What Does Gift Horse Mean?

          A gift horse is a gift of inferior quality that is generally accepted without any qualms. There is also a well known phrase which goes: Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. This proverb means that you should be grateful when you receive a gift. The gift horse is also an album by Roots music band Lost Dogs, released in the year 1999. Incidentally, it was Gene Eugene's final album with the band just before he died.

          The Gift Horse is also a war movie released in the year 1952. It was released in the UK with actors like Richard Attenborough, Trevor Howard, James Donald, Joan Rice, and Sonny Tufts bracing the lead roles. It was the story based on World War II. It showed how the British commander and his crew waged a brave sea battle against the German navy despite having an inferior quality of vessel.

The full saying is "don't look a gift horse in the mouth." It's an old proverb, going back to the Middle Ages at least, and can be found in other languages too. It comes from the custom of looking closely inside a horse's mouth, especially at its teeth, to get an idea of its age and general health.

However, if someone gave you a horse for free, you would just accept it without asking questions or examining it. So the saying means "If you are offered something free or get some unexpected good luck, don't question it - just take it."