What is a Windshield Cowboy?
The term “windshield cowboy” is used to refer to a rancher who prefers to drive, rather than riding. As a general rule, it is used in a derogatory way, implying that the rancher is a pretender, rather than an actual working rancher, and suggesting that he or she may not even be able to ride. The term appears to date to the early 1970s, although it may be older, and it was popularized during the presidency of George Bush, who was often accused of being a windshield cowboy. Most working ranches do, in fact, use trucks for an assortment of tasks, including working animals, especially at remote locations. However, ranchers and cowboys also use horses, and tend to be skilled riders, because there are numerous tasks for which a horse is far more suitable than a vehicle. A cowboy who doesn’t ride a horse seems a bit out of place in Western culture, and tends to be viewed with suspicion by fellow ranch workers; after all, it’s been said that “the best thing for the inside of a man is the outsi
