ProverbHuman Nature
English origin12th c.
English origin12th c.You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink
Meaning: You can offer help, but you can't force someone to accept it.
Origin: Among the oldest proverbs still in English use. A 12th-century collection of Old English homilies asks who can water a horse that will not drink of its own accord, and John Heywood included the saying in his 1546 collection. The point is that you can give someone an opportunity, but not the will to take it.
Equivalents in French and German
French: On ne fait pas boire un âne qui n'a pas soif (literally: You can't make a donkey drink if it isn't thirsty)
German: Man kann ein Pferd zur Tränke führen, aber nicht zum Saufen zwingen (literally: You can lead a horse to the watering trough, but you cannot force it to drink)
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