stalking horse

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stalking horse (idiom)
/ˈstɔː.kɪŋ.hɔːrs/

Meaning

• A decoy or cover used to hide someone’s true purpose or plan.
• A person put forward to mask another’s real candidacy or interest.
• An initial bid in bankruptcy to set a base price and attract competition.
• In politics, a stalking horse is someone who runs for a position even though they will not win, in order to weaken the opposing side or distract people from the real candidate the group supports.
• Historically, a real or artificial horse used to conceal a hunter while approaching game.

Synonyms: decoy; pretext; ruse; front; straw‑man; smokescreen.

Example Sentences

1. The proposed reform was just a stalking horse for deeper policy changes.
2. He was merely a stalking horse candidate to split the opponent’s votes.
3. The company made a stalking horse bid to establish the auction’s starting point.
4. Early hunters would hide behind a stalking horse to get close to their prey.

Origin and History

The term stalking horse is an intriguing idiom with roots in both hunting and political strategy. Although its modern meaning is mostly political, its original use was very literal and dates back several centuries.

Hunting’s Clever Decoy

The most widely accepted origin comes from old hunting practices. Long before camouflage clothing or high‑powered rifles, hunters needed a way to get close to their prey without being noticed. Their solution was simple but clever: they would use a horse as a moving shield. The hunter hid behind the horse while slowly approaching the game. Because wild animals were used to seeing horses, they were less likely to run away.

Sometimes the stalking horse was a real, trained animal. Other times it was an artificial horse made of wood or canvas, carried by the hunter. In either case, its job was the same — to hide the hunter’s presence so they could get close enough for a successful shot. This original hunting use perfectly captures the idea of something acting as a decoy to disguise true intentions.

A Political Strategy

In politics, the meaning shifted from literal to metaphorical. A stalking horse is a candidate who enters a race not to win, but to weaken an opponent, test their popularity, or draw out their weaknesses. This allows the real preferred candidate — who may be waiting in the background — to step forward later with a stronger chance of success.

Just like in hunting, the political stalking horse works as a distraction. The main target focuses on the decoy, giving the real challenger a better opportunity to strike.

Country of Origin

The phrase began in England, first used for hunting and later borrowed for politics and other competitive situations.

Earliest Known Use

The earliest recorded appearance of the phrase is from 1589 in George Puttenham’s The Arte of English Poesie. In it, the term describes something used to deceive or hide one’s true aim — a direct reference to its hunting origins.

From Field to Forum

Stalking horse is a clear example of how a term from one field can take on new life in another. What began as a practical hunting tool became a vivid political metaphor, but its core meaning has never changed: using a decoy to hide real intentions and gain an advantage.

Variants

• stalking‑horse bid
• stalking‑horse candidate
• stalking‑horse offer

Horse, Political

Last update: August 3, 2025 9:49 AM