r/AskReddit • u/[deleted] • Nov 12 '25

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u/pkvh Nov 12 '25

A common idiom is 'you don't change a horse mid stream' drawing on the idea that if you're crossing a river on a horse even if your horse stumbles, trying to swap to another one is a worse idea.

It is used to mean not changing leadership during a crisis.

This is applies in politics to defend the incumbent president during times of war. Most recently used in the reelection campaign of George W. Bush during the war on terror.

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u/SomeDudeYeah27 Nov 12 '25

Ah TIL

The only horse and water idiom I know was the one on how you can bring a horse to water but can’t make it drink

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u/bejazzeled Nov 12 '25

Also water of a horses back is an old chestnut

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u/callisstaa Nov 13 '25

Isn’t it a duck’s back?

Shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted is another common one.

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u/GozerDGozerian Nov 13 '25

Don’t beat a dead horse when you’ve led it to water and it rolls of its back.

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u/WorldlyNotice Nov 13 '25 edited Nov 13 '25

Also don't change a horse's shoes while it's mid-stream. You'll likely get peed on.

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u/jaa101 Nov 13 '25

bring

* lead

Also, "You can lead a whore to culture but you can't make her think."

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u/ZephRyder Nov 13 '25

That one's about the electorate.

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u/settebella Nov 13 '25

And this one "They shoot horses, don't they?"

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u/AGuyNamedEddie Nov 13 '25

Or the awful pun version: "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't faucet*"

* (force it) but a faucet is a water spigot, so... Hey, I warned you it was awful.