Xiao Pan, did you watch the 2026 New Year message? It mentioned three idioms with the word “horse” that caught a lot of attention.

I did, teacher! They were “跃马扬鞭”, “万马奔腾”, and “马不停蹄”, but I don’t really understand their deeper meanings.

Good, this is a great chance to learn idioms. “跃马扬鞭” originally described mounting a horse and setting off, and now it often means taking initiative and not fearing difficulties.

That sounds powerful. I’m thinking of young people in China returning to their hometowns to start businesses—would that be an example of “跃马扬鞭”?

Yes, that’s very fitting. What about “万马奔腾”? Literally it means many horses running together, and now it often refers to people working together with great momentum.

I see, it’s a bit like villages in China developing their economy together. I think the collective spirit is very important.

Well said. The last one is “马不停蹄”. It’s not about exhausting yourself, but about moving forward with a clear goal. In ancient poetry, horses were often used to express ambition.

I understand now. These idioms are very old, but they still encourage people to move forward today. That’s the wisdom of Chinese culture.