Profession: Cowboy<1>
Are there still cowboys in the American West?
The answer is certainly yes! There are still thousands of cowboys in the American west. They still ride horses, and they still carry guns; but they don't spend their time fighting Indians.
Although they often travel on four wheels, not four legs, cowboys still have to be expert horsemen too. They ride horses very regularly.
Some of the ranches in the American West cover thousands of hectares. Cattle are often free to move over large areas. There are steep hills, rivers and streams, forests and rocks. In many places, it is impossible to use a pick-up, even with four-wheel drive; even motorbikes are useless. The only ways to cross the prairies are on horseback, or on foot; and you can't chase cattle on foot!
Cowboys are working men; they look after the herds of cattle that live on the prairies in the mountains, from Texas to Canada. They have lots of jobs to do; they have to mark cattle so that they can be identified; they have to move cattle from place to place; they have to vaccinate them, and check that they are healthy. They also have to inspect miles and miles of fences and barbed-wire barriers. [209 words]