In the late 1800s the American cowboy was born on the open range of the West. The cowboy's typical duties included riding, roping, horse breaking, and cattle herding. Since life in the American West meant using the labor available, necessity created his counterpart—the cowgirl. For instance, if a family had more daughters than sons, it was the young women who took part in the chores and activities that were traditionally considered to be a man's job. Women were often an unsung part of life on farms and ranches, but one woman would use the skills she learned on her family's ranch in present-day Oklahoma to break barriers and eliminate gender stereotypes.