Grounding Techniques for Equestrians

Self Grounding and Horsemanship are not two activities many people couple together. 

And I can totally see why. 

Some of the most common training principles floating around the horse world is one of human domination. Where the human takes the role of the "thought" alpha. To humans, this alpha role is typically filled with control and anger. Which are two emotions that have zero grounding needs.

An example of this is to recall every sentence you said during a very heated argument. Can you recall it all exactly? The reason your memory becomes foggy here is due to the disconnect between you actions and thoughts. This is the exact opposite of being grounded. 

However, this training principle has come with great costs. Our horses mental well-being. And one could argue the humans well being here as well. 

Horses all over the world have been showing us this is not the way, just not with their words. Behaviors and physical ailments can plague many barns and sadly the root cause isn't being addressed. 

Why is grounding so important? 

We are all aware that horses are prey animals. However, let's take a look at what that actually means for the horse. 

1. Touch: Horses have a highly sensitive sense of touch, with many nerve endings in their skin and hair. They are also able to use their whiskers to detect subtle changes in air currents, which helps them navigate their environment. Humans, on the other hand, have a less acute sense of touch compared to horses.

2. Hearing: Horses have highly sensitive ears that can move in different directions to detect sounds from all around them. They are able to hear a wider range of frequencies than humans, and can also pick up on sounds that are much farther away. 

3. Smell: Horses have a highly developed sense of smell, which they use to identify other horses, locate food, and detect potential danger. Their sense of smell is much better than that of humans, as they have a larger olfactory bulb in their brain, allowing them to process scent information more effectively.

4. Energetic: Research has shown that horses are able to detect changes in the heart rate of other horses and humans, and may use this information to assess the emotional state of those around them. For example, a horse may become more agitated if it hears an elevated heart rate in a person or horse nearby, indicating that they may be experiencing fear or anxiety.

All of these areas contribute to a horse that is living in the present moment, as that is where survival is. 

If the partnering human is not joining the horse in the present moment. There is a very likely chance that the horse will become part of a perceived part of the humans story. Here is an example: A trainer comes to the barn after a long heated argument with her significant other. The argument has been playing in the trainers mind the entire car ride over and as they retrieved the horse from the paddock. Without even saying a word of this to anyone, the horse is picking up: 

1. Visually: There is some research to suggest that horses are able to recognize human facial expressions, including angry faces. A study published in the journal Biology Letters in 2015 found that horses were able to distinguish between angry and happy facial expressions in photographs of humans.
2. Smell: Anger is a complex emotion that can elicit a range of physiological responses, including the release of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. This physioolocal response also includes increase in the human sweating. When humans sweat, they release a variety of chemicals and pheromones that can be detected by horses' sensitive noses.Research has shown that horses are able to recognize the individual scent of their human handlers and riders.
3.  Energetic/Hearing: Within the physiological responses of anger is an increased heart rate. Horses have a highly developed sense of hearing and are able to pick up on a wide range of frequencies, including low-frequency sounds like the thumping of a heartbeat. Research has shown that horses are able to detect changes in the heart rate of other horses and humans, and may use this information to assess the emotional state of those around them. For example, a horse may become more agitated if it hears an elevated heart rate in a person or horse nearby, indicating that they may be experiencing fear or anxiety.

What Does All of This Mean

• It means you horse is likely going to respond to your emotionally charged body and not to the words you are saying. 
• It means you will likely have to work twice as hard to accomplish a task
• It means your horse will have difficulty learning as they are also in a emotional response with you

Getting Grounded

Luckily, there is an easy solution.  These techniques generally require less than 5 minutes of your time, can be done anywhere and do not require fancy equipment. 

Please remember the intention of getting grounded is simply to become more present in the current moment. It does not mean that are no longer any emotions, it simply means all emotions are being based off of the present moment and not the past/future. 

And by releasing any old emotions and joining the present, you are joining your equine partner in the exact moment they are. 

When the human takes the time to get themselves grounded before partnering with their equine partners, everyone wins. 

3 Easy Grounding Techniques

Shifting Back

This is my favorite technique and one I use everyday (even at the grocery store!) 

In case you haven't noticed, we humans like to rush. We are constantly rushing from one activity to the next. 

Now think of your body as you are rushing. Notice how your body is naturally inclined to shift into a forward lean as you even think about rushing. This subtle shift is just enough to tell you nervous system there is a reason to be rushing!! This creates a negative feedback loop of you rushing and your nervous system supporting this with increased heart rate and release of stress hormones. 

You can stop this entire loop by simply shifting back onto your heels, taking the weight off of the balls of your feet. You may need a moment to regain your balance and re-adjust your center of gravity. But once you do, you will notice a sense of calm take over. I even notice I can take deeper breaths here, and my shoulders relax. 

If you are seated, simply shift yourself back, allow you back to actually feel the backrest of your chair. Once you feel yourself shift back, take in some nice deep breaths. 

4:8 Breathing with Sigh

Inhale for a count of 4 through your nose. Then exhale through your mouth for a count of 8 with an audible sigh. 

By inhaling through you nose, you are telling your nervous system that there is no need to rush. You are doubling down on this message by extending your exhale and sighing. The sighing is a vital component as it helps reset the tone in your vagus nerve. 

Finger Tip Meditation

Peace - Begins - With - Me

Start by joining your thumb and pointer finger, then progress your thumb to your middle finger, followed by your ring finger and pinky. With each finger repeat the word:

Pointer finger - Peace

Middle finger - Begins

Ring finger - with 

Pinky finger - Me

This is a techinque that I learned from the author Gabby Bernstein and use it almost daily. It is a powerful reminder that we are responsible for peace we feel in any given moment.  

I hope that these simple grounding techniques help you and your equine partner. Please let us know how it goes! 

Let's heal together.

Peace & Love

Melissa