The Horse and the Groom — Nursery Rhyme Lyrics

A Groom used to spend whole days in currycombing and rubbing down his Horse, but at the same time stole his oats, and sold them for his own profit. "Alas!" said the Horse, "if you really wish me to be in good condition, you should groom me less, and feed me more."
If you wish to do a service, do it right.

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Learning from "The Horse and the Groom"

Nursery rhymes are some of the best teachers of rhythm and rhyme. "The Horse and the Groom" uses 2 lines to create a memorable verse — proof that effective poetry doesn't need to be long. Pay attention to the meter: the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables is what makes the rhyme stick in your head.

Songwriters and poets can borrow these patterns. Try writing your own lyrics using the same rhyme scheme and line length as this nursery rhyme. You can also use words from the poem above as starting points — click any word to find rhymes or look up its definition, then build from there.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the words to The Horse and the Groom?
The lyrics to The Horse and the Groom are: A Groom used to spend whole days in currycombing and rubbing down his Horse, but at the same time stole his oats, and sold them for his own profit. "Alas!" said the Horse, "if you really wish me to be in good condition, you should groom me less, and feed me more." / If you wish to do a service, do it right.
How many lines does The Horse and the Groom have?
"The Horse and the Groom" has 2 lines of verse.

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