remember the county song, “What he is is what you
got, and he can’t be what he’s not. So whatcha gonna do with a cowboy?” They
are a multi-faceted individual with a lot of responsibility and personality, who do find
a balance with humor added into a long day’s work.

There is no better steward for the earth and its creatures. He has an almost spiritual
belief that the earth needs to be cared for. At the same time, this family is working
on a very slim profit margin, putting it all on the line. It is a balancing act. A
blizzard, flood, drought, or fire could wipe it all out, but that cowboy will pick it all up
and do it again. Now he even has to wade through volumes of regulations, fees, and
taxes. Many of them written by people who haven’t really been out there to see the
wells dry up, hay crop doused with hail, the cows abort the calf crop that was going
to pay the mortgage. But the heart of the cowboy sends him out to find solutions,
to rebuild for another day. Because this is what he does and loves: he truly needs
the land and all its resources. So he cares for it with all his might.

This person is a walking calculator. He knows how many cattle a ranch will handle;
he knows how much help will be needed based upon the herd size. He knows how to
manage crops and feed to keep the herd flourishing. To them the stock market is
the price of cattle, of hay, and of, to their chagrin, even fencing supplies. Their best
friend is a good banker who can see the knowledge, determination, and ethics of a
dedicated specialist. He can get them through the bad times, and then they
celebrate the good.

The knowledge required to be a working, profitable cowboy is incalculable. He
needs to be an environmentalist and an economist as was stated earlier. Add to
that the veterinary and kinesiology of man and animal science that must be current.
The geological/soil ramifications must be considered with grazing and harvesting.
He is conversant about nutrition and food science. Most impressive, this hard
working, some call a blue collar, individual has a poor-man’s PhD in physics. How he throws a rope precisely considering wind, motion, and velocity to catch a running
animal, how he works a cow with action and reaction, how he moves an unmovable
object to get a fence built or a water tank working considering leverage and joules,
that is physics practiced by a possible high school graduate. He is putting
knowledge to work with a need answered by observation and common sense. Most
precious to him is the knowledge of the culture and heritage he so admires. And he
reads and reads and reads because learning is a life-blood.

Heritage, knowing where he came from, is very instrumental in a cowboy’s life. The
parents have shared the knowledge and the events of past generations to build a
solid emotional foundation and a sense of belonging. He shares his stories, he
relishes his heroes from the past. And he doesn’t stay there in the shadows. He
talks to the next generation. He takes what he knows and believes and moves into
the future. His feet are on the ground but his eyes are on the horizons ahead he
sees every day.

A cowboy is an optimist. What other person can get up day after day, trauma after
trauma, and persist to go forward? He is not alone. There are medical workers,
police, firemen, and others who do the same dance. I believe they all have some
cowboy in them. Maybe the smile isn’t there as often or as big as others, maybe
they are frowning hard in thought trying to find a solution, maybe they seem
unreasonable when they feel pragmatic. A cowboy honestly has many hurdles to
keep his family safe and warm, learning and expanding. He also travels a path of
goliath-like obstacles to keep his trade, ranch, or culture moving forward and
thriving. There are moments or days of pessimism, but the optimism takes him out
beating away the dragons, and living the best life he knows.

Most recently, I went to the Cave Creek Rodeo and saw these values in action. It is
that entertaining, fun part of being a cowboy. Yes, the contestants and the animals
trying their hardest and working together. And there were hundreds of volunteers
making a cowboy event a success. The friends and families in the stands, some
with their cowboy hats and holey jeans, cheered on the winners and supported the
less fortunate. The veterans and active members who sky dived into the middle of
the arena brought all of us to our feet with such a sense of pride. The flashy
cowgirls with their flags mounted on well trained horses added a note of pageantry
not to be outdone. The clown, with his corny jokes that got laughs and groans, all
family-friendly, kept us all watching, clapping, and learning the cowboy way. I sat in
the stands explaining what was happening to first-time visitors; they walked away
with a new, and hopefully interested, understanding of what this is all about. We
shared our heritage. This was home, where the cowboys and the cowgirls live.

A cowboy is merely a human through all of that. You have been reading about a
paragon. No one is born a cowboy; it is honestly not in the genes. It is developed as
we grow, maybe from day one; we are growing into it all the time. We are reaching
for that goal with guidance and a good mind day by day, chore by chore. No one
can be all of that all of the time. These values are in our heritage, in our history.
They are our goals. As long as someone gives it the cowboy try with a cowboy
heart, we can live with that. We love our cowboys past, present, and future for what i s inside, sometimes hidden under the dust, dirt, and even manure of a hard day’s
work.

Now if you see part of this in yourself, put on your hat and call yourself a cowboy.
We welcome you to our community of exceptional people. We welcome your
questions, your curiosity, your efforts to learn. We ask for respect about the depth
of devotion to this lifestyle and the skills to make it work. Treat us as you think you
would treat someone coming in to learn and participate in your profession or
heritage. You have given us the admiration that puts that smile on our face. You
see, there is cowboy in all of us, even if just a little. We recognize you may not
choose to go to a branding, and we probably won’t go to an opera or a grunge
concert. May we all live together in harmony, curiosity, and mutual respect.