A kick from a mare never hurt a horse.
A kick from a mare never hurt a horse.
Meaning in plain English
The saying dismisses harm through a gendered animal comparison. Read it as an example of minimising another person’s actions, rather than evidence that such harm is harmless.
Example
A supervisor takes a worker’s report of being shoved seriously instead of assuming their size means they could not have been hurt.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The mare and horse become a rhetorical pair in which one animal’s kick is declared incapable of doing harm. That absolute claim is not a reliable assessment of injury. In a human reading, it can expose an attitude that treats conflict or aggression as insignificant because of the presumed strength or gender of those involved. A more responsible response considers the action and its consequences. Someone who appears stronger may still be hurt, and a person reporting harm deserves attention rather than an automatic dismissal.
When to use it
Use it critically when discussing how assumptions lead people to minimise harm.
Keep in mind
Do not use the historical comparison to excuse aggression or deny an injury.
Edsverb editorial interpretation · agent reviewed · 2026-10-05. This explains the saying; it does not establish its historical origin.
- Source
- A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (1857)
Printed page 27; French section, paragraph 542; source wording: Jamais coup de pied de jument ne fit mal à un cheval.
Read the original context ↗ - Attribution confidence
- traditional · historical anthology
Preserved as printed; independently unverified. - Historical coordinate
- Undated
No reliable date supplied by the collection. - Rights & edition
- Public domain (United States)
Translations and rights may differ elsewhere.
Provenance and licences ↗