From the horse’s mouth
“DARK horse”, “stalking horse” and “horseplay”… the English language is rich with equestrian idioms. Animals, of course, have long been a deep well of examples from which we draw to make helpful comparisons and precise references. They perform many roles in our lives and perhaps none more so than the horse.
The horse is involved in everything from historic warfare to man’s “cavalier” status and medieval jousting, from agriculture to transport, not to mention the world of racing, so it comes as no surprise just how richly the horse has been put to linguistic use.
What’s so interesting, and sometimes truly eyebrow-raising, is the origin and true definition of these phrases and idioms.
It’s hard to go any earlier within the canon of European literature than Greek mythology, where the
