Horse psychics sometimes face a great deal of skepticism and are held to impossible expectations by skeptics. In a poor attempt at humor, I have heard the notion that “if the animal communicator can read my credit card number when I show it to my horse, only then I will give it to them!” I do understand where this mentality is coming from, and the hesitation some people carry about horse communicators. We live in a very scientifically and intellectually driven society, and when we can’t quantify certain phenomena or don’t understand it, we tend to disregard or disbelieve it.

I have long struggled to convince skeptics of my sincerity and genuine nature of animal communication. I have offered proof through anecdotal evidence, studies of psychic phenomena, government research, changes in behavior after an animal communicator has been involved, veterinary identification of unknown ailments that the animal communicator has noticed, etc, etc, etc. Always there is some loophole for the skeptics to escape through; a chance to retain their own carefully nurtured disbelief: the research was too loose, the horse communicator just used her knowledge of horses to assume the answer, anyone could guess that the mare might have a shrunken ovary, the owner probably changed her own behavior to cause a change in the animal, etc, etc, etc.

Frankly, I’m flattered that someone would hold my equine knowledge in such high esteem as to assume I could identify medical and training issues from a photograph and/or description! It used to really bother me when people would rudely invalidate and disregard my profession (I bet many lawyers feel this way too!), but I finally realized that everyone is exactly where they are, and it’s just fine for them to be there. Nothing I say or do can change their views. I no longer participate in the futile practice of trying to “prove” anything; the results speak for themselves. Yet I will mention last point that some clients have used with skeptical friends and relatives: even if all that happened was that an experienced horseperson gave you insight and advice into physical, mental, or training problems with your horse, and this advice led to solving or eliminating these problems, who really cares how it works? Isn’t that what you pay a trainer for anyway?

Now, let’s examine that credit card idea again. One of the greatest disservices we can do for our animals is to assume they are human in intelligence, emotions, and behavior. Animal communication may help you realize that your horse is much more aware than you ever realized, but this still doesn’t mean that he is a person. If you hold a credit card up for him to see, he’s probably going to spook or try to eat it. He might be able to send the horse communicator a brief image or impression of the card, like a silver square or a red, white, and blue blob, but he looks at the object as a thing, not a device that holds information. Moreover, even if he could conceptually understand what a credit card is, you would have to teach him to read and comprehend the English language before he could possibly tell me what numbers were on it. This goes for lost animals too; I can’t simply ask the dog what street he’s on because he would have no way of understanding the name, even if he is clever enough to look for a sign!

Fortunately, there are enough open minded people out there to compensate for those few stubborn skeptics. More importantly, even if your horse can’t read, the insights a horse psychic can provide about training, behavioral, or medical problems will vastly outweigh the knowledge you would ever gain from a credit card. If you would like to learn more about the science and studies behind animal communication, I highly recommend the book Dogs that know when their owners are coming home: and other unexplained powers of animals. In the mean time, get cracking with those flash cards, and I’m sure your horse will have the alphabet down in no time. Tallyho!

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Horse communicators receive questions from clients about every imaginable subject, from whether their horse was with them in a past lifetime to what saddle pad he likes best to why he keeps bucking after jumps. As I have mentioned, it is important that we don’t anthropomorphize our animals and assume they have the same thoughts and concerns that we humans do. That said, you might be surprised to hear some of their opinions! Many animals have very “physical” and mundane thoughts, but there are quite a number of horses who cogitate on a higher level, which includes emotions like vanity and pride. I recently spoke with a horse who’s greatest fear was that his graying pattern would turn ugly as he aged, and another who’s blanket-destroying tendencies were eliminated by the threat of a hideous plaid e-bay find. Those types tend to be the exception rather than the rule, but they are certainly entertaining, and often these animals have “larger than life” personalities.

Even if your horse does not have an opinion on what your show colors should be, there are many much more valuable insights that a horse psychic can offer:

Training problems:

Horses tend to acquiesce to our directions unless they do not understand, are in pain, or have a trauma around a certain subject. When you have are having repeated trouble working on a particular training matter, a horse communicator can often help alleviate, identify, and help you solve the problem by identifying the cause. Be forewarned that except in cases of utter misunderstanding, the horse psychic cannot simply “tell” your animal to do anything. After all, how many children follow their parents’ instructions? However, once you know the cause of a problem, it can be much easier to fix. This is particularly helpful when you have tried multiple solutions and still encounter resistance.

For example, if a horse is having trouble bending to the left, and different riders and saddles produce the same result, the horse psychic might discover that the horse has a rib out on that side and severe pain in her hock that prevents her from adequately stepping under. Or, if a horse simply refuses to step in the trailer, an equine communicator might find out that the horse was once in a wreck and needs both mind and bodywork before she is no longer afraid to load, or that he can’t handle getting into a dark place where he can’t see and a well illuminated entrance would solve the problem.

What not to expect: an animal communicator cannot simply fix a problem (usually) by talking with the animal. It requires effort and behavior modification on the part of the owner to see results. If your horse is bucking from an ill-fitting saddle, no amount of talking is going to make that horse stop hurting. However, if you know that the panels are pressing on her spine, you might be able to get a different saddle and have some chiropractic work done to alleviate the pain.

Pain:

Most animal communicators are able to identify and describe aches or pains that the animal is having. For example, a horse might complain about a sore hock or a stiff stifle, or comment that his saddle pinches his withers. Reputable equine communicators will not diagnose a problem – that is the job of a veterinarian – but they can often describe symptoms and placement of an issue. This can be useful in a horse who seems to have a “mystery lameness” or has trouble performing certain movements.

What not to expect: the horse is unlikely to know what undiagnosed disease or condition he might have. He may mention symptoms relating to that condition, or even know that there is a “wrongness” about his blood or organs, but he will not be able to say “I have leukemia.” (However, if he has something like EPSM that the vet has identified, he might offer that information!) This is no different from a person in some ways, as we are not able to diagnose ourselves without medical equipment and opinions. However, animals do tend to be more aware of their bodies and so might have insight that the owner or veterinarian does not. On the other hand, the symptoms alone can have multiple meanings, which is why it’s so important to have a veterinarian or health practitioner confirm or investigate the trouble. For instance, a horse may complain of painful hooves, but that could have a multitude of causes – thrush, navicular, a short trim, laminitis, abscess, etc. This is why a horse psychic will not offer to diagnose the problem but merely relay the horse’s experience.

To Be Continued.

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