When I bestride him, I soar, I am a hawk: He trots the air; the earth sings when he touches it; the basest horn of his hoof is more musical than the pipe of Hermes.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
Go anywhere in England where there are natural, wholesome, contented, and really nice English people; and what do you always find? That the stables are the real center of the household.
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) Irish Playwright
You know horses are smarter than people. You never heard of a horse going broke betting on people.
—Will Rogers (1879–1935) American Actor, Rancher, Humorist
A horse is dangerous at both ends and uncomfortable in the middle.
—Ian L. Fleming (1908–64) English Novelist, Journalist, Naval Intelligence Officer
You were a lord if you had a horse…
Far back, far back in our dark soul the horse prances… . The horse, the horse! The symbol of surging potency and power of movement, of action, in man.
—D. H. Lawrence (1885–1930) English Novelist, Playwright, Poet, Essayist, Literary Critic
I am the Turquoise Woman’s Son,
On top of Belted Mountain
beautiful horses—slim like a weasel!
My horse with a hoof like a striped agate,
with his fetlock like a fine eagle plume:
my horse whose legs are like quick lightning
whose body is an eagle-plumed arrow:
my horse whose tail is like a trailing black cloud.
The Little Holy Wind blows through his hair.
My horse with a mane made of short rainbows.
My horse with ears made of round corn.
My horse with eyes made of big starts.
My horse with a head made of mixed waters.
My horse with teeth made of white shell.
The long rainbow is in his mouth for a bridle
and with it I guide him.
—Anonymous
There is no secret so close as that between a rider and his horse.
—Anonymous
I can make a General in five minutes but a good horse is hard to replace.
—Abraham Lincoln (1809–65) American Head of State
Let us look beyond the ears of our own horses so that we may see the good in one another’s.
—Anonymous
Horses have hoofs to carry them over frost and snow; hair, to protect them from wind and cold. They eat grass and drink water, and fling up their heels…. Such is the real nature of horses.
—Zhuang Zhou (c.369–c.286 BCE) Chinese Taoist Philosopher
A horse is the projection of peoples’ dreams about themselves – strong, powerful, beautiful – and it has the capability of giving us escape from our mundane existence.
—Pam Brown (b.1948) Australian Poet
England is a paradise for women and hell for horses; Italy a paradise for horses, hell for women, as the diverb goes.
—Robert Burton (1577–1640) English Scholar, Clergyman
It takes a good deal of physical courage to ride a horse. This, however, I have. I get it at about forty cents a flask, and take it as required.
—Stephen Leacock (1869–1944) Canadian Political Scientist, Humorist
I’ve often said there’s nothing better for the inside of a man than the outside of a horse.
—Unknown
Contentment is worth more than riches.
—German Proverb
The wind of heaven is that which blows between a horse’s ears.
—Arabic Proverb
A horse can lend its rider the speed and strength he or she lacks, but the rider who is wise remembers it is no more than a loan.
—Pam Brown (b.1948) Australian Poet
They say Princes learn no art truly, but the art of horsemanship. The reason is, the brave beast is no flatterer. He will throw a prince as soon as his groom.
—Ben Jonson (1572–1637) English Dramatist, Poet, Actor
So did this horse excel a common one
In shape, in courage, color, pace and bone.
…What a horse should have he did not lack,
Save a proud rider on so proud a back.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
The horse is God’s gift to mankind.
—Arabic Proverb
It isn’t important who is ahead at one time or another, in either an election or a horse race.
It’s the horse that comes in first at the finish that counts
—Harry S. Truman (1884–1972) American Head of State
There is something about jumping a horse over a fence, something that makes you feel good. Perhaps it’s the risk, the gamble. In any event it’s a thing I need.
—William Faulkner (1897–1962) American Novelist
In buying a horse or taking a wife, shut your eyes tight and commend yourself to God.
—Italian Proverb
Horse sense is the thing a horse has which keeps it from betting on people.
—W. C. Fields (1880–1946) American Actor, Comedian, Writer
You may lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink.
—English Proverb
Leave a Reply