History Main / TheRustler

** John Glubb's original UsefulNotes/WarriorsOfDesertWinds originally were recruited from men who had gotten their training in desert [[IncrediblyLamePun "rustling matches"]] before they enlisted. Often both as victim and as rustler at different times.

* Many Australian Bushrangers started out as horse rustlers, including the real life outlaws UsefulNotes/NedKelly, Film/TheOutlawMichaelHowe, Film/CaptainThunderbolt and {{Film/Mad Dog Morgan}}. Unlike their American counterparts, Aussie horse thieves were often portrayed as RobinHood type heroes who stole from the wealthy ranchers and bankers to feed impoverished Irish DeterminedHomesteader families.

** The two great status markers in pre-Anglo Irish society were how many cows you had stolen and how many men you had killed. Indeed, most 'wars' in Old Ireland were more large-scale rustling raids than anything else. Heck, even the famous Cú Chulainn got in on the act; change the setting from Ulster to Texas, the characters from monarchs and warriors to {{cattle baron}}s and cowboys, and the weapons from [[BladeOnAStick spears]] to six-shooters and ''Literature/TheCattleRaidOfCooley'' becomes a {{Western}}.

The EvilCounterpart of the {{Cowboy}} who uses the same skill set to steal livestock, primarily cattle and horses. While livestock thievery is nearly as old as domesticated animals themselves, the Rustler does it wholesale.

# Rebranding: This is more of a mystery version. Cattle are disappearing from the ranch, more than can be explained by Mountain Lions, Wolves, and Indians. Essentially one of the other ranchers in the area is stealing cattle by pasting their brand over the top of the rightful owners' brand. Expect talk about using a "running iron" and for particularly skilled re-branders the use of a Saddle Bag cinch ring.

Sometimes everybody knows what is going on, but the rebranding keeps it from being open theft, and people live with it because the thief either has political connections, or has hired TheGunslinger as his Dragon. Sometimes both. Often a DeterminedHomesteader or [[{{Cowboy}} Lone Rancher]] stood up to him and got himself killed, leaving behind a DeterminedWidow. Then TheDrifter shows up...

* A cowboy walks into town and sees a gallows. He asks who it's for.

Pretty much always villains in a {{Western}}. Compare EvilPoacher. For ScienceFiction rustlers, see AliensStealCattle.

* An early ''Comicbook/LuckyLuke'' story had horses stolen during a Round-Up, their brand "-3" being changed to "4B".
* ''Franchise/WonderWoman'' [[ComicBook/WonderWoman1942 Vol 1]]: "The Legend of Rainbow and Stardust!": At his daughter's urging Hard Candy tells Diana and the Heyday sisters the tale of some rustlers who tried to steal livestock from the Bar-L only for the eponymous oddly intelligent wild horses to alert the Candy family in time for them to prevent the theft.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheGoodDinosaur'' features a gang of rustler ''Velociraptors''.

* ''Film/HangEmHigh'' is a Creator/ClintEastwood western where, prior to the start of the movie, a rustler kills the owner of a large herd, poses as the rightful owner, and sells the herd to Eastwood's character. When friends of the murdered owner catch up with Eastwood, they decide that Eastwood must be the rustler and attempt to hang him.

* Many Australian Bushrangers started out as horse rustlers, including the real life outlaws UsefulNotes/NedKelly, Film/TheOutlawMichaelHowe, Film/CaptainThunderbolt and {{Film/Mad Dog Morgan}}. Unlike their American counterparts, Aussie horse thieves were often portrayed as RobinHood type heroes who stole from the wealthy ranchers and bankers to feed impoverished Irish DeterminedHomesteader families.
* In the Creator/JohnWayne film ''Film/{{Chisum}}'', John Chisum has to deal with rustlers on his property, who were hired by his rival Lawrence Murphy.

* In ''Film/CurseOfTheUndead'', Buffer's henchmen are stealing cattle from the Carter ranch as part of Buffer's scheme to drive the Carters of their land.

* ''Film/SanAntonio'': Cattle rustling has been raised to organized crime syndicate level, as Roy Stuart has built an empire and rendered much of west Texas lawless, with a large-scale operation in which he steals cattle, takes them to Mexico, and takes them back across the border elsewhere to be sold.

* Creator/LouisLAmour was fond of this as a plotline in his books.

* The Creator/RudyardKipling poem "The Lament of the Border Cattle Thief" is ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: the aforementioned thief has been captured, but promises that he will escape and wreak further havoc.
* ''Literature/TheCattleRaidOfCooley'' starts with Queen Medb raiding Ulster to steal its prize bull, so she can have one like her husband's and be truly equal in wealth. Unfortunately for her, Cooley's cattle are guarded by [[TheHero Cú Chulainn]], meaning actually ''taking'' the bull is easier said than done...

* Played with in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheNewAdventuresOfWinnieThePooh''. The denizens of a frontier town are terrified of the "horse thieves" who are on their way. When they arrive, they actually turn out to be ''horses'', [[AmbiguousSyntax who are professional thieves]].

** The Highland Scots had similar habits, unsurprisingly. Later on, they preferred to steal English cattle, though. Even so, many long-running [[FeudingFamilies feuds between clans]] are traceable to (often mutual) accusations of cattle rustling.

* Central to the plot of ''WesternAnimation/ACloseShave''. No, really, the one with ''WesternAnimation/WallaceAndGromit''.

** John Glubb's original UsefulNotes/WarriorsOfTheDesertWind originally were recruited from men who had gotten their training in desert [[IncrediblyLamePun "rustling matches"]] before they enlisted. Often both as victim and as rustler at different times.
** The two great status markers in pre-Anglo Irish society were how many cows you had stolen and how many men you had killed. Indeed, most 'wars' in Old Ireland were more large-scale rustling raids than anything else. Heck, even the famous Cú Chulainn got in on the act; change the setting from Ulster to Texas, the characters from monarchs and warriors to {{cattle baron}}s and cowboys, and the weapons from [[BladeOnAStick spears]] to six-shooters and ''The Cattle Raid of Cooley'' becomes a {{Western}}.

* ''Literature/TheCattleRaidOfCooley'' (''The Cattle Raid of Cooley'') starts with Queen Medb raiding Ulster to steal its prize bull so she can have one like her husband's and be truly equal in wealth. Unfortunately for her, Cooley's cattle are guarded by [[TheHero Cú Chulainn]], meaning actually ''taking'' the bull proves to be easier said than done...

* ''Fil/TombstoneRashomon'': According to the Earp faction, the Cowboys are a gang of rustlers. Ike Clanton claims that he and his companions are honest ranchers.[[note]]History generally sides with the Earps on this one.[[/note]]

* ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1942'': "The Legend of Rainbow and Stardust!": At his daughter's urging Hard Candy tells Diana and the Heyday sisters the tale of some rustlers who tried to steal livestock from the Bar-L only for the eponymous oddly intelligent wild horses to alert the Candy family in time for them to prevent the theft.

* ''Literature/TainBoCuailnge'' (''The Cattle Raid of Cooley'') starts with Queen Medb raiding Ulster to steal its prize bull so she can have one like her husband's and be truly equal in wealth. Unfortunately for her, Cooley's cattle are guarded by [[TheHero Cú Chulainn]], meaning actually ''taking'' the bull proves to be easier said than done...

* Cattle raids are a regular occurrence in the tribal society portrayed in ''VideoGame/KingOfDragonPass''.

# Hit and Run: This is essentially an action packed attack on a herd of cattle (often on a CattleDrive or during a Round-Up). The rustlers stampede the cattle, shooting their guns, often killing or injuring the Heroes, and then the Rustlers round up the largest bunch of cattle, and start their own CattleDrive -- sometimes towards Mexico. This is the open highway banditry version.

* Many Australian Bushrangers started out as horse rustlers, including the real life outlaws ''{{Film/Ned Kelly}}, Film/TheOutlawMichaelHowe, Film/CaptainThunderbolt'' and ''{{Film/Mad Dog Morgan}}.'' Unlike their American counterparts, Aussie horse thieves were often portrayed as RobinHood type heroes who stole from the wealthy ranchers and bankers to feed impoverished Irish DeterminedHomesteader families.

** The Highland Scots had similar habits, unsurprisingly. Later on, they preferred to steal English cattle, though.

* The Disney animated movie ''Disney/HomeOnTheRange'' has a yodeling rustler as the main villain.