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Bandera, 24 Sep (Xinhua) -- Every morning at about 6:30 a.m., when cowboys Garrett Cornell and John Waterman arrive at the stable, 26 horses and mules free-range from the Dixidode ranch are already waiting for them by the door. Most of them are unique to the United States, and they are known for their ability to assist cowboys in herding cattle and participating in rodeos.
If it rains and grass grows, the horses will graze in the pastures all night. But Texas has been particularly hot and long this summer, with the land being scorched dry and cracked. Without feeding hay, the horse will gnaw off even the grass roots.
The cowboys open the wooden fence doors, put the horses in, fill the troughs with hay adulterated with grain and protein additives, let them eat for a quarter of an hour, then brush and groom them and saddle them. This is how a new day begins on the ranch.
"Love Horse Says" in the Cowboy Capital
A bronze tablet in front of the Bandera Courthouse in Texas, USA, with the words "Cowboy Capital of the World" and the names of several Rodeo World Champions.
Dixiedud Ranch is located near Bandera, a small town in southwestern Texas, known as the "cowboy capital of the world", and is one of only six tourist ranches left in the area today. Rancher Clay Connolly's family has run the ranch since 1901, and as he is in his fourth generation, his son will take over his shift. Unlike Eurasian countries, Connolly said, the horse culture in the United States formed late. They raise horses to receive tourists, hoping to share and showcase horse culture and let people know about the days of horseback riding in the "Old West" of the United States.
Dixiedud rancher Clay Connolly (right).
When you talk about the "Old West," you talk about cowboys. The reason why Bandera has the title of "Cowboy Capital of the World" is precisely because from the 70s of the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century, it was the starting point of the "Great Western Bull Road", one of the main cattle driving roads in the United States. Cowboys rode on horseback and drove thousands of Governor's horn cattle from here across the Great Plains to the northern markets, often trekking for two to three months.
Because of this tradition, much of Bandera's life has to do with horses. The town has a population of less than 900 people, and standing on the main street where you can see the other, you can see the image of horses and cowboys on horsebacks: openwork horse ornaments on street lampposts, horse sculptures on shop roofs, double horse heads and backs on benches under the gallery, saddle stools at restaurant counters... Theresa Doyle-Nelson, a volunteer docent at the town's Frontier Age Museum, said cowboys and tourists still ride through the town from time to time, and local middle schools also provide students with rodeo training courses.
Teresa Doyle-Nelson, volunteer docent of the "Frontier Age Museum".
Bandera's people love horses. Connolly talked about raising horses one by one. In his view, there is compassion between horses and humans, and "horses can read humans" can help humans maintain inner balance. He said that there is a kind of "horse therapy" in psychotherapy, which is to help people overcome some of their psychological problems by getting along with horses.
The cowgirl Harriat Stewart, head of the Bandera Historical Ride, began rescuing, retraining and relocating horses abandoned for various reasons seven years ago. Speaking of her horse team, she is like a treasure: "Maddie is a queen who likes to be alone, and if the other horses are too close, she will want to kick them. Tucker is only 8 years old, my mount and lead horse, full of energy and leadership, very confident, and knows that he is handsome and always wants to be the first..."
Head of the "Bandera Historical Ride" company, cowgirl Harriat Stewart.
Waterman, a 38-year-old cowboy, believes that although horses are animals, their social structure, behavior patterns and ways of interacting with each other are similar to humans. "Some horses are friends, some can't stand each other, and some horses love to play tricks. Some are immediately old and lacking; Some horses are young and stupid ... Although it sounds a bit cliché, a lot of humanity can be learned by observing horses. ”
Where horse culture is headed
Statistics show that there are about 7.25 million horses in the United States, and the horse industry contributes $122 billion to the U.S. economy annually and employs 1.74 million people. Texas has the highest horse population, with 767,100 horses. Horses are mainly used in tourism, performance, entertainment, pastime and other industries, but some are also used in farms, ranches, police patrols, rodeo, polo, horse racing and horse breeding.
Although horses still occupy a place in the American economy, traditional horse culture faces the challenges of the times.
Tourists at Dixiedud Ranch ready to ride.
Whether in Texas or elsewhere in the United States, cowboys no longer drive cattle, horses are rarely used as ranch horses, and most people ride horses mainly for leisure and fun.
The main reason is one word: expensive. Horse husbandry is expensive, cowboys say, monthly feed, veterinary and hoof care are basic expenses, as well as training horses, insurance, and harness, clothing, and horse care supplies. Stewart said that this year's summer was dry and hot, and five bales of hay cost about $150, but only enough for a horse to feed for a week.
It costs a lot, but the cowboys don't earn much. During the interview, the reporter heard from the local population that cowboy work is paid by the hour. "Rookie" cowboys earn as little as $10 an hour, and skilled cowboys earn as little as $15 an hour, which is the minimum hourly wage required by law in many U.S. states.
The wages were unexpectedly low, but the job of a cowboy was not easy at all. At Dixiddud Ranch, cowboys not only raise horses, but also lead visitors on rides every day. The ranch usually arranges 6 rides a day, after which the cowboys check the harness, clean the barn, feed the horses and release them back to the pasture as a cowboy's day.
A restaurant in the small town of Bandera, the seat at the counter is in the shape of a saddle.
Cornell, a cowboy, said they sometimes rode through the town of Bandera, tethered their horses in front of the bar and went in for a drink. "Without horses, cowboys are nothing. They say that a hundred years ago, horses were the main means of transportation, and everyone in Bandera rode horses. But now few people have the opportunity to really experience what we do every day. "You know, it's kind of sad because it's an important part of our culture and history, but it's disappearing," he lamented. ”
Musician Lou Piutel who sings cowboy songs at Dixiedud Ranch.
As the sun fades, the heat of the seared earth subsides slightly, and Lou Piutelbao, a small-town musician in his seventies, sits by the campfire pit at Dixiedud Ranch, playing his guitar and slowly singing cowboy songs: "This is the last cowboy song, the centennial waltz has come to an end, and the voice sounds sad, because they sing together, another piece of America is lost..." (Reporter: Xu Jianmei; Photography: Xu Jianmei; Video: Li Linyin; Editors: Wang Fengfeng, Zhang Dailei, Du Yue, Indifferent)