Every once in a while somebody will ask me how can we know what a horse is thinking and feeling since they don’t talk. My answer is always that they do talk. They never shut up. They just don’t verbalize a lot. But they are definitely chatterboxes and I for one am glad they can’t verbalize their thoughts. Problem is that we confuse our inability to hear them with their inability to talk.
This is a quote from Ross Jacobs on his Good Horsemanship - Ross Jacobs Facebook page. Here's a link to his website .
If you’d like to learn more about Ross Jacobs and his teachings, check out his book, The Essence of Good Horsemanship. I think it should be on the reading list for all of us on the second half horsemanship journey.
Every once in a while somebody will ask me how can we know what a horse is thinking and feeling since they don’t talk. My answer is always that they do talk. They never shut up. They just don’t verbalize a lot. But they are definitely chatterboxes and I for one am glad they can’t verbalize their thoughts. Problem is that we confuse our inability to hear them with their inability to talk. This is a quote from Ross Jacobs on his Good Horsemanship Ross Jacobs Facebook page. Welcome to the Almost Daily Second Half Horsemanship Podcast where we talk about using your mind more than your muscles on the path to better horsemanship in the second half of life. The podcast features a thought for the day on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and a more in-depth discussion or interview on weekends. I’m your host, Paul Sherland. I’ve just returned to Texas from a Ross Jacobs clinic in Minnesota and the communications skills I saw demonstrated there are already having an impact on me and my horses and our relationships. Ross emphasizes and demonstrates working in communication with our horses. After years of learning various pressure response techniques with various clinicians, this is a paradigm shift. I’m more attentive to what my horse is doing to communicate with me. As Ross says in the same Facebook post. So when your horse has something to say, they need to know you are listening even if your plan and their plan differ. They need to know somebody is listening and not be discouraged from talking by our deafness. If you’d like to learn more about Ross Jacobs and his teachings, check out his book, The Essence of Good Horsemanship. I think it should be on the reading list for all of us on the second half horsemanship journey. I’ll have a link to his website in the show notes. The Bluebonnet Equine Humane Society Training Challenge is coming up tomorrow here in Texas. This is an event where professional and amateur trainers spend three to four months training rescued horses to give them a new start in life. If you’d like to donate, I’ll have a link to the Bluebonnet Equine Humane Society website in the show notes. Thanks for listening to the Almost Daily Second Half Horsemanship Podcast. If you’re also on the second half horsemanship journey, please leave a comment on our website, secondhalfhorsemanship.com. We’re always looking for topic and interview ideas. When I use links to books, products and services in the podcast, some of those links might be referral links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I earn a small commission when you purchase something through those links, but you will not be charged more by using the links. One more note. I’m not in a place where I can record the podcast today. So I’m using the auto dub feature of Descript to convert my script to voice. If you do any video or audio editing, you should check out what Descript offers. It is an incredible tool for creatives. I’ll also have a link to Descript in the show notes. If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave a review wherever you listen to podcasts. Your reviews help the podcast reach a larger audience. Thank you very much!