Horse Idioms and What They Mean
Horse idioms are fun expressions that come from how people worked with horses in the past. Today, we use these idioms to talk about waiting, helping, making mistakes, or being surprised. Here are 10 horse idioms, what they mean, and how to use them.
Hold your horses
Wait or slow down.
Hold your horses! We’re not ready to leave yet.
Just hold your horses, and I’ll explain everything.
Back the wrong horse
To support someone or something that fails.
I voted for him, but I backed the wrong horse.
She backed the wrong horse by choosing that project.
Get off your high horse
Stop acting like you are better than other people.
You need to get off your high horse and listen to others.
He always acts like he knows everything—time to get off his high horse.
Straight from the horse’s mouth
Information that comes directly from the real or original source.
I heard it straight from the horse’s mouth—the boss is leaving.
This news came straight from the horse’s mouth, so I believe it.
Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth
Don’t complain about something you get for free.
It’s not perfect, but it’s free—don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.
She gave you the book for free. Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.
Beat a dead horse
To talk about something again and again, even when it’s over.
Stop beating a dead horse—the decision is final.
We’ve already talked about this. Let’s not beat a dead horse.
Put the cart before the horse
To do things in the wrong order.
Planning the trip before getting days off is putting the cart before the horse.
Let’s not put the cart before the horse. First, get the job.
Dark horse
Someone who does something surprising, especially success.
She’s a dark horse—no one expected her to win.
He was the dark horse in the contest but did very well.
Horse around
To play or act silly, often in a way that causes trouble.
The kids were horsing around and broke a lamp.
Stop horsing around and do your homework!
You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink
You can offer help, but the person must choose to use it.
I gave him advice, but he didn’t listen—you can lead a horse to water…
We showed her the way, but she didn’t try. Well, you can’t make her drink.
