The lyrics incorporate fairy-tale imagery of princesses and white horses: the narrator is heartbroken upon realizing that her boyfriend is not an ideal figure like she thought, and in the end she leaves her town with hopes of finding somebody more worthy.

Music critics lauded "White Horse" for what they deemed a somber production and a portrayal of universal feelings arising from heartbreak, but some found the lyrics uncreative.

Trey Fanjoy directed the song's music video, which depicts Swift reliving memories with her ex-boyfriend and her discovery of his infidelity after having ended their relationship through a phone call.

[1][2] Continuing the romantic themes of her first album, Swift wrote songs about love and personal experiences from the perspective of a teenage girl to ensure her fans could relate to Fearless.

[4] Swift and the producer Nathan Chapman recorded more than 50 songs for Fearless, and "White Horse" was one of the 13 tracks that made the final cut.

[8] Swift completed writing "White Horse" weeks after she finished the lead single "Love Story",[8] almost one year before the release of Fearless.

[12] Whereas both "Love Story" and "White Horse" feature prominent fairy-tale lyrical imagery, Swift said it was important to regard fairy tales with "both sides"; the former song represented her optimistic and idealistic viewpoint on romance, and the latter her disillusionment with the said notion.

[14] Swift recalled that at a meeting set up by her agency with the show's executive producers Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers, she played "White Horse" alone on guitar and they "freaked out".

[19] In the United States, "White Horse" debuted and peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart week ending November 29, 2008.

[23] It was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 2014[24] and had sold two million digital copies in the United States by 2017.

"[42][56] Some lyrical motifs on "White Horse" reprise those on the preceding Fearless tracks: the narrator dreams of being a "princess" ("Love Story") and compares the subject to an "angel" ("Hey Stephen").

[60] According to Gigwise's Kelsey Barnes, Swift's vocals in the re-recording no longer display the naivete and shame of feeling sad and instead express the narrator's loss of innocence from a more reflective point-of-view.

[b] Love said its lyrics showcased "preternatural wisdom and inclusiveness",[60] and USA Today's Elysa Gardner complimented the "guileless urgency and unmannered precociousness".

Reviewing the single for Billboard, Deborah Evan Price wrote it appealed to many people because its production highlighted Swift's lyrics and "heart-on-the-sleeve" vocals that "[made] the pain and disillusionment palpable".

[46] The Guardian's Alex Macpherson lauded the "breathtaking" final refrain,[65] and Keefe, who picked the track as Fearless's best, complimented how "strongly the hooks stand out".

[67] Reviewing the re-recorded "White Horse (Taylor's Version)", some critics positively remarked how it retained the original's earnest emotion.

[47] Keefe, who initially criticized Swift's vocals as weak and restrained,[43] wrote that they improved on "White Horse (Taylor's Version)", which consolidated it as the album's best track.

[71] "White Horse" featured highly on some retrospective rankings of Swift's songs, such as those by Masley, who highlighted the "aching" refrain,[45] and The Guardian's Alexis Petridis, who praised its "impressive subtlety".

"[9] Swift chose the actor Stephen Colletti, whom she had watched on the series One Tree Hill, to portray the male lead because of his sweet and endearing demeanor.

[77] It rained heavily that day, which Swift found appropriate for the gloomy and dark feel she wanted: it brought forth more muted tones and made the video less colorful lighting-wise.

[81] She again performed the song at a pre-awards concert for nominees of the 51st Annual Grammy Awards, which was held on December 3, 2008, at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles.

[86] She also performed "White Horse" live at her Australian concert debut at the Tivoli in Brisbane on March 5, 2009,[87] and on a November 2010 episode of Dancing with the Stars.

[93] On the Eras Tour, Swift performed "White Horse" as a "surprise song" in Las Vegas, March 2023, and in Sydney (as a mashup with "Coney Island", with Sabrina Carpenter), February 2024.