11/27/2025
Since we are all slowing down a bit with this EHV-1 equine virus circulating in Alberta, and many barns are choosing to reduce travel and clinics, I thought I would share something to explore while you are spending more time at home with your horses.
Update: This post is now Part 1 of a 2 part series. I didn’t expect it to turn into something bigger, but I love that so many of you are interested in this.
I have been diving into Polyvagal Theory, discovered by Dr. Stephen Porges, and it has given language to things I have felt in horsemanship for years. I am not a scientist, nor am I pretending to be one. This is simply my understanding of the theory and how it has helped me make sense of horses and myself a little better. Take what resonates and leave the rest.💕
Polyvagal Theory talks about how our nervous system moves through different states depending on how safe or pressured we feel. What I find fascinating is how similar this is between humans and horses. Our nervous systems are built much the same way. We both move through what some refer to as the green, yellow, and red zones.
🟢Green is the “woosah” zone… and yes, in my clinics I literally say that and get people to laugh. In green, we feel grounded, connected, breathing, and present. For humans, it looks like relaxed shoulders, soft eyes, breathing, curiosity, and the ability to think. For horses, it looks like a natural headset, soft eye, breathing, rhythmic steps, blinking, licking, chewing, and the willingness to learn. This is where true connection and softness live.
But here is the thing…we do not stay in green the entire time we are learning. We have to visit yellow.
🟡Yellow is the “I’m processing this” zone. It is not bad. It is not wrong. It is simply where something new feels a little stretchy. For humans, it can feel like heightened focus, faster breathing, tension through the jaw, that fluttery stomach feeling, or the brain saying, “Oh boy, this is new.” For horses, it may look like the head raising, a change in breathing, pausing, sticky feet, a surge of energy, or a playful kick-out as they move pressure around and try to understand what is being asked. Sometimes they are a little unsure, sometimes defensive, and sometimes simply experimenting with what releases pressure. It is not always fear, sometimes it is “I don’t know yet, but I’m trying.”
And yes, there is a whole spectrum here. I personally believe there might be shades of orange between yellow and red. Those moments where things can tip one way or the other, depending on how supported the horse (or human) feels.
🔴Red is survival mode. This is where the thinking brain shuts off and instinct takes over. For humans, this can look like panic, tunnel vision, freezing, yelling, or wanting to run away. For horses, it can look like bolting, rearing, bracing, shutting down, or doing whatever it takes to escape pressure. This is not a horse being bad. This is a horse saying, “I don’t feel safe, and I need out now.”
I have lived a version of this shift myself. Years ago, my then-boyfriend, now husband, took me to a pool kayaking session. I'm not a strong swimmer, and not a fan of being underwater. I had no idea the kayak was about to flip. One moment I was floating, the next I was upside down underwater, no clue how to pull the skirt, and completely convinced I was going to die.🛶
What was probably three or four seconds upside down, felt like a lifetime. I went from green to red in a heartbeat and I would not get back in a kayak for 16 years. That is what red felt like for me, the nervous system remembers.
Horses experience moments like this too. Think of a horse being loaded into a trailer without proper preparation, hitting their head, feeling trapped, flying out backwards, or being pressured beyond understanding. They may decide trailers equal death, and without rebuilding trust, it can take a long time to undo that moment.
Here is where it gets interesting. The goal is not to avoid yellow forever. The goal is to visit yellow, learn something new, and then come back to green. That is where the try becomes confidence. We cannot learn while shut down in red, and we cannot grow if we never leave green.
So here is something to try the next time you work with your horse:
Notice when your horse is in green.
Notice when they move into yellow.
Notice if they slip into orange or red.
And what tools do you have to bring them back to green?
For horses, this might look like:
pauses
breathing
movement- sometimes moving the feet to free the brace.
lowering the head
slowing the feet to slow the mind, clarity and consistency
release, and meaningful pets.
🪞Now flip the mirror.
What tools do you have to bring yourself back to green?
Because your nervous system affects theirs. If we can recognize our own colours, we can start supporting ourselves before asking our horses to follow. Breathing exercises, singing, softening the jaw, relaxing the shoulders, grounding your feet, even taking a moment to reset. There are countless tools available, and a simple Google search will give you more than enough to try.
We are not trying to avoid yellow.
We are trying to turn our yellows green.
Our nervous system can affect our horses. Young, green, anxious, or highly sensitive ones, will require you to hold more space for them. Experienced, and confident horses who have seen the world may hold more space for your nervous system, and a less experienced rider.
This is all simply food for thought while we are in this odd pause, and winter in Alberta’s horse world. It is not about mastering science. It is about understanding what you and your horse are communicating long before undesirable behaviour shows up.
Because at the end of the day, green is where connection lives. Yellow is where growth can happen. Red is where we can lose each other. It’s less about avoiding the hard moments and more about learning to travel through the colours and return to green with a little more confidence each time.
And…. “ WOOSAH!”✨️💫🤣
Photo Credit: Layton Photography
She captured a raw moment of my mare Denali beautifully. 💕
