Some Examples Of "Ride The Horsey" Babies' & Young Children's Knee Bouncing Rhymes That Are Derived From A Verse In The 19th Century Song "Old Dan Tucker"

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post presents certain examples of "Ride The Horsey" babies' and young children's knee bouncing rhymes that are derived from a verse in the American folk song "Old Dan Tucker". 

Information about that folk song and the particular verse from that song are also included in this pancocojams post.  

The content of this post is presented for folkloric, historical, cultural, and entertainment purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the unknown original composers of these rhymes and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.
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Click these links for the related pancocojams posts: 

https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/12/old-dan-tucker-minstrel-song-play-party.html "Old Dan Tucker - Minstrel Song & Play Party Song"

and

 https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/11/timeline-for-went-to-town-went-downtown.html "Timeline For "___ Went To Town" ( "___ Went Downtown") Verses In American Folk Songs & Children's Recreational Rhymes."

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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTES
The content of this post may* depart from the main focus of this pancocojams blog which is to showcase the cultures of African Americans and other people of African descent throughout the world.

This blog sometimes focuses on children's recreational rhymes and other folk content regardless of the origin of those examples because I am also interested in those subjects. 

*I used the word "may" because these featured examples are from the Appalachia Facebook page, and- contrary to what is commonly believed in the United States- the population of the Appalachian region includes African Americans. That said, the Appalachia Facebook page that is quoted in this pancocojams post doesn't include any racial or ethnic information from its commenters.

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When I happened upon the Facebook page that features some examples of knee bouncing rhymes, I was struck by how so many of those rhymes were clearly derived from a verse in the 18th century American folk song "Old Dan Tucker". Here is that verse as it was quoted in the Mudcat online folk music forum:

-From Dicho (Frank Staplin), 29 Apr 02; https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=27246 "Re: "Old Dan Tucker"

"..."Old Dan Tucker down in town,
A-ridin' a goat and leadin' a hound,
The hound gives a howl an' the goat gives a jump,
An' throwed Old Dan a-straddle of a stump."

[...]

From Mr. Carl Durbin, Missouri, 1927.
Found in minstrel shows as early as 1841. Often credited to Dan D. Emmett. A related piece, "Get Out of the Way, Old Johnny Tucker" (Negro Minstrel's Song Book, 1850), and many other citations.

Vance Randolph, 1982, Ozark Folksongs, Vol. 3, pp. 301-304. Several other sets of verses given from Missouri and Arkansas."
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WARNING: Some "Old Dan Tucker" lyrics that are found on that Mudcat page include what is now commonly referred to as the "n word".

Also, "Negro" was almost completely retired as a population referent by at least the end of the 1960s and has been replaced by "Black American" and/or "African American".  

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SELECTED EXAMPLES OF KNEE BOUNCING RHYMES FOR BABIES THAT ARE DERIVED FROM A VERSE IN THE 19th CENTURY SONG 'OLD DAN TUCKER"

These comments are given no particular order and are numbered for referencing purposes only.

This is only a portion of the examples and the other comments that are found in that discussion thread.

From https://www.facebook.com/groups/AppalachianAmericans/posts/10160042147493648/ "Ride a little horsey into town don't let John fall down" Appalachian Americans  ·

1. Brandi Myers Bell, January 5, 2022
"Anyone remember / heard this and can help complete it. I can’t remember it all. We would say when playing “ride a little horsey” (this may have just been in our family?)

Ride a little horsey into town

Don’t let _____ (your name) fall down

Ride a little horsey into town

_____ a goat and leading a hound

The ______ (did something ) and the ______ gave a jump

And threw ole ____ (same name) on a stump ??

(Did I dream this). My grand dad has passed so I can’t ask him."

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2. Cheryl Wolfe, 2022
"In my family: Ride a little horsey down to town, please little horsey don’t fall DOWN! It was sung while being bounced on my grandparents or aunts knees, and then they open their knees to let the child drop down to produce squeals of fun!"

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3. Jackie Meadows, 2022
"The version I remember is

"Dr. Jones going downtown

Riding a billy goat, leading a hound.

The hound gave a bark, the goat gave a jump

And spilled Dr. Jones right straddle of a stump."

The adult would ride the child on their foot and "spill" them when the goat gave a jump. Every child in the family has loved this."

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4. Julia Nichols, 2022
"I remember crossing your legs at knees and a small child would sit on top of foot and you would ride them up and down sing Trot little Horsey go to town watch out Horsey don’t fall down. I heard the song as this. Ida Red,Ida Blue she can put a saddle on a hump back mule,Ida Red going to town riding a Goat and leading a Hound the Hound barked and the Billy Goat jumped throwed Ida Red a straddle of a stump."

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5. Kathy Carroll, 2022
"Old aunt Sally going downtown. Riding a billy goat leading a hound. Hound barked, billy goat jumped, throwed aunt Sally straddled a stump. (People in NC usually just put the name of the child on their knee in the song tho)"

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6. Harriet Hawthorne, 2022
"My mother in law sang this to my kids when they were little. Mr. BROWN went to town,riding a billy goat leading a hound.The hound barked, the billy goat jumped threw Mr. Brown straddle the stump."

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7. Tina Hagee, 2022
"My Granddaddy would bounce me and sing Trot little horsey, trot to town, trot little horsey don't fall down. Trot little horsey, trot to town, bring little Tina some candy down."

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8. Jeff Presnell, 2022
"Trotty horse. Trotty horse heading into town. Riding ole goat leading ole hound. Hound did bark and the goat gave a jump ( or goat did jump) threw ole Soso over a stump. Is how I remember it. While bouncing on the knee!"

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9. Betty Bowman Helton, 2022
"Tra la horsey into town woops little horsey don't fall down. Bulldog barked, made the horse jump throwed little(child's name)across a stump"

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10. Christina Pell, 2022
"The second part, I was taught... Buster Brown went to town riding on a billy goat,leading a hound. Hound dog barked, the billy goat jumped and threw Buster Brown right straddle of a stump.."

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11. Sue Brumley, 2022
"Ride a little horsey go to town riding a goat and leading a hound. Hound did bark goat did jump throwed little(child's name) astraddle a stump"

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12. Patricia Pjura, 2022
"Giddy up horsey

Goin down town

Watch out horsey

Don't fall down,

This is sung bouncing a little one on your knee,

And the fall down part, is where drop them to the floor abit, how I loved doing this with my grands,too old now, 9 and 12!"

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13. Patricia Pickett, 2022
"the section starting with the goat and ending with stump is a whole different song. It is from Old Dan Tucker."

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Reply
14. Brandi Myers Bell [Author/First Commenter]
"Patricia Pickett really ??"

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Reply
15. Scott Erenpreiss, 2022
"Brandi Myers Bell Patricia Bell yes, I remember that as well....

Old Dan Tucker come to town

Riding a billy goat, leading a hound

The hound dog barked and billy goat jumped

And landed old Tucker on a stump"

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17.Tony Foster, 2022
"My family’s version: Ride a little horsey go to town, Buy some candy by the pound, Watch out little girl/boy don’t let your horsey fall down. 😁"

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18. Valerie Cassell, 2022
"All we ever said was ride a little horsey, going to town, you better watch out or you'll fall down, and on the word down, whoever the little one on our foot was would go downward like they was going to fall but we didn't let them and they would just giggle 🤣"

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