Leslie Desmond

Have You Got the Makings...

You say you ride, but can you rope
And can you read a brand?
Pardner, have you got the makings
Of a top cowhand?

You have the boots, you bought the saddle
But how are you alone with cattle?
Are you savvy, are you mean
And were you ever really green?

You have a horse, but does he know
How to free right up and go?
Did you take the time to get him right?
Does he handle for you smooth and light?

You spent the time, but did you learn
To keep the life up through a turn?
Is there a place on him for you to sit
Where your saddle and his soul just fit?

What’s it take to read a steer
And will your rope reach him from here?
You ride your horse - past dark you say
Do you feel his feet most all the way?

Before he jumped did you really know
That he was shaping up to go?
Will you count the cattle that you see?
Do you read the weather on that old tree?
Does the full moon raise a song in your heart?
Can you ride all day without shakin’ apart?

Is your horse too tired to trot another mile?
Do you know when to stop and let him rest for awhile?
Did you air out his back and jerk your saddle down?
Is your mind on the job, or does it drift to girls in town?

Can you take it? Will you make it?
Or, are you just passing time?
Will you still be roping cattle
When you’re crowding 99?

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