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A cattle drive is the process of moving a herd of
cattle from one place to another, usually moved and herded by
cowboys on horses.
Cattle drives involved cowboys on horseback moving herds of cattle
long distances to market. It was a major economic activity in the
American west, particularly between the years 1866-86, when 20
million cattle were herded from Texas to railheads in Kansas for
shipments to stockyards in Chicago and points east. Because of
extensive treatment of cattle drives in fiction and film, the cowboy
became the worldwide iconic image of the American.
Old West.
Cowboy culture
The cowboy's distinctive working gear, most of it borrowed from the
Mexican vaquero, captured the public image. His high-crowned
sombrero, high-heeled boots, leather chaps, six-shooter, lariat, and
spurs were functional and necessary in the field.
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