The ~Christian Country Farm~

COWBOYS

WHICH PIONEERS LIVED IN THEIR SADDLES?

     Cowboys. Not all pioneers came west to claim land and settle down. Some came to ride the wide-open spaces, rope cattle, and make their living as cowboys. Most cowboys were young, poor, and had little education {another words, not much schooling!!! LOL} They came from many places--the South, the East, the Midwest, and even as far as Europe. About one in six was Mexican, and about the same number were black. Some were full- or half-blood Indians. Some weren't cowboys at all--THEY WERE COWGIRLS!!!  



TRUE OR FALSE...

COWBOYS SPENT THEIR DAYS TAMING A MESS OF BUCKING BRONCOS.

     False. Cowboys' days were dirty, dangerous, and often dull. Their job was to poke, prod, and guide longhorn cattle north from Texas to railway towns on the plains. For each day cowboys were on a cattle drive {which took two to three months}, they spent at least fourteen hours on horseback. Cowboys rode through quicksand, among rattlesnakes, insects, and hostile Indian tribes, and in sun, rain, wind, sleet, hail, and even snow. Their days were so long and their pay so low that only one out of three cowboys returned for more than one drive.

     One of the most famous cowboys was a former slave named Nat Love. In a rodeo in 1876, Nat  won so many roping and shooting contests that he was nicknamed "Deadwood Dick." Another former slave, Bill Pickett, became a famous rodeo star for inventing bulldogging,  or wrestling a steer to the ground by pulling on its horns. Sometimes he would drag it down while biting its lower lip!



HOW MUCH WATER DID A COWBOY'S TEN-GALLON HAT HOLD???

     Not ten gallons! In fact, the word gallon probably came from the spanish word galo'n, referring to the braid around the hat. But a sturdy, wide-brimmed hat could hold enough water to refresh a cowboy's horse. It also served as an eye shade when he took a nap, a fan when he was hot, and a mini-umbrella that protected him from sun and rain.




 A cowboy also wouldn't be much of a wrangler without his trusty....

  * chaps, worn over his pants to protect his legs

  * bandanna, to keep the dust out of his nose and mouth


  * boots, to keep his feet in the saddle and protect him from thorns and  snakes


  * spurs, to urge his horse on


  * lariat, or rope, to catch stary cattle; and--most of all--

  * his saddle, which was his driver's seat, his office, and often his pillow at night




Kelly KJV
Deuteronomy 6:5-9*Proverbs 31:28*Titus 2:5*
Psalm 19:14*Joshua 24:15*I Corinthians 15:58

THANKS!!!

09:25 PM, Sep. 1, 2006 .. Posted by maa

The information was very interesting, I learned alot from it. Thanks!!
Belle-homesteadgirls