Cowboys and Cowgirls

If you've never played cowboys/cowgirls and Indians when you were little you were either deprived as a child or you are lying to yourself. I know I loved getting dressed up in my little pink cowgirl hat, cowgirl boots and of course my pink bandanna and go ride my imaginary horse around the back yard.

Ironically, a real cowboy has nothing to do with guns, fighting and riding around the open range on your horse. A real cowboy is a man or women that tend to cattle and horses in North and South America ranches. A cowboy is usually an animal herder most commonly in charge of cattle and horses. They also tend to work and participate in rodeos.

The cowboys of today are most often found on ranches. Being a cowboy isn’t taken lightly. They have a lot of responsibility on the ranch. They are solely responsible for feeding the livestock, branding and earmarking the cattle, plus tending to any injuries that the animals may have. They are also required to do routine patrols around their area for weather conditions, damaged fences, predators, water issues and anything else that might be a concern.

I think the stereotype we have of cowboys and cowgirls is much more fun though. Could you just see yourself or your child in the backyard pretending to brand an imaginary cow? I think I’ll keep the image in my head of what a cowgirl does. Even though we may not pretend to do what a “real” cowboy does, at least your child can dress the part and have the correct cowboy or cowgirl gear. The attire that every cowboy or cowgirl should have is a cowboy hat, bandanna, cowboy boots, chaps, jeans, and gloves.


So once your little cowboy or cowgirl is dressed the part, set them loose and let them tend to their cattle, horses, fight the bad guys or just ride their imaginary horse to their hearts content.

Resources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cowboy