---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you’ve spent any time around horses…"
description: "\"“If you’ve spent any time around horses, you know a stallion can be a major problem. They’re strong, very strong, and they’ve got a mind of their own. ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df3/john-eldredge-1487_horse_if-you-ve-spent-any-time-around-horses-y_2540040.png"
---

#  If you’ve spent any time around horses, you know a…

![“If you’ve spent any time around horses, you know a stallion can be a major problem. They’re strong, very strong, and they’ve got a mind of their own. Stallions typically don’t like to be bridled, and they can get downright aggressive—especially if there are mares around. A stallion is hard to…” quote by John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df3/john-eldredge-1487_horse_if-you-ve-spent-any-time-around-horses-y_2540040.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df3/john-eldredge-1487_horse_if-you-ve-spent-any-time-around-horses-y_2540040.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df3/john-eldredge-1487_horse_if-you-ve-spent-any-time-around-horses-y_2540040.png)

> ““If you’ve spent any time around horses, you know a stallion can be a major problem. They’re strong, very strong, and they’ve got a mind of their own. Stallions typically don’t like to be bridled, and they can get downright aggressive—especially if there are mares around. A stallion is hard to tame. If you want a safer, quieter animal, there’s an easy solution: castrate him. A gelding is much more compliant. You can lead him around by the nose; he’ll do what he’s told without putting up a fuss. There’s only one problem: Geldings don’t give life. They can’t come through for you the way a stallion can. A stallion is dangerous all right, but if you want the life he offers, you have to have the danger too. They go together.””

[John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Stallions symbolize untamed potential and risk; taming them yields safety but loses vitality.

**In simple terms:** Wildness brings danger and life.

Key Takeaway

Embrace risk for true fulfillment.

Themes

risk wildness potential

Mood

adventurous thoughtful

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- adventure sports
- entrepreneurship
- creative endeavors
- relationship dynamics

Key Concepts

metaphor personal growth

Questions to Reflect On

- Are you willing to face danger for greater reward?
- How do you balance safety with passion?

A Different Perspective

Safety may stifle growth and excitement.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Horse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horse/) [Stallion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stallion/) [Stallions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stallions/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/)

## Related quotes

> [A stallion must first be broken before it can reach its potential.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-nimoy/a-stallion-must-first-be-broken-before-it-can-reach-its-potential/)

[Leonard Nimoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-nimoy/)

> [Caballine likes me to be masterful. She calls me her stallion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/caballine-likes-me-to-be-masterful-she-calls-me-her-stallion/)

[Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/)

> [He's just like a stallion. Wild and kicking on the outside, but a heart soft as satin on the inside. Just waiting for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-bracken/he-s-just-like-a-stallion-wild-and-kicking-on-the-outside-but-a-heart/)

[Alexandra Bracken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-bracken/)

> [From the desert I come to thee, On a stallion shod with fire; And the winds are left behind In the speed of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bayard-taylor/from-the-desert-i-come-to-thee-on-a-stallion-shod-with-fire-and-the/)

[Bayard Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bayard-taylor/)

> [Just then, down through the last glimmer of twilight, stepping high and free, like a cloud, a moth, a ghost in the shape of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elyne-mitchell/just-then-down-through-the-last-glimmer-of-twilight-stepping-high-and/)

[Elyne Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elyne-mitchell/)

> [There's a lathered sorrel stallion running through the Joshua trees and a young man in the saddle with his coat tails in the breeze.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-daniels/there-s-a-lathered-sorrel-stallion-running-through-the-joshua-trees/)

[Charlie Daniels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-daniels/)

> [The stallion and his mare, unbridled, with arrow-pattern, are worked on. the blue cloth before the door of religion and inspiration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilda-doolittle/the-stallion-and-his-mare-unbridled-with-arrow-pattern-are-worked-on/)

[Hilda Doolittle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilda-doolittle/)

> [“A book about books is like a poem about poetry: Books are knowledge, paid for, all. Readers - horses in a stall. Stallions should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-advise/a-book-about-books-is-like-a-poem-about-poetry-books-are-knowledge/)

Will Advise

> [A child's hope is that your father comes riding in on that white stallion and saves them. You can't make somebody love you the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-roberts/a-child-s-hope-is-that-your-father-comes-riding-in-on-that-white/)

[Jake Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-roberts/)

> [Got a young brown stallion and she 20 years old/When she pop it from the back you see that hairy asshole.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pimp-c/got-a-young-brown-stallion-and-she-20-years-old-when-she-pop-it-from/)

[Pimp C](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pimp-c/)

> [His mane was like a crest, mounting, then falling low. His neck was long and slender, and arched to the small, savagely beautiful head.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-farley/his-mane-was-like-a-crest-mounting-then-falling-low-his-neck-was-long/)

[Walter Farley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-farley/)

> [“My words emerge as a stallion standing firm even when none have the ability to ride them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-tyrone-jones/my-words-emerge-as-a-stallion-standing-firm-even-when-none-have-the/)

[Curtis Tyrone Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-tyrone-jones/)

> [Mount the stallion of love and do not fear the path, love’s stallion knows the way exactly. With one leap, Love’s horse will carry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/mount-the-stallion-of-love-and-do-not-fear-the-path-love-s-stallion/)

[Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/)

> [“As I got closer to the fence, I held my shirt over my nose to block the smell. One stallion waded through the muck…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/as-i-got-closer-to-the-fence-i-held-my-shirt-over-my-nose-to-block/)

[Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/)

> [“I lost hope when I saw the horses’ teeth. As I got closer to the fence, I held my shirt over my nose to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/i-lost-hope-when-i-saw-the-horses-teeth-as-i-got-closer-to-the-fence/)

[Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/)

## More by John Eldredge

> [To find God, you must look with all your heart. To remain present to God, you must remain present to your heart. To hear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/to-find-god-you-must-look-with-all-your-heart-to-remain-present-to/)

[John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/)

> [ “There is a satisfaction we don't want to come to until we come to it in God…\[Disappointments\] serve to remind us every day that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/there-is-a-satisfaction-we-don-t-want-to-come-to-until-we-come-to-it/)

[John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/)

> [The early Celtic Christians called the Holy Spirit 'the wild goose.' And the reason why is they knew that you cannot tame him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/the-early-celtic-christians-called-the-holy-spirit-the-wild-goose-and/)

[John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/)

> [The real you is on the side of God against the false self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/the-real-you-is-on-the-side-of-god-against-the-false-self/)

[John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/)

> [“The authors challenge that the marriage in which one cannot express disappointment has become an idol – The Thing that Cannot Be Questioned.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/the-authors-challenge-that-the-marriage-in-which-one-cannot-express/)

[John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/)

> [A man's calling is written on his true heart, and he discovers it when he enters the frontier of his deep desires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/a-man-s-calling-is-written-on-his-true-heart-and-he-discovers-it-when/)

[John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/)

> [In the end, it doesn’t matter how well we have performed or what we have accomplished—a life without heart is not worth living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/in-the-end-it-doesn-t-matter-how-well-we-have-performed-or-what-we/)

[John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/)

> [Whatever their age, most men have never received true fathering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/whatever-their-age-most-men-have-never-received-true-fathering/)

[John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/)

> [I'm married. I have three children. I have a mortgage to pay. The plumbing breaks and the yard needs trimming. However, what my wife…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/i-m-married-i-have-three-children-i-have-a-mortgage-to-pay-the/)

[John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/)

> [“He is on a mission to rescue a people who are so utterly deceived most of them don’t even want to be rescued.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/he-is-on-a-mission-to-rescue-a-people-who-are-so-utterly-deceived/)

[John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/)

> [“Something has gone wrong in us, very wrong indeed. So wrong that we have to be told that joy is found not in having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/something-has-gone-wrong-in-us-very-wrong-indeed-so-wrong-that-we/)

[John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/)

> [“We don’t need accountability groups; we need fellow warriors, someone to fight alongside, someone to watch our back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/we-don-t-need-accountability-groups-we-need-fellow-warriors-someone/)

[John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/)

> [We don't see clearly because we don't see with the eyes of our heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/we-don-t-see-clearly-because-we-don-t-see-with-the-eyes-of-our-heart/)

[John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/)

> [The story of your life is the story of the long and brutal assault on your heart by the one who knows what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/the-story-of-your-life-is-the-story-of-the-long-and-brutal-assault-on/)

[John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/)

> [I have a call to speak, to write, to do sort of deep-heart surgery in people's lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/i-have-a-call-to-speak-to-write-to-do-sort-of-deep-heart-surgery-in/)

[John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/)

[Explore all 233 John Eldredge quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/)

## More Horse quotes

> [I would drink gallons of coffee a day. Even now, off caffeine, I talk faster than anyone you've ever met. I finally recognized that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-englander/i-would-drink-gallons-of-coffee-a-day-even-now-off-caffeine-i-talk/)

[Nathan Englander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-englander/)

> [A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/a-horse-a-horse-my-kingdom-for-a-horse/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [The child who ran weeping to you with a cut finger is now brought home, smiling gamely, with a broken collarbone and incredible contusions-…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-brown/the-child-who-ran-weeping-to-you-with-a-cut-finger-is-now-brought/)

[Pam Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-brown/)

> [I don't know where horse riding could have taken me, and it's something I can always go back to when I've retired from football,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/millie-bright/i-don-t-know-where-horse-riding-could-have-taken-me-and-it-s/)

[Millie Bright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/millie-bright/)

> [I promise myself that I will enjoy every minute of the day that is given me to live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-promise-myself-that-i-will-enjoy-every-minute-of-the-day-that-is/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [It is a pity that, commonly, more care is had--yea, and that among very wise men--to find out rather a cunning man for their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ascham/it-is-a-pity-that-commonly-more-care-is-had-yea-and-that-among-very/)

[Roger Ascham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ascham/)

> [I always like to look for adventure when I go away. I have gone on several horse adventures with my wife - from Guangxi…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antony-gormley/i-always-like-to-look-for-adventure-when-i-go-away-i-have-gone-on/)

[Antony Gormley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antony-gormley/)

> [Plato compared the intellect to a charioteer guiding the powerful horses of the passions, i.e., he gave it both the power of perception and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-cattell/plato-compared-the-intellect-to-a-charioteer-guiding-the-powerful/)

[Raymond Cattell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-cattell/)

> [There are those that say, if you do the uncomfortable thing long enough, it will become comfortable. But we are really not encouragers of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/there-are-those-that-say-if-you-do-the-uncomfortable-thing-long/)

[Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/)

> [If some beggar steals a bridle he'll be hung by a man who's stolen a horse. There's no surer justice in the world than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peire-cardenal/if-some-beggar-steals-a-bridle-he-ll-be-hung-by-a-man-who-s-stolen-a/)

Peire Cardenal

> [Despite the reams of paperwork, obstacles worthy of a horse show, and a wait that can rival an elephant's gestation, adoption feels no different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-simon/despite-the-reams-of-paperwork-obstacles-worthy-of-a-horse-show-and-a/)

[Scott Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-simon/)

> [“I have never heard anyone say, 'Oh, ick! A horse!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elinor-goulding-smith/i-have-never-heard-anyone-say-oh-ick-a-horse/)

Elinor Goulding Smith

> [My friends and I would get up early and take our horses through the national forest. My mom was very free. It was always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-torv/my-friends-and-i-would-get-up-early-and-take-our-horses-through-the/)

[Anna Torv](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-torv/)

> [Blind with love, my daughter has cried nightly for horses, those long-necked marchers and churners that she has mastered, any and all, reigning them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-sexton/blind-with-love-my-daughter-has-cried-nightly-for-horses-those-long/)

[Anne Sexton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-sexton/)

> [In the Christianity of Christendom the Cross has become something like the child’s hobby-horse and trumpet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-the-christianity-of-christendom-the-cross-has-become-something/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

[Browse all 3,533 Horse quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horse/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“If you’ve spent any time around horses, you know a stallion can be a major problem. They’re strong, very strong, and they’ve got a mind of their own. Stallions typically don’t like to be bridled, and they can get downright aggressive—especially if there are mares around. A stallion is hard to tame. If you want a safer, quieter animal, there’s an easy solution: castrate him. A gelding is much more compliant. You can lead him around by the nose; he’ll do what he’s told without putting up a fuss. There’s only one problem: Geldings don’t give life. They can’t come through for you the way a stallion can. A stallion is dangerous all right, but if you want the life he offers, you have to have the danger too. They go together.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "John Eldredge"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/if-you-ve-spent-any-time-around-horses-you-know-a-stallion-can-be-a/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Horse"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/if-you-ve-spent-any-time-around-horses-you-know-a-stallion-can-be-a/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df3/john-eldredge-1487_horse_if-you-ve-spent-any-time-around-horses-y_2540040.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df3/john-eldredge-1487_horse_if-you-ve-spent-any-time-around-horses-y_2540040.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df3/john-eldredge-1487_horse_if-you-ve-spent-any-time-around-horses-y_2540040.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“If you’ve spent any time around horses, you know a stallion can be a major problem. They’re strong, very…” — John Eldredge",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "John Eldredge",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“If you’ve spent any time around...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/if-you-ve-spent-any-time-around-horses-you-know-a-stallion-can-be-a/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/if-you-ve-spent-any-time-around-horses-you-know-a-stallion-can-be-a/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
