Wenn der Reiter nichts taugt, ist das Pferd schuld

Meaning: People who lack skill blame their equipment or their circumstances.

Literally: When the rider is no good, the horse gets the blame

Example: “Nach der Niederlage schimpfte er auf seinen Schläger. Wenn der Reiter nichts taugt, ist das Pferd schuld.” — After losing he cursed his racket: a bad workman always blames his tools.

Equivalents in English, French, Spanish, Japanese, Portuguese, and 3 more languages

English: A bad workman always blames his tools
French: Les mauvais ouvriers ont toujours de mauvais outils (literally: Bad workers always have bad tools)
Spanish: El mal escribano le echa la culpa a la pluma (literally: The bad scribe blames the pen)
Japanese: 弘法筆を選ばず (Kōbō fude wo erabazu) (literally: Kōbō does not choose his brush)
Portuguese: O mau artífice culpa a ferramenta (literally: The bad craftsman blames the tool)
Dutch: Een kwaad werkman vindt nooit goed gereedschap (literally: A bad workman never finds good tools)
Russian: Нечего на зеркало пенять, коли рожа крива (Nechego na zerkalo penyat', koli rozha kriva) (literally: Don't blame the mirror if your face is crooked)
Polish: Złej baletnicy przeszkadza i rąbek u spódnicy (literally: A bad ballerina is hindered even by the hem of her skirt)