Riding on a Horsie, Never Standing Still Lyrics
A Scots rhyme for bouncing a child on the knee, riding a horse past a string of named places without ever standing still.
Riding on a Horsie, Never Standing Still
Riding on a horsie, never standing still,
Doun by St. Martins, and owre by Newmill,
In by Guildtown and round by Cargill,
Richt up Burstbane, and owre by Gallowhill,
Yont by the Harelaw, and doun to Wolfhill,
And that's the way to ride a horse and never stand still.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/riding-on-a-horsie-never-standing-still/
- Type
- Action Songs
- Tune
- Chanted at a trot, bouncing the child on your knee
- Best for ages
- 1 to 5 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| Riding on a horsie | Bounce the child on your knee at a steady trot. |
| owre by Newmill | Lean the child gently to one side, then the other. |
| never stand still | Bounce faster, then stop with a flourish. |
What Does Riding on a Horsie, Never Standing Still Mean?
The rider never stops. Each line names another place on the way, and the last line sums up the ride: that's the way to ride a horse and never stand still. Some words are Scots: doun is down, owre is over, richt is right and yont is beyond.
All six lines end in the same -ill sound, still, Newmill, Cargill, Gallowhill and Wolfhill, which keeps the trot going. With a grown-up it also gives a long list of names to say fast.
History and Origin
Robert Ford prints the rhyme in Children's Rhymes, Children's Games, Children's Songs, Children's Stories among the songs for dandling a child. He says it is what some Perthshire children know well.
Learning Activities
- Knee trot: bounce a small child on your knee, steady at first and faster on the last line.
- Scots words: say doun, owre and richt aloud and match each to the English word.
- Draw the route: draw a winding road and write one place name from the rhyme beside each bend.
- Never still: move around the room to the beat and freeze on the last word.