We hired a Nevada buckaroo. I am learning the differences between a buckaroo and the Texas, Oklahoma, and Arizona cowboys we usually have working at our ranch. And there are a lot of differences! These are some observations of mine and are certainly not true in all cases. Many cowboys have adopted some buckaroo trends and vice versa. Of course, the country dictates what gear to use also. But this is what I am seeing here at the ranch.
Clothing
Cowboys wear the traditional cowboy hat known to everyone who has ever watched a Western on TV - buckaroos wear a flat brim, flat-crowned hat.
Cowboys are more likely to wear batwing or shotgun chaps - buckaroos are more likely to wear fancy, long fringed chinks called armedas.
Cowboys may wear a belt or suspenders - generally a belt - while buckaroos prefer suspenders.
Cowboys generally wear long-sleeve shirts with snap closures and regular collars. Buckaroos wear long-sleeved, pocket-less, button-up shirts with round collars that they keep buttoned up all the way.
Cowboys may use short or tall boots - buckaroos seem to prefer the tall boots.
Gear
Cowboy saddles, bridles, etc. tend to be basic and functional, good quality but not fancy. Buckaroo gear also is good quality but has a lot more flash - lots of silver, tooling, etc. Some buckaroo bridles are absolutely a work of art - but are still put on a horse's head and used long hours.
Cowboy tapaderos are generally plain leather. They may have two pair. One would be sheepskin lined for winter taps and one unlined for summer use. Some are made of rawhide. Buckaroo taps are fancy with long sides almost like a parade saddle would have.
Cowboys tend to carry shorter ropes than buckaroos and are less likely to have a hand braided reata in their war bag.
Cowboy bits start with a bosal with a basic snaffle and run to various curb bits - usually plain. Buckaroo bits also start with bosal, and include a hackamore, a snaffle bit and a "bridle horse" bit or two. Their bridle horse bits may be spade bits with ornate engraved silver. A good buckaroo bridle bit is an expensive thing - could cost a horse or even thousands of dollars.
Cowboys frequently ride split reins. Buckaroos prefer a mecate or romel reins.
All of these differences are easy to notice.
Philosophy
There seems to be a slightly different philosophy between cowboys and buckaroos. Cowboys value their horses and take care of them. They are the carpenter's equivalent of a good saw and hammer - tools to be used and well taken care of. Buckaroos come from the old Spanish horsemanship school. They too value their horses as working tools - but they go a little further. As our new buckaroo told me yesterday, cowboys have horses to work cattle. Buckaroos work cattle to train horses. He said that if a man could make one or two GOOD horses in his lifetime, he was a success and had accomplished something valuable. Now that is a horseman's philosophy!
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