Shutting The Barn Door After The Horse Has Bolted

After bolt closing door horse stable.

Shutting the barn door after the horse has bolted.

Synonyms and related words. Proverb this saying dates back to medieval times. See full dictionary entry for stable. Shut or lock the stable door after the horse has bolted try to avoid or prevent something bad or unwelcome when it is already too late to do so.

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. Trying to prevent or rectify a problem after the damage has already been done. Closing the stable 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.

To close the stable door after the horse has bolted. Close the barn door after the horse has bolted is alternative often used in american english.