Hold Your Horses

Meaning of Idiom ‘Hold Your (or one’s) Horses’

Hold your horses is one of the most common English idioms. When we say “hold your horses” to someone we are telling them to slow down and wait. Usually, the idiom is applied to someone who is over-excited and is rushing ahead before it is sensible to begin. As well, it is often said to someone who is being impatient.

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Usage

The usual expression is “hold your horses” but the idiom can be used in the third person as in “she needs to hold her horses; we’re not ready yet.”

Examples Of Use

“Woah, hold your horses! You can’t apply a second coat of paint until the first one dries.”

“Hold your horses,” said Mike to Maria. “I know you want to get on the road but I still have to do a few things around the house.”

Origin

Used since the 1840’s, this idiom alludes to making horses keep still by holding the reins.

It is often claimed that the idiom ‘hold your horses’ came from the operation of the Erie Canal during the early part of the 1800s. Barges would be towed along the canal by teams of horses on towpaths along the canal. When there were too many horses or traffic along the canal became confused someone might cry out ‘hold your horses!’ There is no credible evidence to suggest that the idiom derived specifically from the Erie Canal and, while it may be true that the phrase was frequently used in a literal fashion during the canal’s operation, it is more likely that hold your horses is a simple allusion to holding horses still, in general.

More Idioms Starting with H

• Happy as the Day is Long
• Half in the Bag
• Have Something Out
• Have It In For Someone
• Have a Bone To Pick

More Animal Idioms

• Beat a Dead Horse
• Monkey Around
• Go Whole Hog
• Fox Guarding the Henhouse
• I’m Going to See a Man About a Horse (Dog, Duck) Meaning
• Fish Story

More Hold Idioms

• Leave Holding the Bag
• No Holds Barred
• Hold Water
• Hold All the Cards

More Horse Idioms

• Beat a Dead Horse
• I’m Going to See a Man About a Horse (Dog, Duck) Meaning
• If Wishes Were Horses
• A Shoo-in
• Rarin’ To Go
• Horse of a Different Color