A First Level student in Animal University’s Interspecies Communication Certificate Program was recently completing an assignment required to move on to the next Level. She was having difficulty ’striking up a conversation’ with a reticent therapeutic riding horse. She felt that her questions were not compelling enough for the horse to answer and her frustration ended in thinking that her skills were not improving. She asked for some suggestions from me and here’s what I wrote to her…

Hi Terri: Wow! Those are excellent questions. I think that my suggestions would be along the same lines that you have already asked, however, here are a few to consider:

• Would you mind sharing a few things about your favorite rider
• How does he feel on your back
• Do you have suggestions to help him ride you better
• What do you feel is his most pressing issue that he wants to share with his people (I realize we are asking about the person but it does stir interest in that the horse feels he is more of an assistant than being for a passenger only)
• What’s your favorite time of day
• Do you listen to the birds
• Does the tractor bother you
• How do you feel about the folks who tend to you
• Does this responsibility meet your expectations of what you had thought your life would be
• Do you feel satisfied with your life/frustrated/stifled
• Do you spend your time in the now or do you ponder wishing you were ‘doing what you used to be doing’

I have learned that animals are like people…some prefer surface conversation while others want to get to a meatier discussion. Tailoring your questions to meet their needs and interests sometimes means being a little nosier/digging deeper to figure out what their style and interests are. It’s a little tricky, I know, but leaning on our own experience, talking with people, can give you confidence to ‘talk with animals’. 

So if you find your communication with animals a little lacking, expand your communication repertoire and ‘just talk’! You’ll be surprised how that closed dog, cat or horse will open up to your inquisitive invitation.