Shutting The Barn Door After The Horse Has Bolted

If you try to replace the oil filter on the engine now you re just closing the stable door after the horse has bolted.

Shutting the barn door after the horse has bolted.

If people try to fix something after the problem has occurred they are trying to close the stable door after the horse has bolted. Synonyms and related words. Proverb this saying dates back to medieval times. See full dictionary entry for stable.

Phrase verb inflects if you say that someone has closed or shut the stable door after the horse has bolted you mean that they have tried to prevent something happening but they have done so too late to prevent damage being done. Closing the stable door after the horse has bolted. To close the stable door after the horse has bolted. Meaning of shut close the stable barn door after the horse has bolted in english shut close the stable barn door after the horse has bolted to be so late in taking action to prevent something bad happening that the bad event has already happened thesaurus.

Trying to prevent or rectify a problem after the damage has already been done. Until the late 19th century it was used in the form shut the stable door after the steed is stolen.