The "Vaquero"...or "cowboy"...is generally so very much more than
the name implies. Forget "Rawhide" (if not the theme song!) if your old
enough to remember that show and cultural icon. Forget especially
Lee Marvin´s great role in the movie "Cat Ballou" with Jane Fonda
about a hundred years ago...or maybe it was 1965?. Then more
recently (1994) there was the really quite funny movie (and it´s not-so
-great sequel?) "City Slickers", staring Billy Crystal and the late,
great Jack Palance. Good fun. Forget it! Forget Hollywood. Forget
"Cowboys and Indians" and Mat Dillon and Festus and Jessie James
and all the rest. Time to move on. You´ll be glad you did!
Relatively speaking, the true vaquero is indeed an oft times noble
enough character, a true professional, and, like many dedicated
professionals, at least as interested in the quality of his work and
personal integrity as he is his weekly or monthly pay. The vaquero,
through a very slow to change combination of historical, cultural, and
especially economic factors, tends to be the un-sung and largely
under-paid hero on ranches from Alberta, Canada to the Patagonia, in
the far south of Argentina and just about everywhere in between.
Clearly, and not to idealize, not all vaqueros share the same work
ethic nor have the same training, experience, or facility and raw
talent. Yet, many do and if one is very lucky one will come across a
vaquero with a good deal of some or most of the following qualities:
This is necessarily a partial list mainly intended to give a bit wider
view than the one typically and historically portrayed by
Hollywood.In our limited opinion and experience therefore, the
...ideal... vaquero
will ... function as the all around brain and brawn of the rancho, any
rancho really. He is indispensable whether you, the new owner, grew
up on a ranch or farm yourself or this is the very first time you have
stepped foot on one.
He is your ranch/farm manager, maintenance chief, purchasing agent,
sales manager, quality control manager, mechanic, labor supervisor,
personnel department, book keeper, veterinarian,
carpenter/plumber/electrician (in many cases) builder and repairer of
fences, corrals, and out-buildings, and quite literally the all around
person who takes care of all the details most of us would never dream
of needing to deal with let alone have the know-how to do so.
This invaluable person will also know all of the local sociological,
cultural, and logistical "ins and outs" and "do´s and dont´s" of
managing your investment including, but not limited to: when, where,
and what to buy and with whom you want to hire or buy from or sell to
and with whom you may not want to under any
circumstances.................
On a daily basis he lets the animals out to pasture and sees that they
return safely. He see´s that they are fed and monitors their ongoing
health condition and general well-being. He will birth your colts or
your calves and in many cases will know more about the artificial
insemination of cattle than your local vet!
Your vaquero is often a natural, if sometimes reserved, leader and a
teacher. He deals with all of the details while never losing sight of or
managing the "big picture" or overall operation of your rancho or
farm. He can even teach you to ride and care for a horse if you don´t
already know how but want to.
Unlike very few of us in life, I believe that the true vaquero is happy
living where he is living and doing what he is doing. I have spoken
with quite a few now and to a person, not one of them said they would
rather live somewhere else or be doing some other type of work
regardless of the pay. They enjoy the freedom and peace of the
countryside and, if I may risk interpreting or projecting just this once,
I believe that what they are referring to is the peace one may feel
being in or a part of something "bigger than one´s..."self".
If the vaquero seems the stereotypical "quiet type" at times, it may be
because he spends a lot of time by himself or with his animal charges
and therefore has no reason or outlet to be chatty. He´s also got an
endless list of ongoing and variable responsibilities so, for the most
part, he doesn´t have a lot of spare time to shoot the breeze either. It´s
not that he isn´t friendly but like any other busy professional he
simply has not a lot of spare time on his hands and so chooses his
social interactions and boundaries carefully.
Language and Cultural Barriers: It´s better and easier if we as
owners speak or learn to speak Spanish well. Nevertheless, a good
vaquero will generally know what needs doing whether we do or not.
Having a temporary or ongoing intermediary (see our Management
Services page) to interpret and help manage things till you get the
hang of it, or if you are a part-time resident, or travel a lot, or are
busy with your own professional activities, or retirement interests, can
also not only be helpful but literally make possible, successful,
and...profitable your new venture on all of the important levels.
What Vaqueros Earn: In our region, the typical vaquero will earn
between $100 and $125 pesos per 8 hour day based upon a 6 day week.
He will have at least one completely free day off to visit family and
friends every 15 days. Each Vaquero will negotiate "extras" beyond
his normal daily duties. Birthing a calf or a $25,000 mare´s colt will
probably be considered an "extra". He should also be paid a nominal
"extra" for building you a new barn, for instance.
Daily care of the rancho´s animals, managing irrigation, repair of
fences, and general maintenance, and supervision of other temporary
or full-time employees, among other duties, are typically included in
his job description. Part of the vaquero´s "earnings" is that he or he
and his family has a place to live on the rancho, the obvious
additional benefit to the owner being that there is virtually always
someone responsible on the property.
If the vaquero is married, his wife will most often help with chores,
manage gardening, prepare food (upon request) and/or help with
general house-keeping duties for a very reasonable, negotiable,
usually nominal, extra fee.