Truths of the American Cowboy

As Americans, we have always been interested in the lives of the American Cowboys, as they have been part of our national identity since their existence. In our culture, we have made the cowboys iconic, incorporating them in our movies, shows, and books, but not all of this is accurate. We have turned the cowboy into something that is almost revered, idolizing them and their spirit. In reality, they have lived a hard life, constantly working and traveling to provide for them and their families. There were various jobs like managing cattle, from the range boss to the wrangler, the bronco buster to the line rider, the cook to the cutting horse. They lived a rugged life sometimes being out on the road for years wrangling and driving cattle to get paid. Further more, especially in our movies, cowboys are often associated with mostly fictitious Indian fighting rather than with their actual lives of tending and herding cattle. We are so caught up in our delusions of the Hollywood portrayal of cowboys we forget what they actually were and what they did.