cowhand

plural cowhands · alternative cow hand

1. One who tends free-range cattle, especially in the American West.

   Near-synonyms: ranch hand, cattleman

   3 more examples

   Though a first rate cow hand he very shortly proved himself to be wholly incapable of acting as head.

   1886 April, Theodore Roosevelt, “Ranch Life and Game Shooting in the West”, in Outing, volume 8, number 1, page 3

   I'm an old cowhand from the Rio Grande / but my legs ain't bowed and my cheeks ain't tan […]

   1936, “I'm an Old Cowhand (from the Rio Grande)”, Mercer, Johnny (music)

   Say, you ever run into a cowhand by the name of Woodsy Niles?

   1969, Waldo Salt, Midnight Cowboy, spoken by Joe Buck (Jon Voight)

   Synonyms: cowperson, cowpoke, ranch hand, cattleman

2. Cowman or herdsman, especially to a dairy cattle herd.