I understand the meaning of the saying and the context it’s used in.
What I don’t understand is why you would look a horse (or gift horse) in the MOUTH. What is special about its mouth?
In: Other
A good way to tell if an animal is healthy (certainly back in the day) is to look at their teeth. A good pair of teeth means they have decent bones composition and that they will be able to eat properly. Bad teeth might the sign of a more serious problem, and could also mean the animal will eventually lose their teeth, be unable to eat, and die.
Examining a horse’s mouth is a way to determine its overall health and age. It’s pretty typical to examine the mouth prior to buying a horse.
Horses teeth continuously wear down because of their food. So you can approximate a horses age by looking at its teeth.
You do this when horse trading to validate the claim of how old the horse is.
But if its a gift horse, it is rude to go “Oh, ima check how old it really is”
ELI5 – it’s a way of saying “when someone gives you something for free, don’t check it’s quality right in front of them.” Accept their gift and thank them for it. Don’t be rude.
You should appreciate a gift without scrutinizing it. After all, it’s the thought that counts.
Horses teeth actually grow quickly because in nature they wear them down by constantly eating a lot of things like tree bark. Captive horses need their teeth “floated” or ground down evenly because grain and hay don’t wear them down well enough. This is also the origin of the phrase “long in the tooth”.
Teeth. There are teeth that get long. It how to tell how old they are. Looking at a horse’s teeth is one way to tell if its an old horse or a young horse.
Horses teeth wear as they age, so by “looking the horse in the mouth” you’re checking out its age and value. The expression saying not to do this is saying how rude/uncouth/ unappreciative you are to do this in front of the gift giver.
It’s a quick way to determine an animal’s overall health. It’s also where the phrase “long in the tooth” comes from ( receding gums as a sign of age or poor health ). Same is true for humans, a shockingly high number of health problems not related to oral health are discovered at the dentist
Horse teeth and oral cpndition are an excellent indicator of overall health and hygiene, as well as age.
If you get a free Horse and immediately look for indications it’s old or sick, you come off as extremely entitled. Don’t expect the best of something when it’s given for free.
So examining the mouth and teeth of a horse, is a way to gauge it’s overall health and age, and prior to buying a horse, it’s usually a good idea to do. The saying then implies that it would be rude or unnecessary to check up on something that was free to you, I.E. a horse that was gifted to you.
Latest Answers