Being a cowboy is a dangerous job, as displayed throughout all five seasons of Yellowstone,

meaning getting insurance can be tricky. Taylor Sheridan’s popular TV show chronicles the lives

of the Dutton family, the owners of the largest ranch (the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch) in Montana.

The Duttons have numerous ranch hands working for them (well before the majority of them started looking for new jobs in Yellowstone season 5, episode 13), and some haven’t made it out of the neo-Western drama series alive.

Colby dies in Yellowstone season 5, episode 12 while trying to help Carter escape from the stall of an angry horse. The man distracts the untamed animal as Carter runs out, saving the young boy’s life. Unfortunately, it costs Colby his life when the horse kicks him, instantly killing the cowboy. The characters are heartbroken over his death, and in the following episode, Ryan (Colby’s best friend) asks Rip to tell him what exactly happened to Colby. Rip explains the situation, and to make Ryan feel better, he reminds him that cowboys can’t buy life insurance.

Rip Claims Cowboys Can’t Get Life Insurance (Is It True?)
Ryan Asks Rip About Colby’s Death

During Rip’s talk with Ryan in Yellowstone season 5, episode 13, he implies that, because being a cowboy is dangerous, they are prohibited from being able to buy life insurance. The sad reality is that Rip is right. According to Life Happens, those with high-risk jobs are often denied life insurance coverage.

Ultimately, being a ranch hand is quite dangerous, and that is why companies typically refuse to give them life insurance.

As Yellowstone has shown various times over the course of the neo-Western drama’s five seasons, the life of a cowboy isn’t easy. It costs Colby his life in season 5, and it risks taking many of the Yellowstone characters’ lives throughout the series. Ultimately, being a ranch hand is quite dangerous, and that is why companies typically refuse to give them life insurance. Other jobs, like police officers, roofers, loggers, and active duty soldiers in the military, also typically can’t get life insurance.

How Rip Has Tried To Keep The Cowboy Culture Alive In Yellowstone
Rip Has Been The Embodiment Of Cowboy Culture

Cowboy culture is at the heart of Yellowstone, and no one better represents being a cowboy than Rip. Plus, no one loves being a cowboy more than Cole Hauser’s character. He is constantly trying to keep the Dutton family’s way of life alive, making Rip the perfect person to run the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch in the wake of John Dutton III’s death. However, Rip is scared that cowboy culture is dying.

During the Yellowstone season 5, part 2 premiere, Rip travels to Texas with a few of the Yellowstone’s ranch hands to transport some of their animals after a brucellosis outbreak. However, the trip means much more than that to Rip. The episode makes it clear that Rip is afraid that cowboy culture is dying, and he believes it’s his job to keep it alive. Rip tries teaching a young boy about horses and expresses his fears to the other characters. However, the threat of losing the ranch overpowers any of Rip’s other worries in Yellowstone season 5, part 2.