A horse or other animal that eats hay; sometimes used as a derogatory term for a horse that eats but doesn't earn its keep.
From 'hay' and 'burner' (one who burns or consumes); developed in agricultural societies where feeding animals was a significant expense.
The term reflects a time when horses were essential to farm economics—a 'hayburner' was a horse that cost more to feed than it produced in work, making it a financial liability.
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