My daughter Jenni loves to write stories about horses and cowgirls. She writes pages and pages! She has notebooks filled to the brim with her stories. Today she is sharing with us what it takes to be a real cowgirl. She should know – she is one! She helps her dad gather cows (and bulls!) on horseback, feeds the beef heifers, bottle-feeds the orphan calves, and takes care of other miscellaneous pets. She can also tend a baby with the best of them, and makes a delicious loaf of bread. She is twelve. I am proud to call her my daughter.
This tongue-in-cheek article is a fun peek into a ranch kid’s mind, but if you are looking for serious career advice, check out this article about how to be a cowgirl.
Ten Steps to Being a Real Cowgirl
by Jennifer Schrock
1. Instead of fancy dresses, wear a dusty cowgirl shirt, patched jeans, faded boots, and a hat. A cowgirl doesn’t care if her boots are brown and her shirt pink, just as long as there is something in her closet to wear every day, 24/7.
Chinks made for her by her Daddy.
2. Instead of going to town every weekend, grow your own fruits and veggies, raise chickens for eggs, plant wheat crops for flour, and shoot elk for meat. Also, learn to sew your own clothes and learn to make candles and soap.
Apples from our apple tree.
3. Be friendly. Instead of studying someone to make sure he or she is approachable, go right up to them and give them a hearty hand shake while saying, “Howdy pardner!”
Giving the horses some lovin’.
4. Respect your horse. He works hard to please you, so make it fun for him too, don’t let that stray calf go, run after it! There is nothin’ a cowhorse loves more than running after cattle.
Gathering cows with her friend, Megan.
5. Don’t wear too much make up. Instead, pull on your clothes and get out there, because the best kinda makeup is the dust your horse makes when he runs.
The author of this article, at age 10.
6. Tight buns? High ponytails? Forget it! Just put your hair in a braid or two and pull on your hat.
Getting instructions.
7. Spend less time on the internet – getting browned by the summer sun is much better than gossiping on facebook.
Pushing cows through belly-deep wildflowers.
8. Forget going to a professional to get a tan – working out in the summer sun is all you need to get seriously tanned.
Pushing cows with her brother, Frank.
9. Get off that treadmill, dump the weights – saddle your horse and go do what needs to be done. Trust me, working cattle is all the exercise you need to stay fit.
10. Caviar? Sushi? Margarita? Puh-lease, go for chili and beef steak – its much more filling!
Pushing cows through the gate.
This article is for all you Wyoming, Nevada, Arizona, Texas, and other wild west state cowgirls, Yee-haw!
Sharing over here: http://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2014/02/homestead-barn-hop-148.html
She is wise beyond her years! 10 is absolutely true, by the way!
Totally! 🙂
I love her. And I love #7! I know she’s a bit young yet for the real pull of social media, but even so, I am proud of her.
I liked that one, too! 🙂
Why, Jennifer Schrock, you old soul and talented writer.
I absolutely loved every single word of this. Probably the most that your young hand wrote this. It is a good lesson for all, I do believe, young, old, in the country & city too. There is wisdom here.
I especially like the part when you say, “the best kind of make up is the dust your horse makes when he runs.” Amen!
You are living the real life, the real good life!
Delightful!!
Smart young lady ya’ got there …
~M
This post is so great! I am originally from Southwest Colorado and I actually wanted to be a cowgirl when I was little! Kind of jealous that she actually gets to be one! LOL! 🙂
how sweet!!! Love it!
She is adorable and your pics are awesome – thanks for sharing.
I just this post!!! I sure made me giggle and smile, thank you for that! I will be featuring your post on Tuesdays with A Twist this week, come by Tuesday morning (4/1/14) to take a look.
Thanks! I will stop by!
From one cowgirl to another…..that’s what life is truly about!
Happy trails from Cesaltina and Brooke – cowgirls in South Africa
Check out my 2 books:
A Cowgirl & Her Horse and
Growing Up with Cowgirl Spirit
I loved all of it, but another thing she could add is spend time with family every week, and have a little fun working make it fun!
I am glad that her musings are still available on the Internet this many years after she wrote it. I am researching cowgirl for an important project and I will include information about your amazing young daughter. I’m curious, is she still a cowgirl? And is she continuing to write? I hope so to both of those categories and that she is receiving rewards, emotional physical and financial, going the distance to be and celebrate a cowgirl.
She is not on a ranch today. She does write, but not on a public platform at the time.