According to English Club, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink,” means the following:
“ You can show people the way to find something or to do something, but you cannot force them to act after that.”
In wondering about the meaning behind this adage I researched further and learned that horses can be very finicky about which water they will drink. This can be extremely frustrating as a horse “need 5-10 gallons a day in order to stay hydrated and healthy.” (horsedrinker.com)
I have a friend who used to be a life coach. However, lamented to me the fact that clients often refused to do their homework.
Although she may have come armed with many practical tips and ideas they basically were falling on deaf ears, because their client would not “drink.”
Over time she found herself coaching less and less, because she really had no real control over the results.
In teaching this lesson to our children we need to remind them what they actually have control over. They are responsible for their own actions, and although they might try hard to influence others, ultimately their actions are up to them.
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