The most important possession of any cowboy was his horse and saddle. The saddles were often custom made and next to his horse, was probably the most important item a cowboy owned. Horses were so important that horse theft was a hanging offense! Cowboys wore special clothing that helped them with their jobs. They wore special boots to allow them to slip them easily in and out of their stirrups.
Many cowboys also wore chaps to protect their legs from getting scraped up from brush, cactus and branches. Bandanas and hats were used to protect them excess dust, sun and rain. The average pay for being a cowboy in the 1800’s was only between $25 and $40 a month.