Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Dance Partner


Photo credit: jmperformancehorses.webs.com

I’ve rode good horses
          For most all my life
Showing ponies in all-around
          And reiners nation-wide

I’ve showed ‘em near
          And I’ve showed ‘em far
On fine reining horses
          Yeah, I’ve been a star

But as far as good cowhorses
          None can ever compare
To the first cutter I rode
          An ugly old crowbait mare

She was fat, she was old
          Sway-backed and long-haired
Her mane was sparse and patchy
          Her tail didn’t better fair

Liver brown with no markings
          And a surly look in her eye
Like a crabby old widow woman
          Scared me outta my hide

The guy brought her on out
Handed me the reins with a smile
Then said “get on and go lope her
          She ain’t been rode in quite a while

I swung into the saddle
          The stirrups way too short
Then loped her a few circles
          I felt all out-of-sorts

She had the choppiest stride
          Her ears were perpetually pinned
I bounced all over the place
          Too fast for my liking then
  
Couldn’t keep my seat in a stop
          Stirrups throwing my balance off
Wondered what I got myself into
          When in a rollback I was almost lost

Then the guy had me stop
          And turn her towards the cattle
Together we cut out a cow
          Me trying to sit deep in the saddle

“Put your rein hand down on her neck
          And hold on for dear life”
The mare went right to work
          And boy was she a sight!

Every sense in her old body
          Was locked onto that cow
Slinking down fast and low
          Like a tomcat on the prowl

She leapt back and to the side
          In a move of pure athleticism
Stopping that wild cow short
          I took back all my criticism

Always one step ahead of the cow
          She danced a jig back and forth
She sure knew what she was doing
          I just held on for all I was worth

It was over at the lift of my hand
          She stopped and backed away
And I knew for sure by then
          She’d been a champion in her day

I slid down and handed off the reins
          Feeling thrilled but a little bit sad
Because even to this day she was
          The best dance partner I’d ever had

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