Chomp at the Bit
Our family had horses when I was a teenager. I loved to ride, but my sister preferred to keep both feet on the ground. She did not trust horses, especially when they chomped at the bit.
Like many horses, ours wanted to go immediately, and they wanted to go fast. That was especially true when they saw water or food ahead.
A cousin convinced my sister to ride with him one afternoon. The closer they came to the end of their trip, the faster the horse ran. When they went under an apple tree branch, our cousin lowered his head. Gail did not see the branch, and it knocked her to the ground. That was the end of her horseback riding.
To chomp at the bit refers to a horse biting its bit (mouthpiece).
According to The Phrase Finder, the original phrase was champ at the bit. Both chomp and champ refer to biting or chewing. Excited horses chomp at the bit before a race begins. They have a hard time waiting.
People also chomp at the bit.
We may not have a piece of metal in our mouths. However, we definitely get impatient. Few of us enjoy delay. We want everything immediately, if not sooner.
- Babies want to be fed.
- Children want to play.
- Teenagers want to drive.
- Adults want good jobs.
- Almost everyone wants love and acceptance.
We want what we want when we want it.
Like bits guide horses, wisdom guides people.
Yet, we need to find trustworthy sources for truth. Let’s never chomp at the bit until we know we are:
- Following the right source.
- Going the right direction
Until then, let’s hold our horses.
“Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you” (Psalm 32:9 NIV).
Thanks to Tracy Crump for the suggestion. Image by Ainslie Gilles-Patel from Pixabay.
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