In my previous blog post I mentioned some English rhymes which can be played with children sitting on adults’ laps, with either babies or older kids.
This time, I’d like to discuss another genre of lap rhymes called Horse Trotting Rhymes.
Horse Trotting Rhymes are usually done with older kids. You wouldn’t want to play these babies since you don’t want to jiggle their heads.
When singing these songs you move your legs up and down with the child on your knees as if they’re riding a horse. Older kids love these rhymes.
Ride a Cock-horse to Banbury Cross is one of the best-known English Horse Trotting Rhymes…
Ride a Cock-horse to Banbury Cross
Ride a cock-horse* to Banbury Cross,
To see a fine lady upon a white horse;
Rings on her fingers and bells on her toes,
And she shall have music wherever she goes.*A cock-horse is anything a kid rides on and pretends is a horse (i.e. someone’s lap, a rocking horse or a wooden stick with a wooden horses head).
Trot, Trot, Trot to Boston is another well-known Horse Trotting Rhyme. Below I’ve listed some of the variations of the rhyme…
Trot, Trot, Trot to Boston
Trot, trot, trot to Boston
(Gently bounce the child on your knees)Trot, trot, trot to Lynn.
(Gently bounce again)Watch out Little One/Girl/Boy/or kids’ name
(Gently bounce knees again)Or you’ll fall in/You’re going to fall in!/or Cause you might fall in!
(Open knees/Gently bring child down between knees and then lift back up)Variation:
Trot, trot to Boston
Trot, trot to Maine
Trot, trot
And home, home again.Or:
Trot, trot, to Boston;
Trot, trot, to Lynn;
Trot, trot, to Salem;
Home, home again.
When singing this next song you move your legs up and down with the child on your knees. With each verse you move your legs a little higher…
This Is the Way the Ladies Ride
This is the way the ladies ride,
Tri, tre, tre, tree,
Tri, tre, tre, tree!
This is the way the ladies ride,
Tri, tre, tre, tre, tri-tre-tre-tree!This is the way the gentlemen ride,
Gallop-a-trot,
Gallop-a-trot!
This is the way the gentlemen ride,
Gallop-a-gallop-a-trot!This is the way the farmers ride,
Hobbledy-hoy,
Hobbledy-hoy!
This is the way the farmers ride,
Hobbledy-hobbledy-hoy!
Here’s a similar one…
Here Goes My Lord
Here goes my lord
A trot, a trot, a trot, a trot,
Here goes my lady
A canter, a canter, a canter, a canter!Here goes my young master
Jockey-hitch*, jockey-hitch, jockey-hitch, jockey-hitch!
Here goes my young miss
An amble, an amble, an amble, an amble!The footman lags behind to tipple** ale and wine,
And goes gallop, a gallop, a gallop, to make up his time.*To jockey is to ride a horse like in a race as if you’re a jockey. To hitch is to raise with a jerk. So I believe jockey-hitch describes riding a horse quickly, yet, fitfully up and down.
**To drink
Here’s one more…
Little Shon a Morgan
Little Shon a Morgan
Shentleman of Wales,
Came riding on a nanny-goat,
Selling of pigs’ tails.Chicky, cuckoo, my little duck,
See-saw, sickna downy;
Gallop a trot, trot, trot,
And hey for Dublin a towny!
If you would like to share any more Horse Trotting Rhymes with us, feel free to tell us about them in the comments below.
The illustration comes from The National Nursery Book.
Enjoy and have fun!
Mama Lisa
This article was posted on Sunday, July 27th, 2008 at 9:38 pm and is filed under American Kids Songs, Australia, British Children's Songs, Canada, Children's Songs, Countries & Cultures, England, English, English Nursery Rhymes, Games Around the World, Horse Trotting Rhymes, Languages, Lap Rhymes, Nursery Rhymes, Nursery Rhymes About Animals, Rhymes by Theme, United Kingdom, USA. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
October 21st, 2008 at 1:22 pm
I’m not sure where this one came from, but this was what we always did in my family, and what I always do for the children I know.
(With the child facing you on your lap, start bouncing them up and down while holding their hands)
I had a horse, his name was Jack
I rode his tail to save his back
His tail fell off and I fell back
Whoooooa Jack
(on the Whooooa let the child go back, and then pull them back up on Jack)
Be prepared to do this one for hours.
March 4th, 2009 at 10:38 pm
Trot my little tater tot with joy to cherish with every trot.
From trot to canter to walk to STOP.
To play hooray.
To on my feet to the horse we meet we play around and kick, gallop oops that was not me!
April 27th, 2009 at 8:47 pm
I remember bouncing little ones on the knee to something in Norwegian, but I don’t really know any of the words. To my childhood memory it went like this:
(starting in a low voice, with knees bouncing just slightly)
So-De-A-Hum and a So-De-A-Bruuda
So-De-A-Hum and a So-De-A-Bruuda
(now bouncing high on the knees)
And a Suss-Pa-Pa-Bo and a Suss-Pa-Pa-Bo and a Sus-Pa-Pa-Bo
And a B in a smudaset.
Can anyone help with the real words?
May 31st, 2009 at 5:07 pm
The following rhyme has been in my family for years and was passed on by my Father who stills teaches it to every new grandchild. the child is bounced up and down while sitting on adults leg thrown over the other and at the end of the rhyme on ‘Turkey Cock’ the child is lifted higher into the air for the end.
Galloping trot, from Mallow to Cork
To buy a sheeps head to put in the pot
A shoulder of sheep, A lump of beef
A fine fat hen and a Turkey Cock!
June 20th, 2009 at 11:02 am
this is NOT for older kids these are for toddlers!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WE HATE THOSE SONGS!
-bobert
October 26th, 2009 at 4:04 pm
my little one loves this-
baa baa goes sheep
neigh neigh goes horse
woof woof goes dog
meow meow goes cat and
wair wair goes YOU
ON EACH ANIMAL SOUND MOVE YOUR KNEESAND ON you MOVE YOUR KNEES APART AND PUT THE CHILD AUP AGAIN
October 31st, 2009 at 12:31 pm
I have some teetotaling in-laws from Alabama, where I’ve heard them recite:
Ride a little horsie into town,
Horse got drunk and *name* fell down!
It’s short, so your leg won’t get tired.
February 24th, 2010 at 6:34 pm
RE: This is the way the Ladies ride.
In my family in England the last line of this game was:
This is the way the huntsman rides – over the hedges and down in the ditches.
You lift the child as high as you can “over the hedges” separate your knees and hold the child as low as you can “down in the ditches” Sometimes we were even let go onto the floor and had “fallen off” usually when the ride giver was tired of the game.
May 20th, 2010 at 5:33 pm
Keri Newton wrote:
Dunno where its from, but my great granny used to sing…
GiddyUp horsey go to Town
Buy some candy by the pound
Whoah, horsey don’t fall down
Then Suddenly Your On The Ground!
This rhyme is done with the child straddling your lap facing you. Hold child’s hands and sing song it while bouncing legs up and down.
On the last sentence, string the word ground out (i.e. grouuunnnnnd) while stretching legs out and gently letting child slide down your legs, to the floor.
Just thought it be neat to share.
Keri
May 26th, 2010 at 5:31 pm
Please help me. My great grand mother used to sing a song to me while I sat on her lap.
She would bounce her knees and say “ou ou ou dada si sa valez — il est tentes il est rey il est tentes oooouuuu dada”
At the end I would slide down her legs. I know that I have masacured the words her… she was from France so I’m thinking it was french that she spoke….
If any one has a clue about what this song is I would really appreciate if you would write to me… pywakit80@aol.com
thank you so much.
Honesty.
September 6th, 2010 at 4:56 pm
My Grandma was very French. She used to sit my cousins on her foot with her knees crossed and bounce them holding on to their hands. She sang a song that sounded like “si trot, gros trot” and I’m not sure what came after. Does anyone know this one?
May 6th, 2011 at 2:52 am
I loved all those little stories. I know that this game is so
popular. Riding via foot is just as if not more popular than getting down on all fours. Great site! Loved it!
May 27th, 2011 at 8:20 am
Could you please let me know the text of the song:
it’s about horse trotting and galloping etc
my son heard that song once in library so he really loved the tune, i would love to teach but dont know the words
thank you so much guys
April 4th, 2012 at 10:11 am
My dad sang this to us and I sang it to my kids:
A dance-a-didlee dance-a-day
A dance-a-didlee dance-a-day
A dance-a-didlee dance-a-day
A dance-a-didlee dance-AH DAY! (on this last syllable, you throw the toddler into the air with your foot, which they’re riding on).
My Mam also did the
OOOhhh gallup and trot from Mallow to Cork but it had a line like
Sold me buttermilk, every drop!
August 1st, 2012 at 8:33 am
I know a little pony
His name is Dapple Gray
He lives down by the meadow
Not very far away
He goes nimble nimble nimble
And trot trot trot
And then he stops and waits a bit
Gallop gallop gallop…weeeeeeeee
Riding on a pony, a pony, a pony
Riding on a pony here we go
Riding on a pony, a pony, a pony
Riding on a pony,
Woooaaahhhh
Woooaaahhhh
Woooaaahhhh
Woooaaahhhh
(move the child up and down and then left, right, back, forwards
Great fun!
September 21st, 2012 at 12:30 pm
I used to sing this one to my kids and they loved it,
(with child sitting on knees facing you, holding the child’s hands)
while gently pushing and pulling the child’s arms alternately left then right etc… while simultaneously bouncing one knee and then the other…
see saw pull and draw
hard wood and a dull saw
and a laaaaaaazy (girl or boy!) when you get to this part lean the child backwards and them back up.
October 1st, 2012 at 9:49 am
I use a familiar one with my son
The farmer he goes trot to trot ( bounce child gently on knee and hold hands like reins)
The lady she goes canter canter ( bounce child like a canter)
The gentle he goes gallopy gallopy ( big bounces like a gallop – the kids love this one)
The farmer he goes hobledy hobledy (lean from side to side while gently bouncing)
And down in the ditch he goes (lower child gently to floor or seat)
All the kids line up for this one.
October 1st, 2012 at 9:50 am
Oops – that last line should say old man – not farmer.
October 21st, 2012 at 6:43 pm
Trot a Little Horsey, going to town,
Riding a Billy Goat, leading a Hound,
The Hound did bark, and the Bily Goat jumped,
And threw little (name) a-straddle of a stump.
January 28th, 2013 at 8:07 pm
RE: Mark Says:
April 4th, 2012 at 10:11 am
My Mam also did the
OOOhhh gallup and trot from Mallow to Cork but it had a line like
Sold me buttermilk, every drop!
When I was a little guy, my mother used to recite a little rhyme which went like this:
Gallop-a-trot, gallop-a-trot,
I sold my buttermilk, every drop.
Hard crust, no teeth,
_____ _____ and nothin’ to eat!
(I’m not sure about those 2 words, but they might have been “good stomach”)
Anybody know where that came from?
March 26th, 2013 at 5:48 pm
Does anyone know the middle of this verse. Horsey, horsey don’t u stop just let your heels go clippity clip. Let your wheels go round and (can’t remember this next line, but the last line was) giddy up you’re homeward bound.
March 30th, 2013 at 1:05 pm
This is the way I (almost) remember
Horsey, horsey
(la la la) (don’t remember words here)
We’ve been together for many a day
So let your tail go swish
And your wheels go round
Giddy’up we’re homeward bound
April 8th, 2013 at 11:23 pm
Heard this when my kids where young, I did a search and this is as close as I could find for the syllable sounds. Short and sweet, starts slow and ends in a brisk trot.
clip clop clip clop
oben drauf bin drauf
holla holla holla holla
Wish I knew more about it, all my kids and grand kids love it!
April 18th, 2013 at 10:58 am
My grandmother used to have a version something like this? Can anyone help me complete the lyrics?
Ride, ride to Boston Town to get a loaf of bread
?
? something about one for you and one for me
and then
and the horse fell dead. . .
and we “fell off” her foot in a heap of laughter.
Can anyone fill in the gaps?? Thanks so much
April 21st, 2013 at 8:26 pm
Looking for the word to a song my new daughter in law sang. Would like to use the verse in the new grandson’s scrapbook.
O give me a horse a horse . . .
next verse:
O give me some boots, some boots. . .
May 5th, 2013 at 9:33 pm
My grand mother would sing while a toddler was bouncing on her knee.
To Boston, to Boston to buy a fat pig.
Home again, home again, a jig, a jig, jig.
To Boston, to Boston to buy a new hat.
When I got there I couldn’t get that.
To Boston, to Boston to buy a new gown.
Look out little (girl/boy) your gonna fall down. (this part is sung slowly as the child leans back and is held in place).
Does anyone know this nursery rhyme?
May 14th, 2013 at 9:14 am
My great-grandmother was from Germany and recited a rhyme while bouncing children on her leg. A lot of it has been lost over generations and I am trying to get it back. The gist of the meaning is: riding a horse about a mile, looking for __? then the horse trips or falls and at that point you tip the child back.
Here is my phonetic spelling
Ride a ride a giley
Ida suda miley
Ida suda (missing word here)
go to feend the viener house
bloomp, bloomp, lithrum wreck.
If this looks familiar to anyone, please help me correct this.
Thanks so much
May 30th, 2013 at 12:00 pm
Gee up a jockey horse a long way to go,
Shall I whip him, no no no
Take him to the stable,
Feed him lots of corn
The next bit gets a little lost…
Because he is the best little jocky horse
That ever was born
Does anyone know how the last part goes?
October 22nd, 2013 at 7:26 pm
Trot Trot to Boston
To get a pound of butter
Trot Trot home again
Fell-l-l-l in the gutter!
November 25th, 2013 at 11:55 pm
I am also searching for the proper Norske words to a foot ride rhyme; It goes something like this:
“Di da di da danken
Kass a nay da planka,
Hor ska da voo,
Kass a nay da blu
– — — Two small hunde
Arf, Arf – Arf! Arf! Arf!
Can anyone help me with the proper words? Thanks!
November 26th, 2013 at 8:34 am
Hi John,
I think you’re looking for one of the versions of Ride ride ranke. Here’s one at the link below:
http://www.mamalisa.com/?t=es&p=717&c=52
You can find many versions people remember at this link:
http://www.mamalisa.com/blog/question-about-a-danish-rhyme-rhea-rhea-runkin/
I hope this helps!
Mama Lisa
January 11th, 2014 at 1:21 pm
Sue Williams – the words of the song are:-
Horsey horsey don’t you stop,
Just let your feet go clippety clop,
Your tail goes swish as the wheels go round,
Giddy up we’re homeward bound.
January 12th, 2014 at 6:41 pm
This is the version I heard as a child:
Trot little horsey trot through town
Take care little (boy or girl) don’t fall
Down!
At the word down you lean the child back.
February 2nd, 2014 at 1:33 am
The version my grandfather told us growing up:
Take a trip to Boston
Take a trip to Lynn
Watch out my little lambkin
You don’t fall in!
For the sake of context, he was born in 1918 and grew up in the Canadian Maritimes, so I wasn’t sure if it was American or English (both countries having towns of those names). http://ca.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20140201172250AAJZ5uV
May 11th, 2014 at 5:21 pm
To laura,
My mom did that see saw pull and draw thing too. She was from a dutch german family. something taught her and they lived in St. Louis, MO.
July 3rd, 2014 at 2:03 am
My mom was from Oklahoma and she said her grandma used to sing a song to her and she passed it onto us and I have sung it to my Grandchildren. It goes like this:
Trotty horse a pacey Nanny
Here I go to see my Granny
July 30th, 2014 at 5:15 am
My grandfather did a variation that I have been trying to find the “official” version of. My memory is pretty good but I don’t think it’s perfect:
Little girls go
Swing, swing, swing, swing
(Swaying like a canter)
And little boys go
Trot, trot, trot, trot
(One leg at a time, trot-like)
But Old Maaaan Jaaack (always drawn out while the child giggles and anticipates the next like)
Gooooooeeees
Clumpity! Clumpity! Clumpity! Clumpity!
(Jiggling said poor child every direction possible)
November 21st, 2014 at 10:17 pm
My Grandma used to sing
“Ridey, Gidey, Giley
olley stund a miley
vennie nimmer veet-therma
a sitsie up a viley”
She was full blooded Swiss (a Nussbaum) and said that her mother put the tune to a rhyme that her mother would recite to her.
Cheri (above) seems to have a similar rhyme.
November 21st, 2014 at 10:21 pm
P.S.
My spelling is just how it sounds, not correct by any stretch. Grandma said that it meant, very roughly, “I’m going to go for a ride, about a mile, and when I get tired I’ll sit down and rest awhile.”
December 31st, 2014 at 5:34 am
My Dutch grampa would jiggle us on his knee reciting what sounded like…hump hump Pinka yava tunka tinka…Pinka was a pony..anyone there that could help me out with the whole rhyme?
January 1st, 2015 at 10:12 pm
My husband’s family had a horse rhyme that sounded something like this (phonetic spelling). Anyone know what language it is and what it means?
Hop a Hop a Rider
Ven der velt in shreider
Velten en der graben
Den frasen en der raben
Velten en der shoot
Den crider rider – whomp!
Sounds kind of German…
January 3rd, 2015 at 10:37 pm
It’s the last verse of “Hoppe, hoppe, Reiter” that you’ll find on Mama Lisa’s World Germany page.
January 9th, 2015 at 4:52 am
I would like to know the rest of the words to a horse trotting rhyme about a little boy. The only part I know goes something like this
… riding his pony down the country lane…
I think in the end a bridge falls in and the child on your knees gets let to the floor.
February 10th, 2015 at 5:59 pm
[…] the loving way she interacted with my boys. If it weren’t for her, I would never know about Trot Trot to Boston or Princess […]
April 5th, 2015 at 5:21 pm
My French Canadian Grandmother did a variant on the short, increasingly fast game with three stages.
It went something like this:
“Suppah, Suppah, Suppah…” at the slow speed,
“Satrot, Satrot, Satrot…” faster,
“Jiggalo, Jiggalo, Jiggalo…” As fast as you can go.
If done well, dragging out the suspense, and making the gallop a surprise, the toddler erupts in laughter and begs you to exhaust yourself repeating the game!
April 6th, 2015 at 7:57 am
Rita, I think your Grandmother did some version of “À cheval sur mon bidet” that you’ll find on Mama Lisa’s World France page. It also might be a version of “À cheval/coco gendarme”. The version I’m familiar with is:
“À coco, gendarmes, (on horsey, gendarmes)
à pied Bourguignons, (on foot, Bourguignons)
allons à la guerre, (let’s go to war)
les autres y sont. (the others are there)
Au pas, au pas, au pas, (at a walk)
au trot, au trot, au trot, (at a trot)
au galop, au galop, au galop. (at a gallop)
April 7th, 2015 at 4:51 pm
We added the French lap rhyme, “À coco, gendarmes” to Mama Lisa’s World with a recording at this link:
http://mamalisa.com/?t=es&p=4422&c=22
April 7th, 2015 at 10:12 pm
My dad, who’s family was from Ireland raised us and his grandkids with this horse trotting rhyme:
Here we go galloping all the way from here to Cork,
Sold our buttermilk every drop,
Sold it all and wasted none,
Here we go galloping galloping home again!
April 7th, 2015 at 10:16 pm
Ours had the same line as Mark Barlow:
“Sold our buttermilk every drop”
April 11th, 2015 at 10:44 pm
Don’t forget the grand old song, the Galloping Major. It’s not a nursery rhyme, but it’s a great song for bouncing the small child on your lap, unless you accidentally drop him or her of course! Our girls loved it.
Bumpity, bumpity, bumpity bump
As if I was riding me charger
Bumpity bumpity bumpity bump
As proud as an Indian Rajah,
All the girls declare
That I’m a grand old stager,
Hey, hey, clear the way,
Here come’s the galloping major.
Put on a posh English voice and you can make up actions to suit the words, depending on the age of the child.