What if your horse isn’t being difficult…What if they’re trying to speak? Giving Horses a Voice is a podcast for horse owners, trainers, therapists, and seekers who suspect there’s more happening beneath behavior — and want to understand it clearly, practically, and without mysticism or gimmicks. Hosted by Sharon Wilsie, author of the Horse Speak book series and founder of the READI® framework (Regulated Equine Atonement for Dynamic Interaction), this podcast explores the missing link between traditional training and true relational communication. Sharon shares: • How horses actually communicate through micro-gestures • What regulation really means (and how to recognize it) • Why “feel” isn’t magic — it’s observable • How maternal care messages shape equine safety • What happens when humans learn to slow down enough to see This isn’t about whispering. It’s not about dominance. It’s not about anthropomorphism. It’s about learning to observe what has always been there. With over a decade of field research, international clinics, neurobiological study including HRV research, and thousands of horses observed, Sharon brings both grounded science and lived experience to conversations that feel intimate, honest, and practical. Each episode invites you to: • Question what you’ve been taught • Trust what you’ve sensed • And reclaim your own lived experience with your horse You don’t need to believe anything. Just be willing to look. Because when we give horses a voice, we often find our own.
Curated by: Sharon Wilsie (14 videos)
In this episode, Sharon Wilsie answers a common question: Is Horse Speak® the same as animal communication or telepathy? The answer is no. Horse Speak® is not about psychic or telepathic connection—it is a system of observing and understanding the horse’s physical, nonverbal language, especially through micro-gestures in the face and body. Sharon shares how horses use their lips, nostrils, chin, and overall posture to express emotional states in real time. From tight, tense mouths that signal discomfort or resistance, to soft, wiggly lips that invite connection, these expressions form a repeatable and readable communication system. Drawing from her work with students at Landmark College, Sharon explains how learning to read horse facial expressions helped students—especially those who struggled with human social cues—develop clarity and confidence in communication. Unlike humans, horses do not mask their expressions or layer communication with conflicting signals like sarcasm, making them easier to read when you know what to look for. The episode also introduces the relationship between: • X posture (alert, tense, potentially reactive) • O posture (relaxed, regulated, safe) • And the facial expressions that match each state By observing both posture and facial nuance together, students and handlers were able to: • Assess emotional states more accurately • Make safer, more informed decisions • Identify early signs of distress—or even physical issues like illness • Support horses in shifting from tension (X) into relaxation (O) Ultimately, this work shifts the question from: “What is the horse doing?” to: “What is the horse experiencing?” Because when we stop projecting and start observing, the horse’s story becomes clear. 🔑 Key Takeaways • Horse Speak® is a nonverbal, observable language, not telepathy • Horses communicate through facial micro-gestures and posture patterns • X and O postures, combined with facial expression, create a simple but powerful communication map • Horses offer honest, congruent signals, unlike human mixed messaging • Learning to see clearly reduces projection and improves safety, connection, and relationship