1124. My Path to Becoming a Horse Listener

“I am out there with my young colt that I had raised from a kid and loved dearly, and I am using the same kinds of harsh training techniques from the successful trainers I was emulating in the industry. As I was using my whip to move my colt from side to side, he saw an opening, reached out and clamped his jaws on my shoulder, lifted me like a rag doll and threw me to the ground. My first thought was to discipline him harshly. All of a sudden I heard that innate voice in my mind that I wasn’t being true to myself or true to my dear horse. I stood there with my frightened and shivering colt I loved so much, who was just following his instincts trying to survive. I hugged him and cried while apologizing to both my colt and God for not following that innate voice that God gave me. That epiphany changed everything. From that moment on I walked the path of being a horse listener: horses whisper in our ears and we become listeners.”

Mark M. Hanna grew up in Inglewood, California adjacent to the Hollywood Park horse track. This is where his love of horses began and he pursued his passion to become an Arabian horse breeder and imported horses from Europe. His compassion and spiritual bond with horses led him to become “The Horse Listener.” Hanna can help people with the fundamental and proper way to be with your horse, a lifetime partnership. Hanna shares his life story in his book “The Horse Listener.”