"Ranch hand" redirects here. For other uses, see Cowboy (disambiguation) and Ranch hand (disambiguation).
Cowboys portrayed in Western art. The Herd Quitter by C. M. Russell
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. Cattle drives ensure the herds health in finding pasture and bring them to market. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the vaquero traditions of northern Mexico and became a figure of special significance and legend.[1] A subtype, called a wrangler, specifically tends the horses used to work cattle. In addition to ranch work, some cowboys work for or participate in rodeos. Cowgirls, first defined as such in the late 19th century, had a less-well documented historical role, but in the modern world work at identical tasks and have obtained considerable respect for their achievements.[2] Cattle handlers in many other parts of the world, particularly South America and stockmen and jackaroos in Australia, perform work similar to the cowboy.
The cowboy has deep historic roots tracing back to Spain and the earliest European colonizers of the Americas. Over the centuries, differences in terrain and climate, and the influence of cattle-handling traditions from multiple cultures, created several distinct styles of equipment, clothing and animal handling. As the ever-practical cowboy adapted to the modern world, his equipment and techniques also adapted, though many classic traditions are preserved.
^Malone, J., p. 1.
^"Home Page". Cowgirl Hall of Fame & Museum. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related...
Cowboy Carter (also referred to as Act II: Cowboy Carter) is the eighth studio album by American singer and songwriter Beyoncé, released on March 29,...
Cowboy Bebop (Japanese: カウボーイビバップ, Hepburn: Kaubōi Bibappu) is a Japanese neo-noir space Western anime television series which aired on TV Tokyo and Wowow...
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League...
Urban Cowboy is a 1980 American romantic Western film directed by James Bridges. The plot concerns the love-hate relationship between Buford "Bud" Davis...
The cowboy hat is a high-crowned, wide-brimmed hat best known as the defining piece of attire for the North American cowboy. Today it is worn by many...
Cowboy Junkies are an alternative country and folk rock band formed in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 1985 by Alan Anton (bassist), Michael Timmins (songwriter...
Midnight Cowboy is a 1969 American drama film directed by John Schlesinger, adapted by Waldo Salt from the 1965 novel of the same name by James Leo Herlihy...
"Rhinestone Cowboy" is a song written and recorded by Larry Weiss in 1974, then popularized the next year by American country music singer Glen Campbell...
Be the Cowboy is the fifth studio album by American indie rock musician Mitski, released on August 17, 2018, through Dead Oceans. Produced by longtime...
Cowboy beans (also known as chuckwagon beans) is a bean dish popular in the southwestern United States. The dish consists of pinto beans and ground beef...
Drugstore Cowboy is a 1989 American crime drama film directed by the American filmmaker Gus Van Sant. Written by Van Sant and Daniel Yost and based on...
Soi Cowboy (Thai: ซอยคาวบอย, RTGS: Soi Khaoboi, pronounced [sɔ̄ːj kʰāːw.bɔ̄ːj]) is a short (150 meter long) street (soi) in Bangkok, Thailand, with some...
Robert John Burck (born December 23, 1970), better known as the Naked Cowboy, is an American street performer, singer, songwriter, and occasional actor...
Space Cowboy may refer to: Space Cowboy (performer) (born 1978), an Australian performance artist Space Cowboy (musician), stage name for Nick Dresti,...
Cowboy boots are a specific style of riding boot, historically worn by cowboys. They have a high heel that is traditionally made of stacked leather, rounded...
Cowboy coding is software development where programmers have autonomy over the development process. This includes control of the project's schedule, languages...
A cowboy church is a Christian church that embraces the cowboy and Western lifestyle. A typical cowboy church may meet in a rural setting, often in a barn...
The Japanese anime television series Cowboy Bebop consists of 26 episodes, referred to as "sessions". Most episodes are named after a musical concept of...
2007) was a midget professional wrestler best known by his ring name Cowboy Lang. Cowboy Lang was recognized for more than 30 years as one of the top midget...
The Cowboy Bebop anime series was accompanied by a number of soundtrack albums composed by Yoko Kanno and Seatbelts, a diverse band Kanno formed to create...
has been compared to "Betty" due to their similar perspectives. "Cowboy like Me" "Cowboy like Me" is a blues, country, and folk rock tune driven by guitar...
Job for a Cowboy is an American death metal band from Glendale, Arizona. Formed in 2003, the band's debut album Genesis was released in 2007, peaking at...
Copenhagen Cowboy is a supernatural noir-thriller television series created by Nicolas Winding Refn for Netflix. The first Danish-language work by Refn...
Cowboy cookies are a type of drop cookie made with oatmeal, chocolate chips, pecans, and coconut. The origins of "cowboy cookies" are unknown although...
Global Information