Before the first snow fell upon Callicoon, I encountered cowpokes, two of them, riding horses that were dressed from head to hoof in the finest equestrian accoutrements. The plaid woolen saddle blankets alone would have inspired a new line of clothing by designer, Ralph Lauren. The cowboys themselves wore flannel shirts (probably Ralph Lauren), blue jeans, and fringed leather chaps. Cowpokes, btw, are cowboys, male or female, and in this instance, there was one of each, Diane and Shawn.

On a pair of stunning horses belonging to Diane, the pair rode high and mighty into the Farmers Market. What a fitting addition to the market to have these lovely equestrians for fair-goers to admire and perhaps even pet. One reddish horse, named Jack, had a white stripe down its face with noticeable scarring. Poor Jack, I was told, had once been attacked by a black bear, and yet, he was friendly.

Jack nuzzled my forearm urging me to pet him, and so I gave him a rub on the face as only a former city-girl could, carefully and cautiously. Connecting with Jack made me wonder about cowboys and whatever happened to them.

According to Wikipedia, the history of cowboys can be traced back to the Spanish conquistadors who arrived in the Americas in the 16th century, bringing horses with them and establishing cattle ranches in what is now Mexico. These skilled ranch hands on horseback were called vaqueros. The word "vaquero" comes from the Spanish word "vaca" meaning "cow". This is where the modern cowboy originates, with their culture heavily influencing the American cowboy through their riding skills, roping techniques, and clothing style as settlers adopted aspects of their practices when expanding westward in the United States.

After the American Civil War, the cattle industry boomed in Texas, prompting cowboys to drive large herds of cattle north to markets, creating the iconic image of the long cattle drives. While often portrayed as exclusively white men, cowboys came from diverse backgrounds including African Americans, Native Americans, and Mexican people. Many aspects of traditional cowboy attire, like the wide-brimmed hat, chaps, and boots, have roots in vaquero clothing, designed to protect them during long hours on horseback.

Cowboys have always represented a spirit of independence, self-reliance, and a life filled with substance, strength, and courage. Like punk rockers, they live however they choose, and never worry about conforming to anyone's mold.

Today, cowboys work on ranches mostly in the western United States, Canada, Mexico, and South America. They do different types of jobs traveling from ranch to ranch, homestead to homestead, and in particular to the Crow Reservation in Montana. Wherever they happen to land, cowboys perform daily chores, brand calves, rope, and exercise cutting horses. Horse wrangling cowboys are familiar with horse management and handling as well as training. Many cowboys even use technology in their daily routines such as livestock monitoring apps on their cell phones. 

The Department of Agriculture estimates that there are at most one million cowboys in America, while the Working Ranch Cowboys Association (WRCA) estimates that number closer to 600,000. About one-third of cowboys are women. Man or woman, cowboys earn less than $30,000 annually on average, and few have health insurance.

Surprisingly, most cowhands don’t own horses, but rather invest in pickup trucks and saddles. They are a nomadic bunch, garnering work wherever and whenever possible. The ranchers that hire them provide the horses, trailers and usually three-wheeler off-road vehicles; sometimes even helicopters. You can experience cowboy culture at rodeos in many states including New York and Pennsylvania, or you can visit the Callicoon Farmers Market and, by chance, give some love to Jack.