You can lead a horse to water

[fsn]

[Heedless Horseman]

Incidentally, it was very rare that a stick NEEDED to be used at all. Sometimes if a beast was 'acting up' on a road... or kicking /biting, etc. ... or as a 'spark' when 'not keen' to jump... but YOU have other things to do when attempting a jump... 'stick' is an unwanted, additional complication. As 'encouragement' when being 'lazy', drawing a stick from boot and letting horse 'see' it , would be enough to make it think...'Right, better get a move on, then!'
Better to have an unused 'stick' than not... have seen Girls who 'Would Never Use'... getting into difficulties on 'fractious' horses... when 'sight' might have done the trick to 'settle'.
Rather annoys to see professional Race Jockeys 'lashing about'... probably trying to show 'keen'... but NOT going to do much good... to MY mind, maybe the opposite. If a horse is 'willing'...then, it will. 'Flogging a Dead Horse' has always been pointless.
'Battle'... and the terror that goes with it... is another matter. Hence, the horrific spurs and roundels. But, if a bit of 'gouging' was all that was suffered... 'lucky' horse.  

As for 'the punch'... 'media c******s'! Thanks for posting Westmarcher. That was just a 'Hey, You, Pack It In!'