The Cowboy Way

While some horses and cows did make their way to American on Christopher Columbus’s ships, the first real cowboys were Mexican. When the Spanish started settling the land after their arrival, a number of the animals they brought with them escaped and formed wild herds that grew exponentially in size. As the herds migrated across the Mexican plains, Spanish ranchers hired men to help round up the wild cattle and horses; they called these men vaqueros. The word vaquero is a Spanish word for cow (vaca). Throughout the 1500s to 1700s, vaqueros were responsible for the creation of specific and useful tools which were used to help them do their jobs and also learned the art of training wild horses. The vaqueros also become skilled in killing grizzly bears, or any other animal, looking to harm their cattle.

Vaquero Contributions to the Cowboy Way of Life

The Cowboy Hat – The vaqueros wore hats called sombreros which derives from the Spanish word meaning shade. The cowboy hat we see many cowboys wear today is a smaller version of the vaquero’s sombrero.

The Lasso – The vaqueros invented the lasso out of necessity to be able to catch and control their cattle. They learned how to rope the cattle around their horns, head, or feet. Today, the rope is an essential tool for the cowboy working the range as well as a tool used in a number of rodeo sports.

The Western Saddle – The saddle used by the vaquero included a large and extremely strong piece that stuck up in the front. This eventually came to be known as the saddle horn. The saddle horn was used after the vaquero would rope a cow and he would wrap the other end of his horn around the horn in order to utilize his horse’s strength to control his cattle.

Chaps – Because the vaqueros worked in rough terrain, they often found themselves riding through bushes filled with prickles and thorns while pursuing their cattle. In order to better protect their legs, the vaquero started to wear leggings made from leather. Chaps are a significant symbol in cowboy attire to this day.

The Cowboy Way Begins

In the 1830s and 1840s, when the U.S. claimed victory over the Southwest, the Americans who came to settle the West knew very little about cattle and it was the vaqueros who taught them everything they knew. While the American cowboys went on to become famous figures in history, it was the vaqueros who actually developed the cowboy way of life.

Emery Clifford Kolb – Photographer

The image to the right was taken by photographer, Emery Clifford Kolb,  who started experimenting in taking photographs at a young age and loved it. So, when his brother advised him of an opportunity to go and take pictures of the mule parties on the Bright Angel Trail at the Grand Canyon jumped at the opportunity. The Canyons of the Green and Colorado Rivers had only been successfully traversed by only a few people, so Emery and his brother decided to attempt the trip in 1911 where they successfully procured the first videos of their expedition. After their excursion, Emery also began to lead an in-depth talk expedition for others who were interested in the journey.