I recently posted some comments on a Butch Otter thread about what a real cowboy wears.
Butch is far from the real deal- he likes to rope, but it's just a hobby for him. His real job is ruining of my beloved state for the next 20 years, and he's pretty good at it. But he knows what a real cowboy looks like- he pretends to be one. Here's a great picture of the Real Deal, with some details about the man, his gear, and the cowboy life. I don't know this guy, but I know his life like a book.
My thanks to L.H. Ellwein, a superb photographer. Check his work out on Facebook- his photos of the Idaho cowboy are wonderful, and are available for sale.
http://www.facebook.com/...
This guy lives in an alternate universe from all you urban folks. His office cubicle is most likely about 400 acres or so, or even more. Out here, it takes about 6 acres of pasture to feed a single cow and her calf. This is his world, and he's ready for it in all weathers and in all circumstances. He is one of a dying breed, but out here, they will be slow to disappear as long as there is still room for them. Believe it or not, he probably has more time off than most of you, too... winters are his easiest part of the year.
His gear is the equivalent of any first-rate stuff in an expert's office. Everything on the horse is perfectly suited to this cowboy's way of doing his job, and the clothes he's wearing are are as tailored and fitted as nicely as a good business suit.
The saddle is a big deal. This saddle is handmade, probably by one of the custom saddle makers Idaho is known for. We have some real good ones here, and they're all busy. Some, like Dale Harwood, have closed their order books because they have a lifetime's worth of waiting orders to fill. Dale's wooden trees, the spine of a saddle, are hand carved from wood from our ranch.
A good saddle is like spending a day in a rocking chair, and a bad one is the combined tortures of Hell. It's a slick fork saddle- no shoulders on the front, which makes the saddle more roomy on an all-day ride, and are less prone to getting a rope hung up on it. Big dinner-plate horn set low- the most efficient and fastest to wrap a rope around.
It has removable bucking rolls; they act like shoulders to help keep the rider in the saddle if a horse starts bucking. The old (and very non-socially correct) slang term for them is "Squaw Tits", but the current thing is to name them after your girlfriend's equipment. The word squaw anymore in common speech.
Notice the deep seat and high cantle. the flat saddles seen in the movies are only used for contest roping. A padded seat is seldom seen, as the padding will raise blisters on your butt very quickly.
His saddle is resting on two pads- the upper keeps the saddle in place, and the lower is a 'slick' pad. It has a layer of neoprene next to the horse's skin, which heats the skin up and makes it sweat. The sweat acts as lubrication and helps prevent saddle sores.
His hat is the current popular buckaroo style, a snap-brim with a lower flat crown. Hats are a real personal thing, so there are many variations. Most cowboys still wear hats that look like what most folks consider a cowboy hat to look like, with turned up sides.
His sort chaps are typical- they're called Chinks, and they are much more comfortable to wear than the long ones, except in cold weather. (and "chaps" is pronounced "shaps". Chaps are English guys out here)
His neckerchief is called a wild rag. Notice it's a plain red color- the working wild rags are usually plain like this, but fancy ones, rolled tighter, are used in place of neckties for dress-up occasions. Navy surplus uniform neckerchiefs are popular- just the right size for a wild rag. They are always made of pure silk. Cowboys have always known how warm and durable silk is- the extreme sports enthusiasts are just catching up with their silk underwear.
The reins he's using are braided leather with a popper hooked to the ring on them. A popper is like a small quirt- two pieces of flat leather he can use to pop his horse and wake it up if needed.
We can't see the headstall or the bit. Most good range bits have a copper roller, called a cricket, built into the bit. The horse likes the tangy taste of copper, and it keeps their mouth salivating- good for preventing a dry mouth. They like to roll the cricket around, too- it's a lot like chewing gum is for people.
He's coiling a typical range rope. 20 ft. ropes are used in arenas and corrals, but on the range, they are as long as 50 ft. This guy can drop a loop over a cow's head at 50 feet solid, and he's wearing the buckle to prove it.
The day is fair. If the weather was cooler, he would be wearing a hard wool vest.
We can't see his boots, but they are either buckaroo style, with very high tops, undercut 2 1/2 heels and a wide U-shaped toe, or are packers, a lace-up boot that's half work boot, half buckaroo. Packers were developed here in Idaho about 75 years ago for the packers who brought mule string of supplies in to loggers and forest fire rangers. They're designed to stay on a rider's foot in rough timber. Neither style is a damned bit good for extended walking.
All this stuff is not cheap. With the horse, the investment is almost as much as an average 3 year old car. Unlike a car, a horse will last for about 25 years with no repairs, and the rest of the gear is a once in a lifetime purchase.
And now you can tell a real cowboy from a trucker or a poser Governor.