Horse idioms and sayings

What is a horse?

You all know what a horse is right? If not, I’ll tell you…

A horse is a hooved farm animal with a hair-like tail and mane. They are used for riding, racing and to pull heavy loads.

Here’s a list of idioms about horses.

as stubborn as a mule
meaning – an extremely obstinate/stubborn person
example – Dean won’t come out; he’s made up his mind. He’s as stubborn as a mule.
back the wrong horse
meaning – make the wrong decision/support the losing side
example – I lost £2000 this morning on the stock market. I backed the wrong horse.

clothes horse
meaning – an indoor frame to hang wet clothes on
example – I hate having no garden. I prefer a washing line than a clothes horse.
dark horse
meaning – an unknown competitor or a person who keeps their talents secret
example – The dark horse, Duke Runalot beat the favourites to win the race.

don’t look a gift horse in the mouth
meaning – don’t be ungrateful, graciously accept gifts
example – I know you shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth, but I really can’t accept £500.
eat like a horse
meaning – eat a lot
example – I need to increase my son’s rent. He eats like a horse.
flog a dead horse
meaning – continue to focus on something that isn’t going to be a success
example – Stop flogging a dead horse. Ciara doesn’t want to be with you, stop pestering her.
get off one’s high horse
meaning – stop acting like you are better than others
example – My sister needs to get off her high horse. She can’t lecture me about skiving school.

hold your horses
meaning – wait and be patient before doing something
example – Hold your horses. I need to read the contract in detail before I sign anything.

one trick pony
meaning – someone who is skilled/successful in one area
example – Reed is more than just a one trick pony; he can score and defend.
one-horse town
meaning – a small boring town
example – I left the one-horse town I was born in and moved to a big city.

put the cart before the horse
meaning – do things in the wrong order
example – They are spending money before they’ve earned it. They’re putting the cart before the horse.
straight from the horse’s mouth
meaning – hear something from the source/most reliable person
example – I don’t believe you. I need to hear it straight from the horse’s mouth.
two-horse race
meaning – a competition where there are only two teams/candidates with a chance of winning
example – The election is turning into a two-horse race.

wild horses wouldn’t…
meaning – nothing would stop you from doing something
example – I’ll stay at the rave until the end. Wild horses wouldn’t drag me away.