The word the is frequently omitted from the proverb and lead substituted for take.
Hwa is thet mei thet hors wettrien the him self nule drinken [who can give water to the horse that will not drink of its own accord]?
[c 1175 Old English Homilies (EETS) 1st Ser. 9]
A man may well bryng a horse to the water, But he can not make hym drynke without he will.
[1546 J. Heywood Dialogue of Proverbs i. xi. D3]
A man may lead his Horse to water, but he cannot make him drink unless he list.
[1658 E. Phillips Mysteries of Love & Eloquence 160]
‘Well,’ said she‥‘one man can take a horse to water but a thousand can't make him drink.’
[1857 Trollope Barchester Towers III. i.]
The dropout rate [for the course] must be close to 90 percent. I guess you can take a horse to the water, but you can't make him drink.
[1970 J. Mitford in Atlantic (1979) July 50]
We could send you out to a firm and convince them to hire you, but we're not sure you'd be willing to learn the job. In other words, you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.
[1997 M. Lazarus Washington Post 7 Dec. (Momma comic strip)]
Related to: free will and compulsion
Bibliography of major proverb collections and works cited from modern editions is available here.
