In the last 50 years, although the scope and extent of cowboy jobs has decreased drastically, in the current era, there are some of these jobs that have evolved in their duties and responsibilities. Keep reading to know more about the same.
It indeed seems to be surprising to find cowboy jobs in the modern-day high tech world. However, there are a large number of cowboys working in ranches all across the wild states of USA, be it Texas or Kansas. These are the modern-day cowboys and to find them you’ve got to leave your homes and search in the states that witnessed the origin of cowboys. Nowadays, the job of cowboys has been restricted to overseeing the maintenance of ranches and looking after animals. With the invention of barbed wires, large-scale cattle drives from one state to the other has ended decades ago and present era cowboys are mainly concerned with various tasks regarding management of cattle in the ranches.
Defining Cowboy Jobs
Most of us define cowboys strictly in the traditional American way as a man who spends most of his days on the horseback herding cattle drives in the wild west regions. However, the present day cowboys have numerous duties and responsibilities. They have to take care of animal husbandry, repair fences and carry out the tasks of irrigation management in the ranches. So your definition of a cowboy will put a limit on the tasks and duties of a cowboy. If we club together the tasks of cowboys since the last 100 years since their inception; today, it can be summed up to just these lines. A cowboy is a self motivated individual who works hard to take care of the livestock as well as of the land, ranches and is deft in handling ropes and horses.
Finding Cowboy Jobs
It is not easy to find cowboy jobs owing to the limited practice of these enduring traditions in the US these days. However, still it is said that roughly 10,000 people work as cowboys in ranches all across the US. With the help of a network of ranchers and people who’re into the same profession, one can get these jobs. Ask your friends to help you find information about ranches and people working in them. Through network of professionals in the same field, getting a job as a cowboy is easily possible.
Careers for Cowboys
It is said that the number of tasks a cowboy has to perform all during the day is certainly vast. Possible career options for cowboys in the ranches can be any of the following.
Horse Groomer
He is concerned with the task of monitoring the health and fitness of the horse on a daily basis. He has to ensure that the stable, saddles, bridles and other equipment are clean and the horse exercises daily. He must report any health problems of the horse immediately to a vet.
Ranch Manager
A cowboy as a ranch manager must have extensive experience in working at large ranches. Many private institutions provide degrees in ranch management. The ability to run all types of machinery used at ranches and being bilingual is an added advantage.
Dude Ranch Hand
Dude ranch hands are responsible for the care of lawns, grounds, feeding, taking care of animals in the ranches. They have to work under the ranch manager and they must also have knowledge of horses and of the western culture and lifestyle.
It is important for you to think if you seriously want to consider a cowboy life before you take the plunge to become a cowboy. If you Google on the Internet, it is easy to find information regarding various websites that offer cowboy jobs. Various travel agencies and Internet job portals give information about jobs that are required in the ranches. Professionals in the ranching land can help you to get jobs in this field. It is possible to find various other jobs related to the cowboy works like in the stockyards, barrel racer, as staff or competitors at rodeos or in the cowboy trucker business. Don’t limit your job search to just one aspect of the cowboy jobs. These jobs are not monetarily rewarding so you have to think twice before stepping in them. Nevertheless, if you have been thinking to go out in the wild west and really live a cowboy lifestyle, a break from your daily work is always great!