Meme or Myth? ‘Hold Your Horses’

Don’t believe everything you see on the internet.

There’s this meme going around the internet:

It’s totally not true… please don’t believe everything you read on the internet. (Except for here on Horse Nation. We do our research.)

The real meaning of “hold your horses” has nothing to do with the multiple interpretations of the word “stable.” It actually means wait a moment; don’t be so impatient; cool your jets and wait a second.

This meaning goes back to “the olden days,” where literally people needed to “hold their horses” when driving a carriage. You might hold your horses when someone was getting in or out of the carriage, or literally have to hold back your horses if they were feeling fresh.

The phrase also had context for riding into battle. An example of a command might be “soldiers, hold your horses and wait for my call.”

This true meaning frequently spews out of my mouth when my horses are impatient during feeding time, and I’ve also tweaked it to when my mules can’t stand still. I shout at them “hold your mules!”

The more you know. Go riding!