Is Fear Your Friend?

A study by researchers at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences suggests that fear is contagious. Linda Keeling, PhD, and colleagues devised a clever test to see if horses could pick up their handlers' nervousness. Twenty people with varying levels of horse experience were asked to walk or ride the 10 horses from point A to point B four times. The humans were told that on the fourth pass an umbrella would open (most of you realize a horse would be very likely to shy!).

Alert Horse

The umbrella did not open, but researchers measured an increase in the heart rates of both humans and horses during the fourth pass, when humans expected the umbrella to open. Researchers concluded that the increase in a human's heart rate affects the heart rate of the horse they are leading or riding. Keeling said, "In the wild, horses are adapted to respond to other animals in their group. A startle reaction is more likely when the horse is very alert." The study, "Investigating horse-human interactions: the effect of a nervous human," was published in the July 2009 issue of The Veterinary Journal. Click here to read the abstract

An umbrella is one thing, but we as humans are host to an array of fears and anxieties that our horses can't even comprehend! Both on and off of horses, our fears limit us in important ways, often sending signals to others that sabotage our conscious intentions. When fear infects the social environment, thinking becomes distorted, reactions become impulsive, and we can no longer be there for each other.

You may have already noticed that your "logical" neocortex is often not helpful when it comes to fear and anxiety (after all, the umbrella riders were logically notified in advance). It's difficult to think your way out of fears, which trigger the more ancient emotional centers in your brain (the limbic system). The sense of danger is instantly relayed to your autonomic nervous system (ANS) which operates largely underneath conscious awareness. Your stomach gets tight, your heart rate increases, your breathing becomes shallow and fast. Horses are sensitive to even the most subtle manifestations of anxiety in those around them, as this recent study shows. By limbic resonance, both horses and humans are easily infected by the emotions of others.

At HEAL, we teach integrated techniques that work with both body and mind. Horses give instant feedback to humans who practice our somatic techniques for soothing the autonomic nervous system. You will find that your body itself, when freed of unconscious fear, holds surprising wisdom about when to be cautious, how to calm others around you, which fears to listen to and how, and how to banish unhelpful beliefs that keep the fear locked in your body. Our "8 Keys to Relationship" won't give you the power to predict every situation, but it will give you a fast and flexible system for making conscious choices within every situation, and with surprising calm.

Interested in learning more? Our upcoming workshop, The Horse-Human Connection: Focus on Overcoming Fear (October 2-4, at HEAL in Chehalis, WA) will give you "8 Keys" that are powerful tools for understanding and working with horse-related fears and the more pervasive anxieties and underlying fears that affect many of us every day. There are still openings in this workshop and we welcome your inquiries!