cowboying
Doing ranch work
Cowboying is working as a cowboy—herding cattle, riding horses, mending fences on a ranch.
More broadly, it describes reckless or undisciplined behavior, acting without proper caution or procedure: He was cowboying through the project without reading the specs.
In some trades, cowboying means doing shoddy, improvisational work that ignores standards.
Domesticated bovines kept commercially
- roundupOrganized gathering of scattered things
- drovingLong-distance livestock walking
- brandingCreating distinctive identity
- lariatNoosed catching rope
stampede · trail · corral · mustering · stockman · buckaroo · penning · herdsman
Mounted rider's seat
- bootsAnkle-covering footwear
- spursHeel-mounted riding prods
- chapsProtective riding legwear
- hatGarment for the head
bandana · lasso · rope · holster · bridle · reins · stirrups · cinch
Flashy, attention-seeking performance
- showboatingOstentatious self-display
- daringAdventurous courage
- freelancingSelf-directed contract work
- improvisingCreating spontaneously without plan
unsanctioned · slapdash · haphazard · corners · shortcuts · maverick · unauthorized · unorthodox
Jumping to unseat rider
- broncUntamed saddle horse
- arenaVenue for contests
- chuteInclined passage for descent
- timerDuration-tracking mechanism
score · competition · pickup · spurring · rosin · roughstock · bareback · rankness
cattle
Domesticated bovines kept commercially
- roundupOrganized gathering of scattered things
- drovingLong-distance livestock walking
- brandingCreating distinctive identity
lariat · stampede · trail · corral · mustering · stockman · buckaroo · penning · herdsman · calving
saddle
Mounted rider's seat
hat · bandana · lasso · rope · holster · bridle · reins · stirrups · cinch · bedroll
hotdogging
Flashy, attention-seeking performance
- showboatingOstentatious self-display
- daringAdventurous courage
- freelancingSelf-directed contract work
improvising · unsanctioned · slapdash · haphazard · corners · shortcuts · maverick · unauthorized · unorthodox · winging
bucking
Jumping to unseat rider
timer · score · competition · pickup · spurring · rosin · roughstock · bareback · rankness
fencing
Combat with blunted blades
homesteading · acreage · husbandry · tending · breeding · stewardship · bunkhouse · foreman · range · windmill
frontier
Edge of settlement
- saloonDrinking establishment, often frontier
- outlawsFugitives from justice
- sheriffCounty's chief officer
pistols · duel · bandits · stagecoach · desperado · lawmen · gambler · territory · homestead · pioneers
cowboyingplaying it safe
Avoiding unnecessary risk
slow and steady · due diligence · measured response · thoroughness · prudence
cowboyingteamwork
Joint effort toward shared aim
collaboration · collaborating · coordinating · cooperating · working together
cowboy, cowboys, cowgirl, wrangler, cowpoke, cowboyed, cowpuncher