Gauchos of Argentine




































Published on: Mar 21, 2017, by Alex Cwalinski     












Among some of the many unique things about Argentina, are the Gauchos. These cowboys of South America have a lot in common with their American counterparts. I spent a month living and working on an active horse and cattle ranch to learn what life is like for a Gaucho.












The Gauchos
Gauchos, are the Cowboys of Argentina. They share common traits with the American Cowboy, like a penchant for lawlessness, skilled horsemanship, and ruggedness. In this part of Argentina, they say, a man without a horse is a man without legs.
Like the American Cowboy, the Gauchos flourished in the mid to late 1800s and they lived in the less inhabited parts of their country.
The Gaucho Toolkit

Gauchos carry an important set of tools that are essential for life in the Pampas. Like the Rebenque that you can see hanging off the side of the Gaucho, in the picture above. This tool is essentially a flat rawhide whip, about two feet long. It's used to both 'motivate' (their words, not mine) the cattle and the horses, to move quicker.
Then they have the Boleadoras. These are a throwing weapon, unique to South America. It is made out of three dense balls, connected together by rope. Each rope cord is about two feet long and is used to catch animals by throwing it at the their legs, entangling them. Indigenous people have used Boleadoras for thousands of years, in hunting and in war.
They also carry the traditional Lasso, to catch runaway cattle and horses. No toolkit is complete without a knife. The Gauchos carry a blade called the Facón. It can range anywhere from 10 to 20 inches in length. This thick blade is used as a weapon, tool, and eating utensil.
The Criollo Horse

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Some consider the Criollo to be the hardiest horse with the most stamina. Before a male Criollo can be selected for breeding, it must pass an extremely rigorous test called, La Marcha.
La Marcha consists of a 466 mile long course that must be completed in 14 days. Each horse must carry 200 pounds and can only eat grass during the entire event. 20 days before it begins, they cannot be ridden or given any supplements or feed, besides grass.
This strict breeding requirement has made the breed famous for their endurance capabilities and ability to live in harsh conditions. The Criollo can survive on grass alone and have been known to live up to 40 years.
Between 1925 and 1928, Swiss adventurer Aimé Félix Tschiffely, rode two Criollo from Buenos Aires to New York City. The trip was again repeated from 2002 - 2004 by South African, Marianne Du Toit.
The Climate of the Pampas

The pampas region of South America covers nearly 300,000 square miles and extends into Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay.