The cowboy's life was essentially an outdoor one. Much of the spring, summer and fall was spent under canvas and not uncommonly under the stars on the open range. Though personal comforts were few, the typical cowboy was not inclined to neglect his personal appearance or hygiene.
Note the prairie mud caked on the wheels, the sheepskin chaps that kept the legs warm and protected during cold winter and spring days in the saddle. The cowboy in this picture is also carrying a six-gun, a practice more common on the southern Alberta plains than in the western foothill country.
