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Shanks' mare is an idiom meaning to walk; to "travel by shanks' mare" or "ride on shanks' mare" is to walk to your destination. Older forms of the phrase include Shanks' nag and Shanks' pony, using different terms for horses.
The shank is the lower part of the leg, now more commonly referred to as the calf; hence the term references travelling "by leg".
It was first recorded as "shanks-nag", in 1785.
Current citation: Richard Thompson in "Walking the Long Miles Home" (Mock Tudor, 1999)
"And the rhythm in my shoes keeps the blues all away
When you ride Shanks's Pony you don't have to pay
Walking the long miles home."
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