Cowboy Etiquette Or Just Good Old Fashion Courtesy
I was entering a local store the other day when two boys, estimating their ages of 8 and 6 years, dressed in western wear including boots and hats approached at the same time. The eldest hurried to grab the door handle and open the door for me as the younger waited patiently for me to enter.
Of course, I was quick to thank them and praise them for such good manners. Then it entered my thoughts; maybe this is our unique cowboy life here in West Texas. I was raised to give up my seat to an older person and to do things like hold open doors for others but there is something truly charming in seeing a cowboy with manners on display.
I thought I would research a little on cowboy etiquette rules and the first thing mentioned wherever I looked was cowboy hat rules. Never mess with another person’s cowboy hat. It is bad luck. Most are expensive and are an extremely personal item. Hats are removed to eat, enter a home or private office/business, address the flag during the National Anthem, Pledge of Allegiance, passing of the flag, indoor weddings, and during a funeral procession all as a sign of respect. Elevators, lobbies and building corridors are an exception to the rule of removing the hat indoors.
You remove the hat by its crown not the brim. Hold it by the crown with the lining facing the chest so others don’t see the lining. When introduced to a lady, remove or tip your hat with your left hand so you may take the lady’s right hand in greeting. This also applies to meeting a member of the Clergy (Pastor or Priest). When the hat is removed and placed on a flat surface then it should be set upside down. This protects its shape and superstition says all the luck will run out if the hat is set brim side down. One of the most serious dangers with your cowboy hat is to place it on a bed. It is said that it invites mischievous bad luck, foretells an argument and at its worst it is a premonition of injury or death. This superstition has a practical basis. Once bathing was more of a monthly rather than daily affair for the hardworking cowboy. Unfortunately, this would sometimes lead to head lice and placing a hat on the bed would spread the itchy critters.
Beyond cowboy hats, there are everyday working traditions for the cowboys that are applicable to all walks of life. Always leave a gate as you found it. If you’re in a vehicle, the person farthest to the right is the one who hops out to open and close the gates. For us city slickers, this translates as each other out.
Cowboys never criticize another man’s horse, dog, cattle or wife/girlfriend. Once again for the common folk, if you can’t say anything nice then don’t say anything at all.
The “Cowboy Way” of life includes a special work ethic. Agriculture is not an easy job by any stretch of the imagination. The agriculture producer must contend with weather, pests, prices, equipment, animals, and even sometimes employees. It takes a willingness to give 100 percent in any situation. It is said that a real cowboy never complains no matter how tired, cold, hungry, thirsty, or hurt they may be. (Now I would argue that there is one topic to complain about and that would be rain. I’m sure that there would be people who would say it does no good to complain but secretly I think it makes us feel better and eventually it will rain!)
Even to this day there is a special mystique that surrounds the image of the cowboy and their way of life. There is a sense of personal integrity in the humble and practical way the “cowboy” approaches life. I’m glad to see this behavior is still present especially in the smaller communities. So, a big thank you to the parents, family and friends who instilled the cowboy way of life in those two young Owners men!
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