<Li> A 19th - century USA origin, where it was written as' hold your hosses' ("hoss" being a US slang term for horse) and appears in print that way many times from 1843 onwards . It is also the first attested usage in the idiomatic meaning . Example: from Picayune (New Orleans) in September 1844, "Oh, hold your hosses, Squire . There's no use gettin' riled, no how ." </Li> <Li> In Chatelaine, 1939, the modern spelling arises: "Hold your horses, dear ." </Li> <Li> The term may have originated from army artillery units . Example: Hunt and Pringle's Service Slang (1943) quotes "Hold your horses, hold the job until further orders" </Li>

Where did the term hold your horses come from