Cowboy Gear

A Cowboy's clothes and equipment had to be hard-wearing. There was no room for luggage on the trail drive and most cowboys wore the same things for months. Mud-caked and smelly, these clothes were often burned at the end of the journey.

Clothes for Cowboys

Cowboys didn't like to wear coats because they got in the way of roping. They preferred sleeveless leather jackets ("vests") with deep pockets that could hold money, a tobacco pouch, matches, and a tally book and pencil. In this book, cowboys kept a count of the herd and any stray animals. In case of bad weather, a long oilskin raincoat called a "slicker" was kept rolled and tied to the back of the saddle.

Cowboys would spend two or three months' pay on custom-made boots. Pointed toes let the boots slide easily into the stirrup and slip free if the cowboy was thrown from his horse.

Some cowboys liked to wear spurs fitted with heel chains and pear-shaped metal pieces called "jinglebobs" which made a light jingling sound that soothed the cattle. Spurs were not used to punish a horse but to guide his speed and direction.