Cowboys
The Daily Life of a Cowboy
The daily life of a cowboy was difficult. They were up early preparing food over an open fire, rolling up their bed, and saddling up for another long day on the trail. Some days they traveled for up to 15 hours driving cattle to the next destination. Trying to survive in harsh weather conditions, stampedes, and illness was all part of being a cowboy on a cattle drive. Finding water for themselves and the cattle was a priority. Keeping away the predatory animals, crossing rivers, and avoiding prairie fires were also dangers cowboys sometimes faced. Along the way cowboys enjoyed the open air and wrote and sang songs about their adventures on the trail.
Common Misconceptions
The life of a cowboy was not glamorous. Most cowboys had small to medium physical frames because larger men were too heavy to ride the Mustangs. A cowboy rode various horses during the day and not just one horse. Women could be cowboys and several owned a variety of ranches and ran their own cattle drive. Cowboys rarely if ever fought Native Americans. The word “cowboy” was not invented in Texas but came from the Spanish word “vaquero.”
Black Cowboys
Many of the slaves came from African countries like Ghana and Gambia where they had herded cattle. Plantation owners with large herds of cattle often preferred the slaves because they already possessed skills in herding animals. Slaves worked cattle in the tall grass, Pine Barrens and marshes of South Carolina, Florida, Louisiana and other parts of the South into southeastern Texas. A few of these slaves worked on horseback, but most used dogs, bullwhips and salt to control the cattle.
When the Texas ranchers went off to fight in the American Civil War they left their slaves to run the ranches. The slaves learned every aspect of the cattle ranching business. Since barbed wire hadn't been invented yet, they had a hard time keeping the cattle on their land. So they became excellent riders and ropers in an effort to round up the cattle.
After the Emancipation the slaves were free to find other jobs. Due to racial oppression and the shortage of jobs among black men back East, many who learned to care for cattle began to move west.
Some found work as ranch hands. As demand for beef grew, so did the demand for cowboys to drive Texas cattle north to the nearest train depot. Cowboys drove more than five million head of cattle north and east from Texas between 1866 and 1885, according to Gina De Angelis, author of the 1998 book Black Cowboys.
When the Texas ranchers went off to fight in the American Civil War they left their slaves to run the ranches. The slaves learned every aspect of the cattle ranching business. Since barbed wire hadn't been invented yet, they had a hard time keeping the cattle on their land. So they became excellent riders and ropers in an effort to round up the cattle.
After the Emancipation the slaves were free to find other jobs. Due to racial oppression and the shortage of jobs among black men back East, many who learned to care for cattle began to move west.
Some found work as ranch hands. As demand for beef grew, so did the demand for cowboys to drive Texas cattle north to the nearest train depot. Cowboys drove more than five million head of cattle north and east from Texas between 1866 and 1885, according to Gina De Angelis, author of the 1998 book Black Cowboys.
Historical Black Cowboys
Addison Jones – Addison Jones was one of the many cowboys who rode the Goodnight Loving Trail in New Mexico. He was one of the few who did not get into range feuds or get his name in the newspaper. Being a range boss of the LFD outfit, he usually led a crew of south Texas black cowboys.
Bill Pickett –Pickett rode his horse, Spradley, alongside a Longhorn steer, dropped to the steer's head, twisted its head toward the sky, and bit its upper lip to get full control of the wild beast. Cowdogs were known to bite the lips of cattle to control them. Pickett's technique became known as "bulldogging." This event became very popular among the rodeo cowboys. Bill Pickett became immortal with his “bulldogging” technique.
Bronco Sam – Bronco Sam could ride any horse and was not afraid of anything. After roping the biggest longhorn in the herd, Sam’s crew saddled it and had the Black bronco-buster ride it through the town of Cheyenne. He rode it down the main street with the crew cheering him on.
Bose Ikard – Born into slavery in Tennessee, Bose’s slave holder took him to Texas to work on a cattle Ranch. He learned to ride, rope and right while in Texas. Once he was freed he became his own man and hired out his service to Oliver Loving. After the death of Loving, Bose went to work for Charles Goodnight. Loving and Goodnight are the namesakes for the "Goodnight Loving Cattle Trail."
Bill Pickett –Pickett rode his horse, Spradley, alongside a Longhorn steer, dropped to the steer's head, twisted its head toward the sky, and bit its upper lip to get full control of the wild beast. Cowdogs were known to bite the lips of cattle to control them. Pickett's technique became known as "bulldogging." This event became very popular among the rodeo cowboys. Bill Pickett became immortal with his “bulldogging” technique.
Bronco Sam – Bronco Sam could ride any horse and was not afraid of anything. After roping the biggest longhorn in the herd, Sam’s crew saddled it and had the Black bronco-buster ride it through the town of Cheyenne. He rode it down the main street with the crew cheering him on.
Bose Ikard – Born into slavery in Tennessee, Bose’s slave holder took him to Texas to work on a cattle Ranch. He learned to ride, rope and right while in Texas. Once he was freed he became his own man and hired out his service to Oliver Loving. After the death of Loving, Bose went to work for Charles Goodnight. Loving and Goodnight are the namesakes for the "Goodnight Loving Cattle Trail."