Learning to Recognize Tension: A Lesson from Horses and the Nervous System
For anyone who lives in Nova Scotia, you can appreciate just how gross the weather was today. Rainy and wind, and for anyone who has spent time in an indoor riding arena knows how loud that combination can be.
Wind and rain can create sensory overload for horses. They muffle sounds, create shifting shadows, and can trigger a horse's natural prey instincts. Knowing this, I was inclined to cancel my riding lesson with my coach. Instead, I decided it might be a good opportunity to work on managing our nervous systems and, ultimately, our confidence.
At the beginning of our ride, Penny was visibly tense. She struggled to stay focused and was distracted by every noise and creak in the arena. In response, I noticed myself becoming uneasy as well. Horses are highly sensitive animals that respond to subtle changes in body language, posture, breathing, and emotional energy. Because they rely on reading their environment for safety, Penny was likely picking up on cues from me that signaled there might be danger.
As the ride progressed, I began to notice the connection between my tension and Penny's behavior. Once I focused on regulating myself through intentional breathing and releasing physical tension, Penny started to relax.
I also realized that when Penny became tense, my first instinct was to tighten up and react. By increasing my awareness of her early signs of stress, I was better able to respond rather than react. This allowed me to support her regulation through movement, consistency, and reassurance.
Tonight's ride was a powerful reminder of the importance of recognizing tension early. Whether we are horses or humans, awareness of those first signs of stress allows us to respond more effectively before we allow tension to escalate leading to overwhelm.
Recognizing tension early can help prevent emotional exhaustion, reduce mental overload, and build greater resilience in our everyday lives. Sometimes our horses become our greatest teachers!
