Question

You Can Lead a Horse to Water but You Can't Make Him Drink you can encourage, but not force, someone to do something

Accepted Answer

We gave him a new shirt, but he still wears the ripped one. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. This expression was first used in the 12th century, when riding a horse was the main way of traveling long distances. A horse owner knew that an animal needed to drink water, especially after a long ride on a hot day. But even though you could take your horse right to the banks of a cool, fresh spring, that didn't mean the stubborn horse would drink. For centuries that truth has been applied to people who do what they want to even though you try to persuade them otherwise.

Idiom	You Can Lead a Horse to Water but You Can't Make Him Drink
Example	We gave him a new shirt, but he still wears the ripped one. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink.
Meaning	you can encourage, but not force, someone to do something
Origin	This expression was first used in the 12th century, when riding a horse was the main way of traveling long distances. A horse owner knew that an animal needed to drink water, especially after a long ride on a hot day. But even though you could take your horse right to the banks of a cool, fresh spring, that didn't mean the stubborn horse would drink. For centuries that truth has been applied to people who do what they want to even though you try to persuade them otherwise.

Horse Drink Lead Make Water Long Gave Shirt