'Tis an ill horse will not carry his own provender.

The saying judges a person or thing as inadequate if it cannot support itself or repay the resources needed to keep it going. A horse unable to carry its own feed represents an unproductive burden.

It can also urge self-reliance: someone receiving maintenance, training, or investment should contribute enough value to justify that support. Applied directly to people, however, its burden comparison can sound harsh or demeaning.

Use it for pointed, often humorous criticism of an arrangement, enterprise, or possession that consumes support without enough return. Its old-fashioned wording makes it better suited to reflective remarks than direct personal rebukes, since applying it to people can be harsh.