I love a good quote, and I love horsey inspired ones even more. I’ve collated over thirty of my favourite inspirational horse quotes here (including a couple that are not specifically horse related, but were too good to leave out, and definitely apply to us horse folk!). Whether you’re looking for inspiration, motivation or simply something to make you smile, I’m sure you’ll find at least one horse quote below that resonates with you – I hope you enjoy them as much as I do…
No hour of life is wasted that is spent in the saddle.
– Winston Churchill
A horse is worth more than riches.
– Spanish Proverb
Fascination with horses predated every other single thing I knew. Before I was a mother, before I was a writer, before I knew the facts of life, before I was a schoolgirl, before I learned to read, I wanted a horse.
– Jane Smiley
Good attitude is most important. Good talent is second.
– George H Morris
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
Grooming: the process by which the dirt on the horse is transferred to the groom.
– Unknown
A horse gallops with his lungs,
Perseveres with his heart,
And wins with his character.
– Tesio
When you are on a great horse, you have the best seat you will ever have.
– Winston Churchill
The wind of heaven is that which blows between a horse’s ears.
– Arabian Proverb
A man on a horse is spiritually as well as physically bigger than a man on foot.
– John Steinbeck
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
Success is letting go of fear.
– Carl Wittaker
A true horseman does not look at a horse with his eyes, he looks at his horse with his heart.
– Unknown
If the horse does not enjoy his work, his rider will have no joy.
– H.H. Isenbart
When God wanted to create the horse, he said to the South Wind, ‘I want to make a creature of you. Condense.’ And the Wind condensed.
– Emir Abd-el-Kader
Your seat is a verb, and your reins are adjectives to add beauty and shape.
– Pat Parelli
You cannot train a horse with shouts and expect it to obey a whisper.
– Dagobert D. Runes
It excites me that no matter how much machinery replaces the horse, the work it can do is still measured in horsepower… even in this space age. And although a riding horse often weighs half a ton, and a big drafter a full ton, either can be led about by a piece of string if he has been wisely trained. This to me is a constant source of wonder, and challenge.
– Marguret Henry
I figure if a girl wants to be a legend, she should go ahead and be one.
– Calamity Jane
Courage is being scared to death… and saddling up anyway.
– John Wayne
A horse loves freedom, and the weariest old work horse will roll on the ground or break into a lumbering gallop when he is turned loose into the open.
– Gerald Raftery
There are only two emotions that belong in the saddle; one is a sense of humor and the other is patience.
– John Lyons
Horses change lives. They give our young people confidence and self-esteem. They provide peace and tranquility to troubled souls, they give us hope.
– Toni Robinson
Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day-in and day-out.
– Robert Collier
For a human to win, it is not necessary for a horse to lose. You should not have to take things away from a horse or break him in fragments in order to train him; rather you should add to the horse. The goal should be making, not breaking.
– Cherry Hill
An old adage says that a good rider can hear his horse speak and a great rider can hear his horse whisper.
– Elizabeth Letts
There is much we can learn from a friend who happens to be a horse.
– Aleksandra Layland
Horses make a landscape look beautiful.
– Alice Walker
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
One day you will wake up and there won’t be any more time to do the things you’ve always wanted. Do it now.
– Paulo Coelho
There is no better place to heal a broken heart than on the back of a horse.
– Missy Lyons
It is the difficult horses that have the most to give you.
– Lendon Gray
If your horse says no, you either asked the wrong question, or asked the question wrong.
– Pat Parelli
Care, and not fine stables, makes a good horse.
– Danish Proverb
All our dreams come true if we have the courage to pursue them.
– Walt Disney
If you are fearful, a horse will back off. If you are calm and confident, it will come forward. For those who are often flattered or feared, the horse can be a welcome mirror of the best in human nature.
– Clare Balding
I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.
– Thomas Edison
I hope you’ve enjoyed these lovely inspirational horse quotes!
If you’re feeling inspired to read more horsey things, browse through this site, and check out these articles…
25 Horse Jokes and Puns – Horse Humour
How Much Does it Cost to Keep a Horse? – The Ultimate Guide
Buying a Horse – The Ultimate Guide
What Do I Need For a Horse? – The Ultimate Checklist of Equine Equipment
Types of Livery Explained – How Much Does it Cost to Stable a Horse?
Basic Horse Care For Beginners