Herding cattle from horseback has been a tradition in northern
Mexico and the American West since the Spanish colonial era. The
first mounted herders were the Mexican vaqueros, expert horsemen
who developed the skills to work cattle in the brush country and
deserts of the Southwestern borderlands. From them, Texas cowboys
learned the trade, evolving their own unique culture that spread
across the Southwest and Great Plains. The buckaroos of the Great
Basin west of the Rockies trace their origin to the vaqueros, with
influence along the way from the cowboys, though they, too, have
ways and customs distinctly their own.
In this book, three long-time students of the American West
describe the history, working practices, and folk culture of
vaqueros, cowboys, and buckaroos. They draw on historical records,
contemporary interviews, and numerous photographs to show what
makes each group of mounted herders distinctive in terms of working
methods, gear, dress, customs, and speech. They also highlight the
many common traits of all three groups.
This comparative look at vaqueros, cowboys, and buckaroos brings
the mythical image of the American cowboy into focus and detail and
honors the regional and national variations. It will be an
essential resource for anyone who would know or portray the
cowboy--readers, writers, songwriters, and actors among them.
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