What’s the first that comes to mind when you hear the word cowboy? I’m guessing you think of a muscular, handsome guy neatly dressed in a long sleeve shirt and dressy pants and boots with spurs, holding a gun. If so, you’re incorrect because THAT is how Hollywood created the image of cowboys. THAT is what they want you to believe. Cowboys may seem like that, but they are definitely not similar to the way Hollywood made them appear.
You might think being a cowboy is easy; all you have to do is act tough and ride around on your horse, and shooting a person then putting your gun back in that gun holder all in a dramatic way. I hate to burst your bubble, but that is not all what cowboys do. In the 1800s, cowboys were responsible hard workers. They performed their jobs efficiently. They had to make money for their families and in order to live. Life wasn’t as easy then as it is today. Whether it was managing cattle’s or roping or even busting broncs, cowboys worked durably. On top of their ranch-related tasks, cowboys also engaged in agricultural work. Never would have guessed that, huh?Also, one of the cowboys’ hard tasks was cow handing; which is to prod cattles using long poles in order to load them on railroad cars for shipping. It was a very hard and tiring job. But of course, in order to be able to perform all those jobs, a cowboy needed the most important thing; a horse. Without horses, he would not be able to cross long distances and herd the cattles and easily perform his ranch tasks.
Hollywood did set our minds off of the REAL image of cowboys. They made you think they are perfectly strong and healthy and live it easy, but in reality, they aren’t. Behind that fake act, cowboys actually lived a hard life. There wasn’t instant medical help when they needed them like nowadays, when they got hurt, they had to suffer and hopelessly wait till it heal or just die. Although cowboys seem to appear all strong, the shorting of food did cause weakness and malnutrition. So, as you see, their lives weren’t as perfect as they seemed to be. Cowboys worked hard and efficiently and earned their names.
And now, moving on to their wardrobe; at least there’s one thing Hollywood depicted right! Of course, you know, cowboys wore long-sleeved shirt and work pants, with those awesome spur-full boots and cowboy hats and kerchiefs. Now that, is a pretty awesome outfit right there.
And for fun, which still happens in our present, Rodeos were held! Rodeos is an event where people come together and enjoy their time and compete at bull riding, indoor roping and horse riding. Bull riding was the most popular competition as people were excited to compete in or watch. They did deserve a little fun after their hardworking days.
So, by that, I hope I cleared up the wrong image Hollywood has depicted of cowboys! Cowboys weren’t as “cool” looking as they were, they were hard workers and worked efficiently and did their best to survive. So, I hope you learned your lesson of never trusting Hollywood movies because, THEYRE NOT ALWAYS TRUE!
