Inspirational Horse Quotes From Famous Historical Equestrians

Quotes About Horse

For over 6,000 years, horses have been friends with humankind. Some have aided us in transportation, others have carried us into war, and still more have served as our loyal companions. The following are quotes about our equine allies from well-known historical figures and equestrian enthusiasts.

• "I can make a General in five minutes but a good horse is hard to replace." —Abraham Lincoln
• "It is best not to swap horses while crossing the river." —Abraham Lincoln
• "The horse, with beauty unsurpassed, strength immeasurable and grace unlike any other, still remains humble enough to carry a man upon his back." —Amber Senti
• "Of all animals kept for the recreation of mankind, the horse is alone capable of exciting a passion that shall be absolutely hopeless." —Bret Harte
• "Did you ever see an unhappy horse? Did you ever see a bird that had the blues? One reason why birds and horses are not unhappy is because they are not trying to impress other birds and horses." —Dale Taylor

• "Whenever you observe a horse closely, you feel as if a hum being sitting inside were making fun of you." —Elias Canetti
• "By reason of his elegance, he resembles an image painted in a palace, though he is as majestic as the palace itself." —Emir Abd-El-Kader
• "A horse gallops with his lungs, perseveres with his heart and wins with his character." —Frederico Tesio
• "A horse loves freedom, and the weariest old workhorse will roll on the ground or break into a lumbering gallop when he is turned loose into the open." —Gerald Rafferty

• "People ought to quit worrying so much about whispering to their horses and just start listening to them." —Greg Darnall
• "No philosophers so thoroughly comprehend us as dogs and horses." —Herman Melville
• "A horse is dangerous at both ends and uncomfortable in the middle." —Ian Flemming
• "I love the horse from hoof to head, From head to hoof and tail to mane. I love the horse as I have said, From head to hoof and back again." —James Whitcomb Riley

• "I am still under the impression that there is nothing alive quite so beautiful as a thoroughbred horse." —John Galsworthy
• "A man on a horse is spiritually, as well as physically, bigger than a man on foot." —John Steinbeck
• "The horse moved like a dancer, which is not surprising. A horse is a beautiful animal, but it is perhaps most remarkable because it moves as if it always hears music." —Mark Helprin
• "The sunshine’s golden gleam is thrown, on sorrel, chestnut, bay and roan." —Oliver Wendell Holmes

"A horse is the projection of people’s dream about themselves—strong, powerful, beautiful—and it has the capability of giving us escape from our mundane existence."

— Pam Brown

• "The horse is an archetypal symbol which will always find ways to stir up deep and moving ancestral memories in every human being." —Paul Mellon
• "We have all forgotten how strange a thing it is that so huge and powerful and intelligent an animal as a horse should allow another, and far more feeble animal, to ride upon its back." —Peter Gray
• "A horse is wonderful by definition." —Piers Anthony
• "Riding a horse is not a gentle hobby, to be picked up and laid down like a game of solitaire. It is a grand passion." —Ralph Waldo Emerson
• "My horses are my friends, not my slaves." —Reiner Klimke

• "The horse. Here is nobility without conceit, friendship without envy, beauty without vanity. A willing servant, yet never a slave." —Ronald Duncan
• "God forbid that I should go to any heaven in which there are no horses." —R.B. Cunningham-Graham
• "A fly may sting a stately horse and make him wince; but one is an insect, and the other a hose still." —Samuel Johnson
• "When I hear somebody talk about a horse or cow being stupid, I figure it’s a sure sign that the animal has outfoxed them." —Tom Dorrance
• "He has galloped through young girls’ dreams, added richness to grown women’s lives, and served men in war and strife." —Toni Robinson
• 'A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!' —William Shakespeare
• "He doth nothing but talk of his horse." —William Shakespeare

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"His neigh is like the bidding of a monarch, and his countenance enforces homage. He is indeed, a horse."

— William Shakespeare

• "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 that the pipe of Hermes." —William Shakespeare
• "Through his mane and tail the high wind sings, fanning the hairs who wave like feather’d wings." —William Shakespeare
• "There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man." —Winston Churchill
• "No hour of life is lost that is spent in the saddle." —Winston Churchill
• "Horses lend us the wings we lack." —Anonymous

© 2011 Rickrideshorses

Comments

Gordon on March 15, 2020:

Source of: "When your horse dies, it's time to dismount."

Dancer13 on February 24, 2020:

Horses are amazing creatures and lots of people adore them. Winston Churchill is right. No hour of life is lost that is spent in the saddle. Riding is my life :)

Dang Dang on November 12, 2019:

This was so interesting! Thanks

Lisajspr on November 12, 2012:

I love dogs, but my horse is as good a best friend as any dog, only quieter.

TycoonSam from Washington, MI on October 18, 2012:

Very interesting Hub. I had no idea there were so many quotes about horses.