As prey animals, horses have a set of skills that allows them to see things we, as predators, are unaware of. We live through our emotions, our feelings, and our beliefs, and most of them are transparent to us - but not to the horses! And that is exactly why horses are such effective coaches and teachers. They see right through our BS. When we try to hide our true emotions, expectations, and intentions, they notice our incoherent state, and that puzzles them. To the horse it means that something is off and potentially unsafe. The result is that their sympathetic nervous system is activated, and they will be on high alert and keep their distance.