“Don’t put the cart before the horse” is the proverb we use when someone has the right idea in the wrong order. Here is what it means, where it comes from, how to use it, and a few sayings that share its logic.
What Does “Don’t Put the Cart Before the Horse” Mean?
The proverb means don’t do things in the wrong order — don’t reverse the proper or logical sequence of events. A horse must pull the cart, not push it from behind, so putting the cart first is useless and absurd. We use it to warn against rushing to a later step before the earlier one is done: counting profits before making a sale, decorating a house before it is built, or celebrating a win before the game is over.
Origin of the Proverb
The image is very old. The Romans and Greeks had their own versions of putting the plough before the ox, and the English phrase was already in use by the sixteenth century — it appears in John Heywood’s 1546 collection of English proverbs. The picture is so clear and so obviously back-to-front that the saying has needed no updating in nearly five hundred years.
Examples in a Sentence
- “Choosing wedding flowers before he’s even proposed? That’s putting the cart before the horse.”
- “Let’s not put the cart before the horse — we need funding before we hire staff.”
- “Naming the baby before the pregnancy is confirmed is putting the cart before the horse.”
Similar Proverbs
- Don’t count your chickens before they hatch — don’t rely on something before it has actually happened.
- First things first — deal with the most important or earliest step before the rest.
- Don’t cross the bridge before you come to it — don’t worry about a later step until you reach it.
- Learn to walk before you run — master the basics before attempting the advanced.
For more sayings about order and good sense, see our smart thoughts and the full library of proverbs and their meanings.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does “don’t put the cart before the horse” mean?
It means don’t do things in the wrong order — don’t attempt a later step before the earlier one that should come first.
Where does the proverb come from?
The image is ancient, with Greek and Roman versions, and the English form was already current by 1546, when it appeared in John Heywood’s collection of proverbs.
What is a similar proverb?
“Don’t count your chickens before they hatch” and “learn to walk before you run” share the idea of doing things in their proper order.
