What is the first thing that comes to mind if you picture a horse keeping its ears back? Do you think aggression? Pain? Doubt? In this podcast, a listener asks for advice on working with confident young horses that often keep their ears back. I outline two groups of words that I typically use to describe these horses including skeptical and focused. I also share two rules I use to keep myself safe while creating a situation that encourages the horses to have more pleasant expressions during work.