How to help overly alert horses
Overly alert horses tend to have lots of health issues a chronic stress wreaks havoc on their bodies. Here are some ways you can help you horse relax and rebalance his nervous system.
Being able to relax and activate the parasympathetic nervous system is important for long term health.
Modern horses, much like modern humans, are prone to chronic stress and overstimulation of the sympathetic nervous system. Although we don't necessarily face the same threats as our ancestors did (think predators attacking from behind the bush), it seems like our nervous system did not get the memo about our environment being generally safer. The same goes for our horses.
There are many horses out there that seem to be on constant alert. Their head is up, their back is down and they have a tense, worried expression on their face. Any change in their environment or routine is a big deal and once they get overly stimulated, they have a hard time calming down. Some of them react overtly, running around or nervously shuffling in place, while others might stand still like a statue with their hearts beating audibly.
These horses often have chronic muscle tension along the upper chain of muscles and are generally very stiff, both to touch and while moving. Because their nervous system sees everything as a threat, these horses sometimes don't react well to bodywork, especially the less gentle kind. They might object to being worked on and often fell even stiffer the day after. Before we can make any lasting change to their bodies, we need to first re-balance their nervous system. Here are some ways in which you can help them do just that.
These horses are very attuned to how the person next to them is feeling, so we can try calming their nervous system down by calming ourselves. Take some time to sit with your horse, performing gentle breathing exercises and meditation. Make your gaze soft, your exhales longer than your inhales and try not to let your mind wander. Don't ask anything of your horse, just be there – a calm beacon with no agenda. It might take a while for the horse to start to relax, but if you are persistent (start with 15-20 minutes a day), most horses will sooner or later respond to your calm vibe by relaxing.
If the horse constantly feels uncomfortable in his tense body, the body itself can start to feel like a threat. One way to help them is to remind them that their body can feel pleasant, too. Find a very soft brush and try finding a body part that the horse enjoys having brushed. Brush slow and gentle, and if the horse moves away, don't follow them. Some horses dislike being brushed on the body, but will relax when their mane or tail is brushed. Take some time to find something that your horse enjoys and spend time doing just that. Remember, no agenda.
Routine is the stressed horse’s best friend so make an effort to keep things as predictable as possible. You can change the routine and introduce new things as the horse starts to calm down, but in the beginning aim to make every day groundhog day. Knowing exactly what happens next calms the nervous system.
There are many more things you can do, but these three are a good start. Teaching them how to relax is important for these over vigilant horses, but it does take time and patience. The steps towards a more confident horse can seem tedious in the beginning, but trust me, they are well worth the effort.