Curses, Ghost Riders, and Bad Luck: Cowboy Superstitions from the Trail

Howdy y’all, Chip Schweiger, here. Welcome to another edition of Way Out West. 

 The podcast that takes you on a journey through the stories of the American West, brings you the very best cowboy wisdom, and celebrates the cowboys and cowgirls who are feeding a nation. 

Superstitions. Legends. The strange and spooky beliefs that cowboys clung to out on the open range.

Now, cowboys were practical men. They didn’t put much stock in nonsense. 

But when you spend long nights under the stars, hear the coyotes howling, and see your horse spook at something you can’t see—well, a little bit of luck and lore starts making a whole lot of sense.

So today on the show, we’re rounding up the strangest, spookiest, and funniest cowboy superstitions from the trail. 

Ever wonder why cowboys refuse to put their hats on the bed? 

What it means when a horse won’t cross a certain stretch of land? 

Or what happens if you hear a campfire crackle when no one’s tending it?

Saddle up, partner. We’re about to ride deep into the unknown.

After the episode, check out the show notes at WayOutWestPod.com/Superstitions

[MUSIC]

Welcome back. 

Now if you’ve been listening for any amount of time, you know that this is a show where we separate truth from tall tales—most of the time. 

But today? Well, we’re venturing into a part of cowboy culture that’s as real as a rattlesnake in your boot, yet as mysterious as a ghost rider in the dark.

I’ve got nine cowboy superstitions, so let’s jump in. 

[Sound]

Let’s start with the big one. THE HAT ON THE BED CURSE. Every cowboy worth his salt knows—you never put your hat on the bed. 

That’s bad luck of the worst kind. But why?

Some say it invites death. Others claim it means a fight’s coming your way. 

And some old-timers even believed it could summon a restless spirit.

Now, let’s get practical. Cowboy hats weren’t just for show. 

They soaked up dust, sweat, and—unfortunately—sometimes lice. 

Out on the trail, where bathing was a luxury and personal space didn’t exist, putting a dirty hat where you slept wasn’t just bad luck—it was asking for trouble.

But once a superstition takes root, it’s hard to shake. 

Even today, step into any cowboy’s bunkhouse, and you’ll see hats hung on hooks, brims up on the table—anywhere but the bed. 

Because whether or not you believe in curses, why risk it?

[Sound]

Now, #2 is about something cowboys respected more than any superstition—their horses.

Horses are sharp. They sense danger before a man even has time to blink. 

But what if that danger isn’t something you can see?

Cowboys tell of times when their horses would freeze—ears perked, nostrils flaring—staring into the darkness as if something was watching. 

But when they looked? Nothing.

They called it the ghost rider.

Some say it’s the spirit of an old cowboy still trying to finish a cattle drive he never completed. 

Others whisper that it’s an outlaw doomed to wander forever. And the worst ones? 

They say it’s the Devil himself, looking for a soul to claim.

Now, could it just be the wind shifting in the brush? A shadow playing tricks? Maybe. 

There’s an old bit of cowboy wisdom that says, if you’re horse doesn’t want to go there, neither should you.

So, when you’re out on the prairie, miles from civilization, and your horse suddenly refuses to take another step—well, would you push forward? Something to think about. I’m getting chills just thinking about it.

[Sound]

Speaking of ghostly riders, there’s one legend that cowboys across Texas swore was real—El Muerto, the Headless Horseman of the West.

The story goes that back in the 1800s, a notorious horse thief named Vidal made the mistake of stealing from the wrong ranch. 

Texas Rangers and a few ranchers caught up with him, and instead of a quick death, they gave him a brutal warning for anyone thinking of rustling their stock.

They cut off Vidal’s head, tied his body to a mustang, and set the horse loose on the open range. 

For weeks—maybe months—that wild horse roamed, dragging the lifeless, headless body of the thief. 

Cowboys claimed they saw it galloping under the full moon, the corpse swaying in the saddle, head nowhere to be found.

Now, whether the story is true or not, one thing’s for sure—no cowboy liked being out on the trail alone at night, especially when they saw a rider that didn’t look quite… alive.

[Sound]

Number 4 is one that’ll make your skin crawl—literally.

Ever hear of the bedroll hex? Cowboys said if you ever found a rattlesnake coiled up in your blankets, you weren’t just unlucky—you were cursed.

Now, logically, it makes sense. 

A warm bedroll left near a rock overnight? 

That’s prime real estate for a cold-blooded critter. But some cowboys swore it meant something else.

They believed certain folks—witches, medicine men, or something even darker—could send a snake your way. 

Maybe you crossed the wrong person. 

Maybe you didn’t show proper respect at a burial site. 

Either way, if a snake showed up in your bedroll, it was more than just bad luck—it was a warning.

And the best course of action? Leave that campsite. Fast.

Smart cowboys always flipped their boots upside down at night—just in case. 

But you tell me—if you found a snake in your bedroll, would you sleep in the same spot the next night?

[Sound]

Now, number 5 is a superstition as old as the hills—never whistle on the trail at night.

Why? Because whistling calls up the wind. And sometimes, it calls up worse.

Cowboys believed that a sharp whistle on the open range could stir up a storm—or wake something else in the darkness. 

Spirits. Lost souls. Things best left undisturbed.

Now, whether that was just an excuse to keep greenhorns quiet or a real fear? Who knows. 

But here’s the thing—go camping sometime, way out west, where there’s nothing but open sky and silence. 

Whistle. See if the wind picks up.

And if it does? Well… maybe don’t do it twice.

[Sound]

Cowboys had strict rules about campfires. Never stare too long into the flames—you might see something you can’t unsee. 

Never leave it burning when you leave camp. 

And never, ever approach a fire that’s already burning if no one’s around.

Because some fires… they don’t die.

There’s a story about a group of cowboys who spotted a lone campfire late one night. 

No horses. No voices. No bedrolls. Just a fire, burning steady in the dark.

Now, the brave ones might’ve called out. 

The smart ones? They kept riding.

Because if there’s a fire with no one tending it, that means someone—or something—is still there. Watching. Waiting.

And cowboys? They knew when to let sleeping spirits lie.

 Let’s take a quick break and when we come back I’ve got three more superstitions, including one that may have you scratching your head. Be right back.

[MUSIC]

Welcome back. So, here’s three more.

Ever notice how ranchers and cowboys hang horseshoes over their doors? 

That’s not just decoration—it’s for luck.

The belief in a lucky horseshoe goes way back, long before cowboys roamed the plains. 

Some say it started with blacksmiths, who were thought to have special powers because they worked with fire and iron. 

Others claim it came from old European folklore, where iron was believed to ward off evil spirits.

But here’s the catch—how you hang that horseshoe matters.

Hang it upright, like a "U", and it catches good luck, holding it inside like a cup. But hang it upside down? All that luck spills right out.

Now, some cowboys argue that an upside-down horseshoe pours luck onto whoever walks beneath it. 

But let me ask you this—when you’re on the trail, miles from nowhere, and all you’ve got is your horse, your rope, and the open sky, do you really want to take that gamble?

[sound]

Here’s a superstition that makes you wonder where it started—cowboys believed that eating chicken before a long ride would bring bad luck.

Now, why would that be?

Well, one explanation is simple—chickens are flighty. Nervous. Always flapping around in a panic. 

And if you eat one before a big ride, that nervous energy transfers to you. 

Your horse might get jumpy. You might lose your grip on the reins. Or worse—you might take a fall.

And out on the range, a fall wasn’t just embarrassing—it could be deadly.

So, if you were about to set out on a cattle drive, or you had a bronc to break, you stuck to beef, beans, and biscuits. Chicken? That was for the folks back home.

Now, whether this superstition was real or just an excuse to save the good protein for the trail crew, who’s to say? 

But let me ask you this—if you had a long ride ahead, would you take the chance?

[sound]

And number 9 is the most superstitious of all superstitions. So, check it out.

Cowboys had plenty of ways to jinx themselves, and one of the biggest? Counting your cattle before the drive was done.

Now, on paper, it makes sense to keep track of your herd.

But if you were driving cattle across open country, you never sat around the fire and said, “Well, looks like we got exactly 450 head.”

Why? Because the moment you did, something was bound to happen.

Maybe a storm rolled in, scattering the herd. 

Maybe rustlers got bold in the dead of night. 

Or maybe—just maybe—something out there didn’t like a cowboy getting too confident.

This superstition comes from an old belief that naming your fortune too soon invites bad luck. 

Kind of like a gambler counting his winnings before the game’s over. 

Or a cowboy thinking the job is done before he reaches the last mile.

So, instead of counting, cowboys kept it vague. “We got about this many.” or “Looks like a strong herd.” 

But never a firm number. Because the trail wasn’t over till the cattle were in the pens up north.

And if you did count your herd too early? Well… don’t be surprised if you come up short by morning.

[sound in background]

So, what do you think? Are all of these just tall tales? 

Just stories to pass the time? 

Or is there something more to it?

One thing’s for sure—cowboys might have been rough, but they weren’t foolish. 

If a superstition kept you safe, you followed it. 

And if a ghost story kept you sharp? Well, maybe that was the point. [fade out music]

So next time you’re out under the stars, and the wind shifts just so—maybe you’ll remember these stories. And maybe… just maybe… you’ll wonder what’s really out there on the range.

Ok, we’re almost done for this week, but before we go, we’ve got one more thing.

[BULL SOUND]

Yep, that distinctive call from Buster the Bull means it’s time for the cowboy glossary term of the week. 

And this week’s term is Rustler. And you may know this one, but I got a fun fact for you at the end.

So, a rustler is a cattle thief—a sneaky, outlaw figure who steals livestock, especially cattle, from ranchers.

Back in the days of open range cattle drives, rustlers were the bane of every cowboy’s existence. Their illicit activities could leave a rancher without a single head of cattle, and their deeds often sparked violent confrontations with vigilant ranch hands and determined lawmen.

In Cowboy Lingo you might hear a cowboy say, "That varmint's a rustler!" or "Keep an eye out—there's been talk of rustlers around these parts." It's a term that not only denoted a criminal but also evoked the rough-and-tumble, lawless spirit of the old West.

And Rustlers weren’t just common criminals; their actions often had serious economic and social impacts on ranching communities. The threat of rustling added to the tension of life on the range and gave rise to numerous tales and warnings shared around the campfire.

And here’s the fun Fact:
In many cowboy stories and ballads, rustlers are portrayed as shadowy figures lurking in the night, embodying the darker side of frontier life—a reminder that even in a land of endless opportunity, danger was never far away. How’s that for creepy?

[OUTRO MUSIC]

And that’s a wrap for this episode of Way Out West! 

Thanks for riding along, really appreciate it. If you liked today’s show, don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review. And if you’ve got a favorite cowboy superstition or a tale from the trail, I’d love to hear it. Just drop a comment.

Until next time—keep your fire low, your bedroll tight, and your hat off the bed.

We’ll see ya down the road.