Think back to when you were a child. Did you dream about what it would be like to talk to your animals? A dream that, though fun to think about, was just not possible?

Well, what if I told you it was possible? Believe it or not, you can deepen and strengthen your relationship with your horses and actually talk with them by developing your innate ability to communicate in a language they understand – a language based in love.

Although it can take years to truly master the art of animal communication, here are seven guiding principles I use in my own sessions. They help me create that heart-to-heart connection and get incredible results for both the animals and people I speak with every day.

1. Remember where you came from!

You too have the gift of telepathic animal communication. We are born with a connection to all life, but are conditioned over the years to forget this innate ability and are expected to adapt to the societal belief that talking to animals just isn’t possible.

2. Consider meditation, walks in nature and reducing distractions to find that quiet space.

Quieting the mind from all that constant chatter is crucial to hearing the voice of your horse. We typically have over 60,000 thoughts per day, so not surprisingly it’s a challenge for your horse to reach you. As with a telephone, he may be calling you but only gets a busy signal.

3. Cultivate your intuition.

There is no such thing as coincidence. For example, consider the possibility that you were called by your equine companion to visit him in a time of need or despair. We all experience telepathic moments in life. Maybe a person you were thinking about suddenly calls you; or you experience an inner knowing not to take your usual route to work, only to find out later that an accident happened on that route. How many of these “gut instincts” or feelings have proven true in your experience?

4. Learn to speak your unique dialect and capture the thought before it disappears.

Telepathic communication is vibrational communication. Animals talk through pictures, movies, an inner sense and emotions. You may see words in your mind’s eye, feel discomfort in your body or hear a voice that resembles your own. Colors are often seen and sometimes animals may appear in dreams. Their messages come to you like a butterfly kiss – light and unassuming. Pay close attention and you will be able to catch the subtle messages they send.

5. Learn to decipher the feeling of animal communication.

As humans, we can often be very intellectual. To begin talking to your horse, you need to recognize the difference between animal communication and your mind stepping in or “making things up”. Animal communication has a distinct feeling – it’s not a preconceived idea or notion, projection or imagination. Gain that true connection and you will be able to hear your horse’s voice clearly.

6. Learn to love yourself unconditionally.

Love is the language and the key to expanding your heart-to-heart connection with all species. Embracing all aspects of yourself unconditionally, including your shadow side, deepens your ability to understand, be compassionate towards others, and hear the messages from your horses and other animal companions.

7. Trust yourself.

Above all, trust yourself; by doing so, you will change your life and all those whose lives you touch. As with everything else in life, practice, practice, practice. Your horses are talking and here’s your chance to finally listen!

Anna Twinney is an international Animal Communicator, Equine Behaviorist, Natural Horsemanship Clinician, Karuna Reiki Master and Founder of Reach Out to Horses®. Working in the horse’s own language, she teaches people of all disciplines the art of creating a trustbased partnership with their horses and a love-based relationship with all animal companions. This November, Anna is running a ranch retreat at the White Stallion Ranch in Tucson, Arizona for all those wishing to learn more about animal communication; to learn more, visit reachouttohorses.com