You can lead a horse to water

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

Meaning

You can encourage someone to to do something but, in the end, what they do is their own choice.

Examples

I bought her a car; I even paid for the driving lessons, but she still travels everywhere by bus.

Where did it originate?

Britain, 12th century. One of the oldest proverbs in the English language

Where is it used?

Worldwide.

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About the Author

Gary Martin

Writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.

You can lead a horse to water