Rankin Family An T-each Ruadh (the Red Horse)
Chorus
Hi ri u il agus o
My heart is sad, it's never stirred,
The girls do not come near me,
Since I've become a mariner.
The red horse of Roland Steele's
Was itchy from a plague of lice,
While he ate up half his hay
They'd leave but little of his skin.
Between Christmas and New Year's
He took him out to Garrett's place,
He'd heard that he was skilful
In treating sickly animals
When the back-lands had been reached,
He was not even recognized,
Till he spoke up in English,
"Can I trade this animal?"
"It was Finnigan sent me here,
I don't intend to cheat you now,
If you'll put new shoes on him
I'll warrant that he'll pull for you."
When he started at the shoeing
The horse bit him on the head,
Then said Roland who was angry;
"You hit him on the spavin."
Spoke up Garrett very fiercely,
"You have not fed him right since fall,
He is only fit for crow bait
And he is so damn'ed lousy."
"Be off home with him at once
Before they get my mare and colt,
And never let me see you here
Upon this farm of mine again."
He used many cables for his reins
With many knots to tie them up,
The whip was made of hay-wire,
He struck him on the back with it.
When he raced up to the store
The horse was in a pool of sweat
Said he to Bessie in the store,
"Lord, how that horse was travelling!"
It was Hector used to shoe him,
He's the one who spoiled his feet,
For he shod the horse with boat nails
So that they'd last a longer time.
And he was a lively horse once
Driving children to the school,
When he came into the Cove
There's none would be ahead of him.
