All The Pretty Little Horses

July 7, 2013

Whether you heard it as a child or it was introduced to you as an adult, this classic tune has been the favorite of horse lovers of all ages for many years. I recently re-watched the first “current’ remake of Flicka (with Tim McGraw) when I was home one day with a migraine (yuck!) and the main character, Katie, sings this song to Flicka to calm her down. I’ve grown up with this song and didn’t think much of it until I started hearing more recent remakes that I really love! So, with all the different versions out there, which one is the original? And where did it come from, I wondered? How old was it? Well, I did some research and I found out that it’s a traditional American lullaby, but no one really knows who wrote it. Dorothy Scarborough recorded the following version for her book that was released in 1925…

Hush-a-by, Don’t you cry,

Go to sleep, little baby.

And when you wake, You shall have cake,

And all the pretty little ponies.

Paint and bay, Sorrel and gray,

All the pretty little ponies.

So hush-a-by, Don’t you cry,

Go to sleep, little baby.

Some versions also include this (slightly disturbing) verse:

Way down yonder

In de medder

There’s a po’ lil lambie,

De bees an’ de butterflies

Peckin’ out its eyes,

De po’ lol lambie cried, “Mammy!”

This is not totally different from the more current version, called “All the Pretty Little Horses”:

Hush-by, Don’t you cry

Go to sleep a little baby

When you wake you shall find

All the pretty little horses

Blacks and bays, dapples and grays

Coach and six a little horses

When you wake you shall find

All the pretty little horses

Hush-by, Don’t you cry

Go to sleep a little baby

When you wake you shall find

All the pretty little horses

The last version is the one I’m most familiar with, and has been recorded more often. My two favorites are from Laura Viers & Calexico – two musicians I already loved! Check out their versions below: