Photo by Lola Delabays (edited)
You’re a famous horse-trainer with an excellent reputation and many years of experience. You have a waiting list. Horse owners love you. They admire the way horses listen to you, the way you are able to tame problem horses. They are happy with the performance of their horses after you’ve trained them. There have been documentaries about your work, and you’ve written a book. You speak at conferences. You talk about how horses have taught you patience and perseverance. You are invited to open show-jumping events, and you train other trainers.
But what if you could get feedback from actual horses in clearly articulated human words? What if you learned via someone who works differently with horses that under special circumstances, horses can speak — and that they’re saying they despise your methods, and wish no other horses would ever be exposed to such training again?
Would your first impulse be to discredit this other person? Would you talk about them in your next radio interview, saying how silly they are? Or would you want to hear it for yourself, straight from the horse’s mouth?