Sorry to do this to y'all, but I can't help being reminded, for some perverse reason, of an old cartoon I once saw. There's a cowboy sitting on the steps of the bunkhouse with his horse's reins in his hand, their noses almost touching. One of the other cowboys, taking in this tender scene, says "I always knew you were attached to this horse but, let's face it - you're involved!"

In the days of open range and cattle drives, it was not often that a cowboy could afford his own mount. Most of his money went for saddle and tack and, perhaps, a sidearm or rifle. Most horses were furnished to the hands by the herd's owner and kept in a "remuda" or temporary corral during a drive. Think of it like an army "motor pool," where mounts were furnished as needed. An individual might have use of the same horse, day to day, depending on that outfit's approach, but not always.