Upgrade your communication skills: These 40 idioms about horses can help your English sound natural and your speaking more fluent! Horses have a long history in many cultures, so naturally English idioms have come about because of this. Learn all these fun equine expressions today! You don’t need to hold your horses at all, let’s jump right into it!
First, though, a little background on them: Did you know that horses have been in the world for 55 million years? That is much longer than we humans! Horses are wonderful animals that also become friends with us humans. It’s not surprising when you consider they can live up to 30 years. That’s a significant amount of time to build a bond, and can perhaps explain why so many people like horses.
Idioms about horses
The first 5 of today’s idioms about horses are as follows:
| Horse idiom | Idiom meaning |
| Dark horse | A dark horse is a competitor or candidate that very little is known about. You often hear this on the news, in my experience. |
| Ride shotgun | Ride shotgun means sitting in the passenger seat of a car. |
| Jump the gun | To jump the gun means to be too hasty in making a decision. Often combined with “don’t” as an expression of advice to friends. |
| Long in the tooth | If someone or something is “long in the tooth”, then it is old. It is both slightly affectionate and slightly rude! |
| Jump on the bandwagon | To jump on the bandwagon means to join popular opinion, or copy what is common right now. It is used in a negative way, in my experience. |
Horse idiom examples
Here are example sentences for the above 5 idioms about horses:
- He is a dark horse in this election campaign. Who knows he may win!
- We will take the car to the mall? Can I ride shotgun?
- Theo jumped the gun and told everyone he was getting promoted. It turned out someone else was chosen!
- Our cat is a little bit long in the tooth these days. He has many gray hairs.
- Most of my school class jumped on the bandwagon and started playing that popular video game.
Related: 15 Beginner-Friendly Idiom Examples With Pictures And Examples
Horse sayings
The next 5 of today’s horse sayings are as follows:
| Horse saying | Expression meaning |
| Hit the trail | To hit the trail means to depart. Often said when you would like to leave a social situation, like a party. For instance, look at the time, we should really hit the trail now! |
| Win by a nose | To win by a nose means a narrow victory. It could have gone either way. Just like a horse race, the difference between winning and coming second was the length of a horse’s nose. |
| I could eat a horse | “I could eat a horse” is an expression to communicate that we are really hungry. It doesn’t mean that we would actually like to eat a horse! |
| Healthy as a horse | Healthy as a horse just means someone is really healthy! A horse in peak condition looks big, strong, and healthy. |
| Change horses midstream | This is often accompanied by the word don’t. It is for advice. To change horses midstream means to change what you are doing in the middle of it. It is inefficient and wasteful. |
Idioms about horses: Example sentences
More idiom examples below!
- Guys, I think we should hit the trail. We’ve been practicing these horse sayings for a long time. It’s getting late now!
- The football team won by a nose.
- What’s for dinner? I could eat a horse!
- Liam had his annual health check. The doctor said he is as healthy as a horse!
- It’s inadvisable to change horses midstream. When you’re doing something, see it through to the end.
Related: 91 Awesome Horse Sentences: Speak Like A Native!
Equine expressions
The next 5 of today’s equine expressions are as follows:
| Horse saying | Idiom meaning |
| Pull up | To pull up means to approach somewhere and stop. Originally it meant when someone was riding a horse, but now it is usually used when someone is driving a car. |
| Runner up | A runner-up is a person or team who came in second position in a competition of some kind. Sometimes there are “runner up” prizes in games and tournaments or a silver medal like in athletics |
| Lash out | If we lash out at someone, we become angry and aggressive. It is often irrational and based on emotion and not logic. |
| Champ at the bit | If we are champing at the bit, we are extremely eager to start something. The “bit” is the piece of metal in a horse’s mouth that is often used when riding. Champing at the bit comes from this – the horse is biting the bit in anticipation of starting a race or something similar. |
| Hold your horses | The saying hold your horses is used when we want to tell someone to calm down and be patient. For instance, if your children want to play outside, you might say “hold your horses, you need to put your jackets on as it is cold outside!” |
Idioms about horses: example sentences from the equine world
Here are 5 more idiom example sentences that originate in the wonderful world of equines.
- I pulled up outside the convenience store, but then realized I had forgotten my wallet!
- The runner-up in the soccer tournament won a cash prize.
- If you are feeling upset it’s important not to lash out. Try to remain rational.
- After winter ended, I was champing at the bit to get outside and go hiking.
- Hold your horses, Liam! We can’t go to the shop yet, it hasn’t opened yet!
20 idioms: Try this idioms and phrases quiz!
Here we have 20 idioms. In particular, idioms about horses! From the context of each sentence, try to guess the meaning!
- Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth: I would recommend accepting the promotion at work. I really don’t think you should look a gift horse in the mouth like that! You might not get the chance again.
- Dog and pony show: The sales pitch by Martin and Tina was a real dog and pony show. I think it impressed the clients, but perhaps it was a bit too much!
- Saddle up: Hey guys we should saddle up. It’s time to leave right now.
- Back in the saddle: After taking a break from work due to stress, Dave is finally getting back in the saddle now.
- Down to the wire: The World Cup match went down to the wire. I didn’t know which team was going to win!
- One-horse town: Emma has lived in a one-horse town her whole life, but she is very happy there. The big city is stressful for her.
- Get off your high horse: Stop criticizing Theo. He is no different to you, so you should get off your high horse!
- Under the wire: My favorite baseball team managed to win just under the wire. It was stressful!
- Eat like a horse: Elijah is eating dinner like a horse. I think he forgot to eat lunch!
- Hoofing it: We hoofed it all the way down to the beach because we couldn’t find the car keys.
- Strong as a horse: I don’t think he’s going to have any trouble lifting those weights, because he’s as strong as a horse.
- Saddle with: Despite being young, Ophelia is saddled with debt. Her university tuition was very high.
- Loosen the reins: It’s common for parents to start to loosen the reins, as their children get older. For example, they are allowed to go to bed later than before.
- If two ride on a horse one must ride behind: Tony and John are always arguing over who should lead the soccer team. In the end though, if two ride on a horse one must ride behind. They’ll have to come to an agreement.
- Beat a dead horse: Stop talking to him, you won’t change his mind. You are just beating a dead horse.
- Green horse: Although it is only a green horse, it shows great potential in the future for show jumping.
- Inside track: Charles has the inside track on that news!
- Hands down: They won the game 5-0. It was a hands-down victory, for sure!
- Make hay while the sun shines: Stop hanging around reading comics. You should Make hay while the sun shines!
- Home stretch: We are now in the home stretch, kids. We will be home in about 25 minutes.
Could you guess the meaning of all these idioms about horses? I hope so! If not, try some more research. Learning English is fun!
FAQs: Idioms about horses
Here are some commonly asked questions about not only horse phrases but also general questions about equines!
Why are there so many idioms about horses?
Horses were a big part of history and culture, so idioms about them stuck around.
What is a slang term for a horse?
Some slang terms include “nag” or “steed.” The steed chewed on some grass.
What is a lot of horses called?
A group of horses is called a “herd.” The herd of horses over there is eating the grass.
What is a trio of horses called?
A trio of horses is often called a “troop” or a “team.” Michael owns a troop of horses!
What is a family of horses called?
A family of horses is known as a “band” or a “herd.”
What is a horse baby called?
A young horse is called a “foal.” Do you think foals are cute?
What is it called when a horse runs fast?
When a horse runs fast, it’s called a “gallop.” A canter is also fast.
What is it called when a horse runs slow?
A horse running slowly is referred to as a “trot.” It’s still fast compared to humans though, I think!
Idioms about horses: Speak fluently like a native speaker
Want to improve your English? Hold your horses and learn all of today’s idioms about horses! That way, you will sound more natural and fluent while you are speaking. One final tip before I sign off: English idioms are fantastic and all, but try not to use them exhaustively. If we repeatedly use them, they lose their impact and can bore the listener! Use them sparingly, and you will sound natural!