2026 is the Year of the Horse! A detailed explanation of four-character idioms related to horses.
How many four-character idioms related to horses can you think of? From familiar ones like “horse’s ear, east wind” (bajitōfū: turning a deaf ear) and “Saiō losing his horse” (saiō shitsu ba: a blessing in disguise) to lesser-known expressions, there’s a wealth of idioms featuring horses.
Horses have long been close to people’s lives, and their form and nature have been etched into many words.
In this article, we highlight common four-character idioms that you can use in everyday conversation and business settings.
Once you learn their meanings and usage, you’ll find yourself nodding in agreement at the depth of the language.
Put them to use to boost your vocabulary!
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2026 is the Year of the Horse! A detailed guide to four-character idioms related to horses (1–10)
Kanchu follows the horse
These words express an attitude of respecting the experiences of people from the past and borrowing the wisdom of sages.
The phrase is said to be based on the experience of a man named Guan Zhong, and is told alongside an episode in which he found his way home by following a horse after getting lost.
It teaches that he was saved by the horse’s experience of having traveled many roads, and that following those with experience leads to good outcomes.
It suggests that rather than trying to handle everything on your own, it’s sometimes important to listen to the opinions of those with experience.
Wisdom of an old horse
A four-character idiom that means the superior wisdom and knowledge possessed by someone with long experience, and by extension conveys the message that one should heed the opinions of those with experience.
It originates from an episode involving the Chinese figure Guan Zhong, who was able to find his way back from a confusing road by following an old horse.
It tells us that long experience stores solid knowledge, and that following it can have a positive impact on ourselves.
It encourages us to first follow those with experience, and from there resolve to steadily accumulate our own experience.
Saiō loses his horse (a blessing in disguise).
@tanetam33 Saiō-shitsu-ba (The Old Man at the Frontier Loses His Horse). “Saiō-shitsu-ba” means that an event which appears to be misfortune or failure at first may later lead to good fortune. This idiom suggests that, in unpredictable times, effective leadership embraces adversity with flexibility and turns it into opportunity.A blessing in disguise.Turn adversity into opportunitytranslationWisdom of ManagementReverse thinkingLeadershipEra of Change
♪ Original song – Soala – Soala
This four-character idiom expresses that a person’s good fortune and misfortune change with time and that neither can be predicted.
“Saiō” refers to an old man living on the frontier, and the saying originates from a story about him and a horse, in which good and bad fortune repeatedly trade places.
His horse runs away; later, it returns with a better horse; then his son falls off the horse; but because of that injury, the son avoids conscription—good and bad arrive in turn.
Even without such dramatic swings, it’s a phrase that encourages us not to lament misfortune but to believe in future happiness and keep moving forward.
2026 is the Year of the Horse! A detailed explanation of four-character idioms related to horses (11–20)
A long whip cannot reach a horse’s belly. (Meaning: Even with great power or skill, there are limits to what one can affect.)
This is a four-character idiom that expresses the fact that there are things that cannot be changed no matter how great one’s power may be.
It can also be used to mean that something too powerful or too long can, conversely, become useless.
The phrase comes from the idea that if a whip is too long, it won’t strike the horse’s belly, and is said to have been a remark by Bokuzō when looking at the relationships among Jin, Chu, and Song during China’s Spring and Autumn period.
It conveys the message that even if one possesses great power, one should not overestimate it and should proceed with caution.
Mikemōma
This four-character idiom expresses the idea of trying to judge things only by their surface, and it also serves as a warning that doing so often leads to mistakes.
The term originated in the world of horse racing, where it referred to the skill of discerning a horse’s ability and qualities by examining its coat and build.
From there, it evolved to convey the danger of making judgments based solely on appearances.
It reminds us that looks are only one piece of evidence, and that sound judgment requires considering other aspects as well.
It’s something to recall especially when your thinking leans toward judging by appearances, as it offers a broader perspective.
Always on the move; living a busy, itinerant life (literally: south by ship, north by horse).
It’s an expression that describes someone who is constantly traveling or busily moving around from place to place.
It originates from China’s geography: in the south, with its many rivers and canals, boats are commonly used, while in the north, with its mountains and plains, horses are more common—hence these modes of transport appear in the phrase.
Because it evokes traveling by various means, it also clearly conveys the breadth of the journey.
Since your means of transportation changes depending on where you are, it could be fun to think about what the expression would look like in your own case.
Tiny like a bean, small as a person — extremely small.
A four-character idiom that expresses how distant objects appear small, often used for perspective in painting.
It first appeared in the Chinese painter Jing Hao’s “Treatise on Landscape Painting” (Huà Shānshuǐ Fù) and became established as a term for a visual technique.
The expression describes horses and people in the distance being drawn as tiny as an inch-long horse or a grain-sized dot, using concrete sizes to make the image easy to grasp.
It conveys a mindset and practical guideline for drawing: distant things should be depicted smaller.