Don’t change horses in midstream

What's the meaning of the phrase 'Don't change horses in midstream'?

Don’t change your leader or your basic position when part-way through a campaign or a project .

What's the origin of the phrase 'Don't change horses in midstream'?

From an 1864 speech by Abraham Lincoln, in reply to Delegation from the National Union League who were urging him to be their presidential candidate. ‘An old Dutch farmer, who remarked to a companion once that it was not best to swap horses when crossing streams.”

See other ‘Don’t…’ proverbs:

Don’t cast your pearls before swine

Don’t count your chickens before they are hatched

Don’t get mad, get even

Don’t cut off your nose to spite your face

Don’t keep a dog and bark yourself

Don’t let the bastards grind you down

Don’t let the cat out of the bag

Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth

Don’t put the cart before the horse

Don’t shut the stable door after the horse has bolted

Don’t throw good money after bad

Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater

Don’t try to teach your Grandma to suck eggs

Don’t upset the apple-cart

Related phrases and meanings

Browse more Phrases

About the Author

Gary Martin

Writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.

Phrases & Meanings

A-Z

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T UV W XYZ