The Vaquero 
The Vaquero, or Mexican cattle herder, came from Mexico and was an employee of the cattle and/or horse ranches in the southwest. It was considered a lifetime job and many vaqueros were born and raised on the same ranch where they worked and even brought up their own families there. The beef industry was a powerful market in those days and was rising to its peak in the nineteenth century. The daily duties on horseback for a vaquero required strenuous livestock management and the transportation of cattle through rugged, raw territories to bring the cattle to markets where they were sold and shipped. The vaquero was also responsible for the breeding, branding, and safety of all the cows/horses on the ranch as well as the maintenance of the fencing and stabling. In those days the western United States was still Mexican territory and the ranchers carried a lot of influence as they were the providers of the food and the mounts for the Mexican Calvary and eventually the US Calvary. As eastern settlers migrated into the western territories they watched and learned the vaquero methods of cattle ranching and used these methods when establishing their own ranches. After the western territories were adopted into the United States many vaqueros stayed on even though many of the elaborate Mexican ranches were dissolved. The vaqueros kept their distinct dress and rugged outdoor lifestyle and eventually evolved into the modern day American Cowboy that we see on ranches and in rodeos today.
Click to learn more about the Vaquero.
John “Red” Pollard »« Doma Vaquera Equitation
by Jerrilee Streeter
Doma Vaquera is a Spanish phrase that defines the individuals in Spain who work with the cattle and bulls on the ranches and out on the hillsides. The doma vaquera is a person who has a special manner, or style, in which they dress. There is special riding tack , and a unique, individual way in which their horses are taught and ridden that distinguishes them from other riding disciplines. In Spain, some Doma Vaquera still go into the bullring to challenge the bull and still others demonstrate their skillful riding as they guide their horse in their work among the cattle. Included with the regular gear that a doma vaquero works with is the use of a garrocha. The garrocha is a long wooden pole used as an extension of the doma vaquera’s arm to activate, push, and guide cattle along the hillsides. In countries outside of Spain, the Doma Vaquera has evolved into a riding discipline that simulates the pattern work and movements of a working bullfighter mount. The rider still wears the traditional outfit and saddles the horse with the traditional gear to practice a combination of lateral jumps, sudden stops, and pirouettes which are used by today’s working doma vaqueras. There are even riding competitions where participants can show their horse’s special abilities in performing the patterns and movements of the doma vaquero horse. This includes the garrocha which, when used in the competition arena, can be an artful, breathtaking performance, especially when the rider works through the maneuvers without the use of the reins. A demonstration of this can be viewed on the video provided on the La Garrocha link. (To preserve the purity of the performance the link has been kept in its original Spanish format.)
Click here for La Garrocha then click on video to begin demonstration
Click here to learn more about Doma Vaquera.
The First Cowboys; the Vaquero »« History of the Saddle
