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Days in Horse Country – The Vaqueros
Watch any western, and you’ll see blond-haired, blue eyed
cowboys, rustling cattle and mending fences.
In reality, one of every three cowboys in the West was a Vaquero. The work of the Vaqueros was well documented
in the American painting of the mid-to-late nineteenth century, especially in
the works of Frederic Remington and Charles Russell.
Vaqueros were Mexican cowboys, and they were the original cowboys of the American West. Revered for their incredible horsemanship and their vast knowledge of working cattle (vaquero literally means “cowman” in Spanish), Vaqueros had their own style of horse training that is considered of great value, even today.
Long before North America was settled by Europeans, Vaqueros were developing their skills in Mexico. Working vast herds of Spanish cattle on horses descended from the conquistadors’ mounts, Vaqueros perfected their riding skills and became daring equestrians. As Spanish influence spread northward, Vaqueros became an intrinsic part of the culture of the American Southwest. Their skills with a rope became legend, and their saddle style and personal apparel became the inspiration for the American Cowboy.
Michael