A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on North American ranches, traditionally on horseback, and frequently performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. In each country, the cowboys are known by different names, among which are cowboys, gauchos, charros, huasos or llaneros, to name a few possibilities.
The cowboy has deep historical roots dating back to Spain and the first European settlers of the Americas. Over the centuries, differences in terrain, climate, and the influence of livestock management traditions from multiple cultures created several different styles of equipment, clothing, and animal handling. As the ever-practical cowboy adapted to the modern world, the equipment and techniques of the cowboy were adapted to some extent as well, although many classic traditions are still preserved.
The English word cowboy has its origin in several previous terms that referred both to age and to cattle or ranching work.
The word cowboy also had roots in the English language beyond simply being a translation from Spanish. Originally, the English word "cowherd" was used to describe a cattle herder (similar to "shepherd", a shepherd of sheep) and often referred to a pre-adolescent or early adolescent boy, who used to work on foot. (Riding required skills and an investment in horses and equipment rarely available or entrusted to a child, although in some cultures children rode donkeys as they went to and from the pasture.)
Esta palabra es muy antigua en el idioma inglés y se origina antes del año. 1000. En la antigüedad, el pastoreo de ovejas, vacas y cabras era a menudo trabajo de menores, y todavía es una tarea para los jóvenes en diversas culturas del tercer mundo.
Due to the time and physical ability required to develop the requisite skills, the cowboy often began his career as a teenager, earning a salary as soon as he had enough skill to be hired (often as young as 12 or 13) and who, if not disabled by injury, you could handle cattle or horses for the rest of your working life. In the United States, some women also took on the tasks of ranching and learned the necessary skills, although the "cowgirl" was not widely recognized, until the end of the 19th century. Today on western ranches, the working cowboy is generally an adult.
The responsibility of herding cattle or other ranch animals is no longer considered suitable work for children or adolescents. However, both boys and girls growing up in a ranch environment often learn to ride horses and perform basic ranch skills as soon as they are physically capable, usually under the supervision of an adult. These young people, in their late teens, are assigned responsibilities for “cowboy” work on the ranch.
