How a Cow Puncher Rode

I have often been asked by the people I knowed,
To tell ‘em the way that a cow puncher rode.
Now them cow hands they didn’t all ride jest the same.
They rode a’most every old style you could name.

Of course, most of the hands that was workin’ around,
Would ride with long stirrups, and straight up and down.
Some rode with ‘em medium, some rode with ‘em short.
In fact there was stirrups, and len’ths of all sorts.

I know of one feller that quarreled with his brother,
Because he rode with one stirrup longer than t’other.
Some stuck their laigs foreward and held their heels low.
Some held their laigs back and turned down their toe.

Some held their feet still, but some figity cuss
Would keep kickin’ his feet and makin’ a fuss.
There was some that set straight,
but there’s others that humped
Till they set on their hoss as a sort of a lump.

There was some of them riders kep’ close to their seat.
While others was half of the time on their feet.
Some bogged on the cantel and rode away back,
While others would jig like they rode on a tack.

There was some kep’ their elbows down close to their side.
And others ag’in that would let ‘em spread wide.
While some of ‘em flopped up their elbows so high,
You would think mebbyso they was tryin’ to fly.

There was them that would ride with their hand on the horn.
Some looked plum contented and some looked forlorn.
There was them, fer some reason I couldn’t explain,
Whirled a piece of their rope or the end of a rein.

There was some of them fellers set off to one side.
In fact I can’t tell how a cow boy did ride.
When I figger it out, there is only one guess.
They rode like they thought they could do it the best.