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You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink

Meaning

An animal, and by implication a person, will only do what it/he wants to do.

Origin

This is one of the older proverbs in the language and dates back to at least 1546 when it was included in John Heywood's A dialogue conteinyng the nomber in effect of all the prouerbes in the Englishe tongue:

"A man maie well bring a horse to the water, But he can not make him drinke without he will."

See also - you can lead a horticulture, but you can't make her think.

See also: the List of Proverbs.