The importance Of Co-regulation In Supporting A Nervous Horse: An example using the Trust Technique

Eli and I have a good look out at his new environment as heavy rain makes a loud noise on the roof. Notice that the rope I am holding on to is full of slack. I am not restricting Eli from moving. I am also matching his energy level and looking at what he is looking at.

Co-regulation is a way for a horse owner to help support a horse who is nervous about his environment or situation or to help a horse who is stuck in a long-term response to trauma. To co-regulate in a calming way with a horse who is nervous or traumatized, an owner or caregiver pays close attention to the shifting emotional and physiological cues of the horse while also regulating their own emotional state.

The caregiver must be attuned to the moment-to-moment regulatory needs of the horse as it reacts to its environment. This means that the caregiver will not only pick up on the horse’s emotional state and energy level but will also match it and, when appropriate, help to down-regulate the horse’s emotional state by bringing down their own thinking levels, thus inviting the horse to calm down with them.

The Trust Technique provides a beautiful set of tools to help co-regulate a nervous horse. The Trust Technique practitioner oscillates between holding a space in the present moment and mindfully regarding the horse. Below is a photo essay of me assisting a horse named Eli with the Trust Technique. Eli goes from anxious to calm in a brand new environment in which he has just arrived as heavy rain pelts the metal roof of the shed we are standing in.

The last photo in the series shows the difference in Eli as his owner is being taught how to help him using the Trust Technique. The feeling is almost always stronger when the owner or regular caregiver is doing the co-regulation, as the horse already has a certain level of trust and connection built up with them.

To learn more about the Trust Technique and the services I offer, please visit my website: www.consideringanimals.com/the-trust-technique.html

Also, there is a wonderful free video series called the Messages Of Trust, which can be watched for free at the Trust Technique’s home website: https://trust-technique.com/product/messages-of-trust/tt/316/

Here I am mindfully regarding Eli as he listens to the rain hitting the roof. Note the high neck, tight muzzle and frozen looking eye. I wish we had had a better fitting halter on Eli as it is not sitting well and could possibly be adding to his concerns. I should have fixed this at the very beginning. There were no holes left for an easy fix but we did eventually tie the top with some baling string.

Here Eli is picking up on the feeling I am offering him by holding space in the present moment. The sign that he is feeling my feeling is his low head, soft eye and the licking.

A good sign that Eli is coming down a bit and relaxing some is this nice yawn release. Coming to a new environment is stressful. Horses yawn as a way to dump some of their stress.

Here I have gone back to holding space in the present moment. Eli is feeling the feeling and he is feeling a little sleepy but still holding a lot of tension in his, neck, body and muzzle, as he is still concerned about this new environment.

Here Eli is feeling the need to move as some of his unpeace comes to the surface. I am allowing him to move around me and I am mindfully regarding him as he does.

Eli has stepped forward again and is looking at something in the distance. I am watching him, his reactions and his emotional state while also looking at what he is looking at. The fact that our state of alertness is matched is intentional and comes from me picking up on his energy level with my whole being.

Eli feeling itchy. Unpeace often come to the surface through itchiness.

Eli rubs on me as some more unpeace comes to the surface. He only did the one rub. If he had kept trying I would have stepped back along his body to stay out of his reach.

Pawing is another way that the unpeace sometimes comes to the surface. Here Eli makes a halfhearted little paw. He is actually starting to relax down a fair bit. His eye is soft and his neck has released a lot of tension.

Eli has heard a new noise of concern and has come up to a rather drowsy, alert posture which I am matching in my own posture as I am super focused on him.

Eli puffs out a huge sigh and...

...and licks as he comes back down from his startle.

Eli and I come back down into the present moment together

But, just as we are relaxing together he needs one more look out. Note how much softer his eye, neck and body are than the start.

Now we are both growing a lot calmer together. The new environment is not as scary as it was.

With Eli's owner Mary Ann doing the present moment and mindful regard with Eli, he has fallen asleep. Animals almost always come down better with their main caregiver as they already have familiarity and some connection and trust built up between them.