As we begin to allow our horses to lead the discussion so we can ask the right questions, are we aware of the types of questions we're asking? The words a person uses tells a lot about how their mind works & how they will respond in given situations. Common training methods have a huge influence on the way we ask our horses questions but unless it's brought to our attention, we may be unaware of new possibilities.

Listening is not about how to make or stop a horse from doing certain things. In the beginning, the conditioning is so deep that I have to meet people at their level of understanding & make sessions about the horse but for those who are ready to learn something new, the possibilities are endless. Those who are not prepared to move beyond the programming only work with me for one or two sessions. Those who are ready, embark on an exciting new journey about helping you understand yourself at a much deeper level, which is the catalyst to understanding horses at a much deeper level. Why you think, say & do the things you do. When we approach learning in this way, there is no need to focus on the horse because they have been patiently waiting for this & respond immediately.

Discussion is a key aspect of deeper understanding & I always encourage people to ask a million questions. It's this discussion that opens new door ways & light the bulbs that lead to new epiphanies. I ask many questions as well to encourage moving away from mechanically programmed thoughts & actions.

When you are trying to teach your horse to respond to a particular cue & they leak out at the shoulder every time for example, what is the quality of the question you would ask yourself in this situation? Many would ask themselves how they would stop their horse from leaking out & then try to find a way to correct the problem.

This is one possibility but what if we looked at this situation differently? Asking how to sop your horse from doing something when analyzed at its root comes from a place of dominance & control. The decision to stop or prevent something is not a cooperative or inclusive line of thought & will yield limited results. It's important to try to understand where this line of thinking comes from. What if instead we asked, "I wonder why my horse is leaking out at the shoulder?" This line of questioning leads to unlimited results & can lead to some exciting new insights. Small steps will lead to huge leaps in understanding.