Odd! Why are We Seeing Cowboy Boots on Fence Posts in Texas?

This post was originally published on March 11, 2021 and was since updated.

If you mozy on down through the ranches of Texas and other parts of the wild wild west, you are bound to come across a few with a pair of cowboy boots resting upside down on top of a fence post.

There Seems to be Multiple Meanings for Seeing Cowboy Boots on a Fence Post in Texas

I like to think cowboys would put their boots on the posts to dry out just in time for them to hit the club later for some line dancing. At least, that's why I would put them there!

@missmischief09 Guess where we are at ? 😁 #cowboyboots #cowboy #fence #nature #where #guess #SimlishSessions #PepsiApplePieChallenge #CompleteMyLook ♬ God's Country (Acoustic) - Blake Shelton

There are countless hypotheses to explain this phenomenon. It's not just in Texas that you'll see boots on fences. States like Nebraska even have this practice in place. You might see one boot on the post or a whole pair. I've seen explanations ranging from honoring the dead (cowboys), straight-up cowboy traditions, letting people know if they're home or not, and protecting cows from poking their skin on the barbed wire.

Maybe It's Not Such a Good Idea to Leave Your Boots on a Fence Post in Texas

Putting boots to let people know if you're home or not? Oh, so you want to advertise it to the criminals, hey y'all, we're not home right now. Help yourself to our family valuables and steal a pig or two while you're at it. Protecting cows from poking their skin on the barbed wire? What cows you know like to rub up against a fence post? Well, I could see that happening if the cows had an itch they wanted to scratch.

@jrileybradford77 1 random fence post gives the cows an infinite amount of entertainment #zachbryan #charolais #washingtonlilacs #heifer #ranchtok ♬ Washington Lilacs - Zach Bryan

There's even a legend that the boots are free for the grabbing, helping out strangers passing through who could use a newer pair of boots. Isn't that encouraging vagabonds to steal your old boots? My parents raised me not to steal stuff from people's property. I used to get in big trouble for stealing crayons, stickers, and chump change from my classmates' backpacks and purses when I was in elementary school. The last thing I'd wanna do is pilfer somebody's cowboy boots as a full-grown adult! Depending on how much those boots are worth in retail value, that could be a misdemeanor!

I prefer to think of the displaying of boots as a decorating style. You've heard of Bohemian chic, Shaggy chic, Steampunk chic. Why not call this Cowgirl Chic? (Or Cowboy chic, if you're a stickler.)

You know how in some neighborhoods, kids will throw a pair of tennis shoes over the electric lines to mark their territory? Maybe the first cowboys to stick their old stinky boots on their fence posts were marking their territory. Those cowboy rivals across the acre on the Eastside knew better than to mess with the Westside ranchers! Maybe it was a case of early versions of the Hatfields and the McCoys or the Jets and the Sharks!

I'm still leaning towards putting them out to make heading out to the juke joint a little bit easier.

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We haven't collectively decided what the heck it really means to see cowboy boots on a fence post, but a word to the wise, if you're gonna try to grab one, you'd better not get caught!

@crudehaulngirl watch til the end...#oilfieldlife #PradaBucketChallenge #KFCSecretMenuHacks #fyp #foryoupage #femaletrucker ♬ Trucking Road Old town road parody - Brad