Mary Ann Simonds on What Horses Notice That We Miss

What if the way we see horses is shaping everything?

As part of the Spiritual Horse Seekers Summit, this conversation with Mary Ann Simonds opens a deeper look into awareness, connection, and what it truly means to be with a horse.

Mary Ann brings decades of experience in equine psychology, welfare, and human animal interaction. She shares how horses are not just something we observe, but something we experience with. When we shift from looking at to looking with, everything changes.

From her early research in Wyoming to working with professionals across disciplines, Mary Ann invites us to question what we believe about horses. Are they partners, athletes, or something more? And how does that belief shape how we treat them?

We explore how horses respond to energy, awareness, and social connection. How much of their behavior is learned. And how often we miss what they are trying to show us because we are too focused on control instead of understanding.

This conversation is a reminder that connection is not a technique. It is something we learn to feel, to notice, and to respect.

Takeaways:

• Horses respond to awareness, energy, and presence

• Much of horse behavior is learned, not fixed

• Connection begins when we shift from control to understanding

• Every horse is different and requires a different approach

• Learning to observe with changes everything

Pause and notice. What shifts when you stop trying to figure the horse out and begin to experience what she is showing you?

Links and resources:

Website: https://www.maryannsimonds.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/equinesbynature

Book A Horse By Nature: https://www.amazon.com

Know more about Spiritual Horse Seekers Summit: https://www.theadventureparadox.com/horseseeker