Caballito blanco (Little White Horse) is one of the first songs my children learned in Spanish. We happen to have a white horse, so my kids loved it. Children all over the Spanish-speaking world sing this traditional song. I have also seen Caballito blanco identified as a jump rope rhyme, but my family learned the song and that is how I have used it in teaching Spanish to children.

There are several versions of Caballito blanco. The longest version has three distinct parts. The first asks the white horse to take the singer home, the second is about three sheep, and the third part tells Juana to get up and light a candle to investigate a noise. Often, children learn only the first two, and many recordings are done with just those two parts. I use a version with just the first two parts for teaching.

I like to sing this song with children learning Spanish for several reasons. First, it has very concrete, common vocabulary. It also has several verb forms that children learn right away: tengo (I have), tienes (you have), da (gives). Finally, the clear rhyme scheme reinforces the correct prononciation of the Spanish vowels.

You will find the lyrics for all three parts below. I have included common variations in parenthesis and a translation.

Caballito blanco – Spanish song – listen online

You can listen to several different versions of this song online.

Spanish song – Caballito Blanco. This is the longest version and it has the words on the screen.
Spanish song - Caballito Blanco. This is another version with all three parts.
Spanish song – Caballito Blanco. This video uses the first two parts of the song. I like the photographs of horses and sheep! The video supports the words to the song well.

Caballito blanco – Spanish song lyrics

Caballito blanco,
llévame de aquí, (sácame de aquí,)
llévame a mi pueblo
donde yo nací.

Tengo, tengo, tengo,
tú no tienes nada,
tengo tres ovejas
en una cabaña. (en una manada.)

Una me da leche,
otra me da lana,
y otra, mantequilla
para la semana.

Levántate Juana
y prende la vela (a prender la vela)
para ver quien anda
por la cabecera.
Son los angelitos
que andan de carrera
despertando al niño
para ir a la escuela.

Caballito blanco – Spanish song translation

Little white horse,
Take me away.
Take me to the town,
Where I was born.

I have, I have, I have,
You have nothing.
I have three sheep,
In a cabin. (herd)

One gives me milk,
Another gives me wool,
And another, butter,
for the week.

Get up Juana
and light the candle (to light the candle)
to see who is walking
on the headboard.

It is the little angels,
hurrying along,
waking the child
to go to school.

Caballito blanco – Spanish song downloads from Amazon

There are many versions of this song available to download on Amazon and iTunes. If I am using a song with children learning Spanish, I look for a version that is clear and not too fast.

Here are a few versions of Caballito blanco that work well with Spanish language learners:

Spanish song Caballito blanco – José Luis Orozco. This is the slowest and clearest version of this song that you will find. It is wonderful for beginning learners and little children. I love the sound of the horses hooves!

Spanish song Caballito blanco – Jorge Lan. This is from the CD Rondas infantiles 3. It is a little faster than the version by José Luis Orozco and it has a slightly different tune that the most traditional version.

Spanish song Caballito blanco – This is a version from the CD Canciones infantiles y cuentos. Again, it is a little faster. It has the traditional tune.

You may also be interested in this traditional song for children: Spanish songs for children – Debajo de un botón