My car is broken, so I am traveling by shanks' mare today.
shanks' mare
idiomOne's own feet used for walking; to "travel by shanks' mare" or "ride [on] shanks' mare" is to walk to your destination.
Origin
first recorded 18th c. disputed originBelieved to be Scottish in origin and derives from shanks' nag (shanks-naig 1774), referring to the use of shank to refer to the part of the human leg between the knee and ankle. One theory cites "shank's mare" derived from a horse-drawn lawn mower, manufactured by Shanks & Company Ltd. (founded 1853) which required that the human operator walk behind the device to guide the horse; however, references to the phrase in Scottish literature pre-date the existence of the Shanks lawn mower.
Since the bus stopped running late at night, we decided to ride shanks' mare back to the hotel.
With the mountain roads impassable due to the heavy snow, the travelers were forced to rely on shanks' mare to reach the village.