From anxious to resilient- Happy horses & humans

Anxiety is a common problem in the equine world.
It goes from separations anxiety in horses, trailer loading issues, anxiety in new environments, anxiety in humans after a fall, anxiety to ride with other people, anxiety at competitions, ....the list goes on.
Anxiety affects about 30% of adults at some point in their lives.

What is the definition of anxiety?
Anxiety refers to anticipation of a future concern and is more associated with muscle tension and avoidance behaviour.
Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress. Mild levels of anxiety can be beneficial in some situations. It can alert us to dangers and help us prepare and pay attention. Anxiety disorders differ from normal feelings of nervousness or anxiousness and involve excessive fear or anxiety.  

Anxiety causes avoidance:
I think a lot of us can agree, that often anxiety results in avoidance behaviour to avoid the feeling of helplessness that comes with anxiety.
We avoid loading the horse on the float and not going anywhere with our horse. We avoid riding with others. We even avoid the riding itself.
Does it make us feel better?
Most of the times not. We feel shame, guilt, doubt, punish ourselves mentally and becoming unhappy, as we are not able to fulfil our dream with our beloved equine friend, or we are full of guilt that we not spend enough time with our horse
We even think about selling the horse...

STOP!
Don't sell your horse, there is help available!
There are a many mental tools that help manage anxiety to a state where it is still useful to keep us and the horse safe, but its not restricting us anymore in fulfilling our dreams with our horses or living a more fulfilled life.
​The secret sits in the ability to downregulate the nervous system into a calm, receptive, focused and aware state. Everyone can learn that, including your horse.
A normal regulated nervous system
s balanced and constantly switching between alert state ( sympathetic: fight/flight/freeze) and relaxed state ( rest and digest) throughout every day. 
However, chronic stress can cause the nervous system to constantly staying on the edge, constantly stuck in the fight/flight mode and there is no downregulation available anymore. The system perceives threats and potential danger constantly and this becomes the new normal. 
An unbalanced nervous system makes you sick:
A system that is constantly on the edge uses a lot of energy, has a negative impact on the function of the immune system, the healing powers of the body are compromised, digestion is not functioning properly, sleep quality is affected, the ability to stay focused and learn, etc.
The whole system is out of balance and often this results in chronic fatigue, feeling of burn out, muscle and joint pain, headaches and migraines, and many more symptoms that a lot of [people are very familiar with.
Your horse has similar nervous system function ( or dysfunction) as he is a mammal too!
A horse suffering from chronic stress can develop ulcers, allergies, challenging behaviours, skin irritations, a lack of motivation to work, sleep deprivation, nutritional imbalances, and more.
BUT, there is help!
Your nervous system and your horses too, can learn to act in a balanced way again.
It just takes the right tools and some regular practise.
BB Horse Care is providing you the tools you need to regulate yourself to be able to help your horse!

Would you like to have your horse calm down quicker, after he got a little fright about a plastic bag on the ground, the dangerous edge of the arena or the scary rattling bush on your trail ride?
Would you like to stay calm when you ride in a new environment?
Would you like to be able to load your horse onto a float without getting stressed and him being relaxed and calm?

There is a good saying that says : Create the tool before you need the tool!
What does that mean in terms of ANXIEY for your horse AND yourself?
It means that you start "practise" or learn the tools (how to downregulate yourself into a calm, receptive and capable state to make good decisions for yourself and your horse) on a daily base.
10-15 min each day will help you to become calm, balanced and more resilient for the challenges in life and riding.

15min each day can change your and your horses life for the better!

This means practise every day for just a few minutes, to repeat this as many times as possible, so you can store it in your unconscious mind and have it available when a situation or trigger occurs, where you need to stay or become calm when you are riding or with your horse in general.
How much is 15min each day to get what you desire, compared to the rest of your life missing out on enjoying your horse time and your life in general? YOU need to help your horse by sorting out your own nervous system first.
You cannot expect your horse to get out of a situation of stress, anxiety, etc when you haven't taught him how! And you cannot teach him if you haven't sorted out your own nervous system first to provide an environment of safety for him to enable him to learn.

Your horse needs to learn to downregulate his nervous system to a calm, receptive and open state too when a trigger occurs ( plastic bag in the wind or on the ground 😉)

This is a very important first step!!!!

Why is the ability of self regulation important for my horse?
The most important reason is to stay healthy and happy!
Our horses are not robots and we don't want them to be robots. We want them to engage with the environment, being curious about things and let us know When something is wrong.
But we also want them to calm down again after they have been alerted by something, regulate their nervous system down to a state where we can safely continue with the stuff that we are doing with our horses.

Your horse does not need you to do the job FOR him ( to downregulate) but he needs you to create the situation/environment that ENABLES him to calm down again.
That means: If you can stay calm, focused, present and aware when your horse gets anxious about something, you provide the SAFETY he is looking for in that moment. This will help him to regulate to a more receptive state where you can actually communicate again with your horse.

A horse that is in a fight/flight/ alert state is not "listening" anymore as his whole system is in survival mode.
BUT the more experiences your horse makes with you being calm, aware, present and aware in situations he gets nervous or overwhelmed, and YOU are the safe haven , the better he can built resilience.
He experiences, he is still safe & and not in danger, when he trusts you and regulates down into a more relaxed state. The more often that happens, the stronger the pathway in the brain will become, repetition is the key.
That results in being able to calm down quicker in the future. He will still be a horse that reacts, but not a horse that OVERREACTS anymore, so more predictable for you too!

An example from the human world:
Those of you who have kids:
Think about a situation where your kid is scared, upset, worried etc. . It will help him/her if you stay calm, being there and provide safety. Right?
The kid will not calm down when you are getting upset, loud, hectic or start to cry yourself....But your kid will calm down eventually because he feels safe and cared for by you. And once he calms down you are able to talk or ask what's going on, The foundation for communication is made.

I am not a mum, but I have worked with children and their parents back in Germany as an Occupational Therapist for 20 years, so I have experienced all varieties. 🙏😉

Back to the horses and you:
Your horse relies on the herd for feeling safe, developing confidence, and long-term resilience and good learning outcomes. The herd is YOU!

BB Horse Care provides the framework for you, to regulate your own nervous system, to become the reliable and calm human your horse needs. Once you have established a state of calmness, awareness and focus you can help your horse to downregulate into calmness again no matter if on a ride on the beach, at a competition or when you load him onto a float. EVERYTHING will become easier!

YOU are the FOUNDATION for your horses ability to feel safe, learn and reach his potential!
Start your practise today with just 10-15min! You will notice a huge difference within 4-6 weeks! Dont waste any more time, but instead get into action and enjoy your horse time AND life again!

We have a few FREE videos on our YouTube channel with tools that help you regulate your nervous system.
Start your journey with an effective breathing practise! Check it out here:

BB HORSE CARE is here to help you create the connection to your horse you desire and enjoy riding again! We have online group programmes or personalized 1:1 options available! Get in touch and get your life quality and enjoyment in riding back. Just get in touch and start the change you desire.
For the welfare of horses,
Britta

Get in touch with me:
​write an email to [email protected] and start with a FREE kickstart session!