How to Be a Cowboy

A complete guide on how to live the exciting life of a modern-day cowboy

Co-authored by Kate Jutagir

Last Updated: October 28, 2022 References Approved

Being a Rancher

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Working Rodeos

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Q&A

Many people romanticize the idea of becoming a cowboy. However, the reality is modern cowboys, like ranchers and those who work on rodeos, have a physically and emotionally demanding job. If you love the outdoors and working with animals, a career as a cowboy could be right for you. Just keep in mind that it takes a lot of time and dedication.

Things You Should Know

Study food studies, agriculture, biology, or other fields related to farming and farm studies. This can help you learn the basics of ranching.
Take care of your land and your livestock. For example, vaccinate your animals and practice environmentally friendly farming techniques.
Learn roping, horse riding, barrel racing, and other classic rodeo skills. Consider a training or apprentice program to discover more.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Being a Rancher

1
Learn about the career. Before you decide to become a rancher, spend some time learning a bit about the career. A career in ranching can make you feel like something of a modern day cowboy. If you love the outdoors and animals, it could be a great career path for you.
- A rancher's job is to look over land and animals on a large farm property. Ranchers can own their own farm and can also work for other farm owners. The life of a rancher can be exciting due to its unplanned nature. Every day presents unique challenges and opportunities depending on season, animal temperament, weather, and other factors.^{[1]
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- As a rancher, you'll spend a lot of time outdoors. You may have to travel a lot as well, but will see a lot of beautiful countryside across the United States. If you love traveling and the outdoors, this could be a great career for you.^{[2]
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- Salary can be tricky when it comes to a rancher. Your annual salary will fluctuate based on the current market and how much a given farm makes in a year. A bad season can mean financial setbacks. Traditional benefits, like healthcare, are not usually offered for ranchers. These are factors to consider before committing yourself to the life.^{[3]
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  Research source} In recent years, the outlook for rancher as a career has been getting worse. Keep in mind you may make less money the more time you spend working on a ranch.
2
Work on your skill set. To be a rancher, you'll need analytical skills, critical thinking skills, interpersonal skills, and mechanical skills. Start working on these early on.
- Analytical skills are useful for managing a farm and ranch. Taking on leadership positions and college courses in marketing and management can help. You'll also need critical thinking skills as you'll have to make decisions regarding livestock. Seeking out management positions, even for unrelated fields, can help hone your critical thinking skills as problem solving is a key component to management.^{[4]
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- Interpersonal skills are important. Seek out experience in customer service and other jobs where you have to work with people. Take a summer job at a call center, for example. Networking with other ranchers and making deals with farmers is a key component of ranching, so interpersonal communication is key.^{[5]
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- Mechanical skills are also vital. Work on a local farm and ask for the opportunity to learn how equipment works. Take an internship or apprenticeship with a local mechanic.^{[6]
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3
Start off in high school. Many people who go on to become ranchers are born into the life. Oftentimes, their parents or grandparents worked on farms. If this is not the case for you, you can still become a rancher but should seek out experience working on farms and with animals early on in high school.
- Stock up on science related classes in high school. While there's no specific educational path to become a rancher, having knowledge of animal biology can certainly help your chances of success. You should also take food and consumer studies courses to learn about agriculture, food production, and other aspects of farming.
- Start gaining experience working with animals. Volunteer on a local farm. Join 4H. Take horseback riding lessons. Anything that builds relevant, hands-on experience with farm work can help you build your resume for a career as a rancher.
4
Get a relevant education. As stated, there is no specific career path for becoming a rancher. However, if you're serious about the career some secondary education can help. Some of the following degree paths might prove relevant for a career as a rancher:
- A four-year degree in food studies, agriculture, biology, or other fields related to farming and farm studies can help.
- An associate's degree or apprenticeship might also be a good option if you don't want to dedicate four years to school. Depending on your location, you may be able to enroll in a program that specifically focuses on ranching and farm work. Ask around at local farms or talk to your school counselor about your plans.
- Many land-grant or state universities offer beginning farming programs. They're not a full 4-year degree but provide you with a relevant certification.^{[7]
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Look for early work experience through linking programs. If you're just starting out, look into working for retiring farmers. As many farmers are retiring in the coming decade, a lot of ranchers start out through linking programs. These are programs that connect new ranchers with retiring farmers.
- The US government has some beginning farming and ranching programs you could look into. This would be a great place to start gaining experience.^{[8]
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- Linking programs are listed on the Center for Rural Affairs website. This can help you find linking programs in your area and match you with ranchers who share your ethics.
- Even if you do not end up staying in the program long term, doing some work for various linking programs can help build your resume and allow you to gain valuable experience.
6
Engage in good farming practices. Once you're an established rancher, work on practicing good farming. Always stay up to day with the latest and most innovative techniques and talk to other ranchers about how you can improve.
- Be a steward of the resources around you. Make sure you take care of land you work on and engage in in environmentally friendly farming techniques.
- If you're working with a herd of livestock, use preventative health plans. Vaccinate calves against contagious diseases and watch for the signs of seasonal colds and flus. Quarantine animals showing early signs of sickness.
- Make sure all the livestock in a herd get enough food. Some animals may to slow or weak and get cut off from a food source. Always monitor animals to make sure they're at the proper weight.
- Buy quality but inexpensive materials. Network with other farmers to keep track of where to get the best hay, riding supplies, and other ranching materials for a low cost without sacrificing quality.^{[9]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Working Rodeos

1
Start off early. Most people who work in rodeos were born into their field. Their parents were affiliated with the rodeo and they learned the trade from there. Even if you were not born into a rodeo family, it's important to be involved in rodeo culture from an early age.
- Attend rodeos and see if you can volunteer. Just working as a farmhand can help as you'll get a sense of the scene.^{[10]
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2
Learn some basic skills. Try to learn some basic skills. Learning how to rope, ride a horse, and other skills are important if you want to become a rodeo cowboy. Taking horseback riding lessons can help you develop a basic riding skill set.^{[11]
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- Learn from someone who has a lot of experience with horses if you don't know a lot about them yourself. You'll also want to read some books and really study horse care and horse behavior.
3
Get in shape. Being a rodeo cowboy is a physically demanding job. You'll need strength, stamina, and agility to successfully work in a rodeo. Build up your muscles and endurance as you move towards your career goal.
- Join a gym and make use of weight training equipment, like weight machines and elliptical machines. Talk to a trainer at the gym to get your current fitness level evaluated. If you start out pushing yourself too hard, you could end up with an injury that could compromise your career.
- Try to work on endurance as well. Take up running, jogging, biking, or other activities where you have to be physically active for a long time.
4
Gain experience with horseback riding. As a rodeo cowboy, you'll need to have experience riding a horse. You need to have a certain mastery over horseback riding so work on taking lessons.
- If possible, start at a young age. Take horseback riding lessons at a local farm or ranch.
- Practice all aspects of riding: jumping, barrel racing, western, english, side saddle. As a rodeo rancher a lot of your job is to entertain so you'll need to have a diverse skill set on hand.^{[12]
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- A good horse is also important. Many rodeo cowboys say having a good horse under them makes or breaks a career. Pay attention to how you bond with each horse your ride and how well that horse responds to your signals.^{[13]
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5
Consider a professional training program. While not as common as other training and apprenticeship programs, there are some rodeo training programs throughout the country. If you're really dedicated to a career in rodeo work considering enrolling in a training program. You can find lists of programs online or ask the cowboys at a local rodeo if they engaged in any professional training.
6
Build your repertoire. Once you feel skilled enough to hit the rodeo, begin to build your repertoire. Begin to book gigs at a variety of rodeos so you'll have a performance listing to give out as your move forward in your career.
- You might have to start small. Sign up for low stakes events and competitions at local rodeos. If you're successful and begin winning competitions, you'll begin moving up in the ranks.^{[14]
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- Practice. Daily practice and hard work is what will ultimately determine your success as a rodeo cowboy. You'll need to focus on using much of your spare time improving before you're established.^{[15]
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- Look into 4H rodeos. Many 4H's host low stake rodeo events. This would be a great opportunity to start off and gain some experience.
7
Join an organization. There are a variety of professional rodeo organizations you could join to improve your chance of finding regular work. Organizations like the Southern Rodeo Association, the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, the American Professional Rodeo Association, and more are excellent organizations to join. Membership requirements and fees vary from place to place. Browse the websites of organizations you're interested in for more information.

Community Q&A

Question

Can I wear my cowboy boots in high school without people bashing me?

Community Answer

Yes. You can wear your boots everywhere. If you like your cowboy boots, there's no reason to be ashamed about it.
Question

Is it true that women are really attracted to cowboys, farmers, ranchers, etc.?

Community Answer

It will always depend on the woman, but many are. As city woman, I can think of few things more exciting than a real cowboy who works hard with his hands, wears boots and a pair of wrangler jeans, rides horses, takes care of animals, knows how to hunt and fish, and, above all, knows how a lady deserves to be treated, both in public and in private.
Question

How can I be the coolest cowboy in the wild west?

Community Answer

Be a cowboy. Don't pretend to be one. Work hard on farm, ranch, ride horses, learn to milk a cow by hand, clean the barn, make fences, don't be afraid of hard work or getting dirty, because real cowboys will. Act like a cowboy, go to farms, ranches (if you don't have one, ask a friend if he needs help with the cattle, or crops, for example. That's a good way to learn and practice the job), attend rodeos, country music shows, stock shows, go to cattle and horses auctions, cowboy bars, be friend of cowboys, farmers, etc. Dress like a cowboy, always wear a cowboy hat or baseball cap, wrangler jeans and cowboy boots no matter what.