An Old Horse 老马识途

The Chinese idiom 老马识途 (lao3 ma3 shi4 tu4) literally means an old horse knows the way. The story behind this idiom tells how one old horse saved thousands of soldiers from freezing to death.

In 663 BC, Duke Huan of the State of Qi amassed a vast army to invade the Guzhu Kingdom. Due to the complex local geography and the long distances involved, many months passed before the offensive was finally successful. As a result, the Qi troops were forced to withdraw during winter.

The winter wind and snow had completely changed the look of the countryside and this caused the Qi army to lose its bearings and become hopelessly lost. A number of scouts were sent out, but they all failed to find a route home. Eventually, the Duke summoned his advisers and demanded that they come up with a solution. One of the advisers told the others that he had heard that old horses always know the way home. Since everything else had failed, the Duke was willing to give this advice a try. Sure enough, they found an old horse that had been serving in the army for many years. Miraculously, this old horse found a path out and lead the whole Qi army to safety.

Today, this Chinese idiom is used to describe people who are experienced and wise about the ways of the world. These are the type of people you can rely on for good advice in a crisis. The English refer to these people as old hands.

It has been suggested to me that the Chinese idiom 老马识途 (lao3 ma3 shi4 tu4) could also be used to describe someone who know the ropes. However, I think this English idiom has a slightly different meaning and is more suited to describe a person who knows what is required to perform a particular task, but who is not necessarily an expert. So, I think it is more like the Chinese idiom 得其三昧 (de2 qi2 san1 mei4). [If you have a different view, please let me know.]