The California Vaquero and the Texas Cowboy: Tracing the Legacy of Spanish Medieval Horsemanship

Sargent, Sarah (2022) The California Vaquero and the Texas Cowboy: Tracing the Legacy of Spanish Medieval Horsemanship. Cheiron: The International Journal of Equine and Equestrian History. ISSN 2786-3182

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Abstract

This article uses a lens of cultural history and cultural heritage and heritage to trace of the legacy of Spanish medieval horsemanship across time and space in the development of the California vaquero and Texas cowboy. The Texas cowboy has now become a highly recognizable icon in American national myths and narratives. But myths and narratives present idealized and factually inaccurate accounts of history. This article examines the development of equestrian practices in their historical context, alongside the conflation of history and horsemanship. It thus reveals the influence of geopolitical ambitions and rivalries, as well as practical necessity, on the development of two new equestrian cultures in the New World.

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