A rare breaking of the fourth wall by Popeye in this short. And the horse has a turn as well.
Singing cowboys, dude ranches, and the wild west were the subject of many films and radio broadcasts of the era. There was a certain glamorous mystique attached to all things Western. Arizona, where this short might have been set, had only been a state since 1912.
As often happens in Popeye shorts, the villain creature is turned into stylish accessories (fur coats, alligator luggage, snakeskin pumps). Adult audiences would have appreciated the visual, while kids would have laughed at the action. Cartoons were still part of a full cinema program at the time.
Among the accessories Popeye pounds the snake into are a pair of dice showing snake eyes (double one).