„Pferdediebstahl“ – Versionsunterschied

A Horse thief historically is a person who steals horses and it carries negative connotations of guile and depredation carrying the same weight as a kidnapper or swindler.

History

USA

The term horse thief came into great popularity in the Great Plains of the USA during the 19th century. During that time the constitutent states were sparsely populated and negligibly policed. As farmers tilled the land and migrants headed west through the Great Plains their horses became subject to theft. Since these farmers and migrants depended on their horses, horse thieves garnered a particularly pernicious reputation because they left their victims helpless or greatly handicapped by the loss of their horses. The victims needed their horses for transportation and farming. Such depredation led to the use of the term horse thief as an insult, one that conveys the impression of the insulted person as one lacking any shred of moral decency.

Present Day

Horse thief is no longer in common usage and may in fact contain humorous connotations when used due to being anachronistic.

See also

• Anti Horse Thief Association
• The Society in Dedham for Apprehending Horse Thieves