The long trails, the severe weather, the harsh landscape and the unpredictable actions of the cattle all contributed to a new occupation: cowboying. The early ranchers and settlers were forged into the cowboy legend we currently hold dear, through the sheer vastness of the territory, using nothing but their wits and will to survive. The characteristics of these early beacons has carried down to third, fourth, and even fifth generations. Today’s cowboy is only slightly changed to adapt to modern challenges of technology and urbanization. The cowboy's life of freedom has been one his biggest attractions. The cowboy doesn't just ride a horse or drive a tractor today. They have to be involved in all aspects of that business, which includes dealing with agencies and the policies they issue. Today's cowboy struggles against modern society to keep that previously free lifestyle.
On those early trails north, such as the Chisolm Trail and the Goodnight-Loving Trail (all last names of early ranchers) cowboys, and even a few cowgirls, sat around the campfires and told stories through song or recitation. This was the beginning of what we call cowboy poetry. That early poetry had its antecedents in old English ballads and other poets such as writings from the Scottish poet, Robert Louis Stevenson. The early cowboy poet felt he (or she) was successful if their work was accepted and passed on through other cowboys. They did not write or recite for public acclaim. Cowboy poetry was first published in the 1880s in ranch journals and magazines. By the early 1900s there were several published collections of cowboy poetry.
The first cattle to be trailed were mature longhorns. Baby calves were not trailed.
A picture of Grandpa Mike, taken many years ago, in front of the house that my skunk poem was written about.
Where the Chisolm and Goodnight-Loving trails were
Cowboy poetry is traditionally rhymed, metered, and it tells a story. As in anything, there are a few exceptions, so you will occasionally hear some free verse. In addition, a person should have lived a significant portion of his or her life as a cowboy to be authentic. Significant does not mean a set period of time. Bruce Kiskaddon only worked a few months as a cowboy. He then spent his remaining years as an elevator operator on the west coast. However, he spent his spare time writing many classics that are still recited today. Several historic names have given us classic cowboy poetry: Badger Clark, Bruce Kiskaddon, Curley Fletcher, Gail Gardner, and S. Omar Barker, among others.
In the last few years, the cowboy poetry culture has come back into the public eye, not through Hollywood, but from cowboy poetry gatherings that have been held all over the west. From these gatherings has come a whole new species of entertainer: cowboy poets and cowboy musicians. Today’s entertainers still speak of first-hand experiences on a ranch, but often, a large majority of those experiences date back several years and even decades.
For more horsetraining pictures, click on the picture All horsetraining photos taken by John Hewlett, Laramie, WY, 2002 All copyright laws apply
Brief History of Cowboy Poetry
Americans, along with the rest of the world, revere the romance, adventure, and ideals of the Old West. A diminishing segment of (rural) Wyoming still thrives as a living version of that dream, along with ranchers in other states. Off the main highways and byways are ranches that carry on the heritage of the true west. These ranchers of today still embrace the ideas of chivalry, good neighbors, honesty and freedom. Many ranches that were established from cattle drives, over a hundred years ago, are still in business today.
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