In an attempt to understand different cultures in the use of idioms which related to animals, this study collected, com⁃pared, and analyzed Chinese and English idioms on“马”and“horse”by references to a large number of dictionaries. The results show that in Chinese, the idioms on horse has the following features:above all, it covers evenly in commendatory, neutral, and derogatory senses;more specifically, it has a direct link to war in the commendatory sense while in neutral and derogatory senses, its references have been broadened;another common phenomenon is that horses in Chinese idioms are usually a large collection. However, English idioms in the use of horse favors on the derogatory sense since they focus more on the nature of horse—stub⁃born, arrogant, and even condescending. If horses are praised, they mostly refer to the talented people rather than any other things. The similarities and differences in the use of“马”and“horse”help to probe into the color of culture between eastern and western countries.
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