# Reading > Who Said That? >  the origin of this saying

## cacian

_''get off your high horse''_

It seems that in real term the word *high horse* on its own does not exist because we refer to horses as horses and never a high one although the word high appears in the twoword word *highway* is in* motorway

*and *get off*  by the online free dictionary :



> to start, as on a trip
> to leave


So combining the two seems rather odd combined if we went by our understanding of things and the true meaning words.

Are the true meaning of words being churned for the sake of sounding a saying?

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## WyattGwyon

This link explains the etymology:

http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=high%20horse

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## cafolini

But it was said first in Troy to a man that was standing on the Troyan horse. It was dangerous: a slip, a fall and a broken neck.

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## cacian

> This link explains the etymology:
> 
> http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=high%20horse


Thank you for the link.




> But it was said first in Troy to a man that was *standing* on the Troyan horse. It was dangerous: a slip, a fall and a broken neck.


cafolini thank you this is really interesting.
When you say standing do you mean with both his legs uprightish on the saddle?

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## cafolini

He was the first circus man. The day of giants was over. The saddle was too broad, so he stood on it. Homer, loaded with fermentation, was more surprised than Alexander Pope when he tried to make the ancient gods victims of morality. The latter did achieve a partial victory, however. The number of pagans was reduced.

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