This saying means that you can give good opportunities and resources to people, but you cannot make them use those opportunities to their advantage. People must act for themselves to take advantage of things they are given. For example, you can place a child in a classroom but you cannot make them pay attention to their lessons. You can give someone a book, but you cannot make them read it.
This phrase goes back to at least the 16th century in England, and possibly to the 12th century.
“You Can Lead a Horse to Water” Used in a Sentence
- You can lead a horse to water and it might not drink, but it’s more likely than if you left it altogether.
- “You can lead a horse to water,” we’d tell the boss before quitting.
- You can lead a nation to water, but cannot make it drink.
- You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.’ ” And readers can be led to Mr. Follett, particularly on the strength of his most recent books, “The Pillars of the Earth” and “World Without End”.
- You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it vote for you.