Connie Colfox Young Horse Specialist. "How does your horse Really feel"

15/06/2025

The great thing about training with autonomy and using rewards is that the horses really want to solve the problems to get the reward.

In this case although this horse came as a horse who couldn’t be sat on. With associating me with something that makes him feel good he has worked out how to receive his reward. I have not taught him to swing his quarters around or to back up. He just knows if he positions himself so I can get on he will receive a reward. I deliberately don’t ask him over. I don’t want any urgency, he also has access to the same food I am using scattered around the arena as I don’t want him desperate to come to me for the food as that can feel uncomfortable to him too

This is a very different way for a horse to learn than being pressurised to give a behaviour and it will have a very different emotion behind it

If you want to join me on the next course it starts on the 8th July. I help people who are stuck with their horses. They might be having difficulties starting them or maybe you are riding but find the experience scary because your horse isn’t relaxed. It could be they are nappy or bad in traffic. Or you just want to learn to train using food and don’t want to fall in the trap of muggy horses throwing behaviours at you.

I have 43 years experience starting and retraining horses. Over 20 years of these using positive reinforcement.

Book a call if you want to chat. This course isn’t for everyone, it takes dedication and hard work it’s not a quick fix but it could change you and your horses life

https://link.conniecolfox.com/widget/bookings/2025callwithconnie

07/06/2025

Horses in training bronking/bucking/rearing, whose fault is this?

Our fault everytime.

It’s so easy to be lured by click bait and this is what I am doing here.

I am showing a distressed horse followed by a less distressed horse.

Often it’s a distressed horse followed by a shut down horse.

If you see over dramatic behaviour in training you’ve got to think where has that come from.

In this case from me. my mistake and the horse suffers a survival reaction.

I’m human and fallible and try my best and I want to help people and horses from my experiences of starting and retraining horses for over 40 years.

I am not bulletproof proof I can’t solve every problem (you’ve got to worry if anyone says they can), but I can systematically try and help horses feel safe so we can ride them without too much drama.

If you want to learn what I do jump on a call on the link below. I can’t give you 40 years experience.

I can help guide you to see more than maybe you do now. Give you a way forward in a way that I have the horses best interests at heart

https://link.conniecolfox.com/widget/bookings/2025callwithconnie

02/06/2025

It was a leap into the unknown helping people with their horses on a video call. I am amazed with the results.

Here is Ellie with Nixie who wasn’t able to go show jumping due to loading issues. All she needed was a one video call and a follow up what’s app to achieve a great result.

If you are wanting to learn how to incorporate positive reinforcement into your training it might be worth having a free chat

I have trained horses using positive reinforcement for over 20 years. I am trying to help people help their horses to feel ok or better still good with what we are asking them to do. Then there is no need for drama.

If you are watching training videos of horses in distress with trainers escalating that distress you might think that’s not the direction you want to go in. If you want to learn more book a chat in the link below

https://link.conniecolfox.com/widget/bookings/2025callwithconnie

29/05/2025

If you are a breeder PLEASE watch this

By trade I am a starter of young and “problem”horses

I also dabble in breeding. I’ve raised over 100 foals Not big time but enough foals to understand a little

I wean all my foals by taking one mare away at a time and this video is after a mare has been taken away from her offspring

Shock horror I didn’t wean him until he was 2 years old. I normally wean a little earlier. Sometimes at 6 months depends on the individual circumstance. This guy was ill as a foal so I thought he needed more of mothers care

Back to the horse training. I have soooo many horses sent to me suffering from separation distress. This is often created by stressing offspring at weaning. This is how all my young stock behave at weaning. When mum goes they have so many other good solid relationships they often don’t raise their heads from grazing

I also see grandmothers scooping them up as if they are their own. I often have a mare who ends up suckling a youngster whose mother has gone.

Horses are so similar to us in many ways.

24/05/2025

This guy was quite a stressed horse whether he is stabled in the field or in training. I am taking measures to find out if there are underlying causes to the stress but over time he is gaining confidence in his environment and the training

This is a bit of a rubbish video as the filming is not great but it is a good example of how he can feel when I approach him. To me the most important feeling I want from my horses is that they feel safe in my presence. This video shows that he can relax with me around

If you want any free training advice then do ring for a chat. (Link below).

https://link.conniecolfox.com/widget/bookings/2025callwithconnie

I am hoping with the experience I have gained with over 40 years in training “troubled” horses 20 of those using positive reinforcement I can help people who are in a fix with their horse and don’t know where to turn.

21/05/2025

I know bu**er all about the vagus nerve but I do know that sadly quick fixes rarely work and if they do they are often at the expense of some thing important

🧠🐴 Your Horse Isn’t Spooking—He Just Needs a Vagus Nerve Reboot (Apparently)

A fake ad, a real problem, and why people fall for this stuff

Have you ever scrolled past an ad that promises to “heal” your horse’s nervous system with nothing but a 10-minute-a-day ritual and a printable checklist? 😵‍💫 You’re not alone.
Welcome to the bizarre world of vagus nerve pseudoscience, where behaviour is pathologised, science is word-sprinkled like fairy dust, and actual training is replaced with chakra-informed coat brushing.

This post is a satirical takedown of that exact kind of ad. It’s cheeky. It’s funny. But underneath, there’s a real message:
✨ If you're struggling with your horse, you don’t need a mystical nervous system exorcism—you need clarity, skill, and support. ✨

So let’s begin with the ad that could exist—but really, really shouldn’t…

🤯 The Fake Ad

You there—with the slightly sweaty saddle pad and the horse who spins like a blender at the sight of the hedge at the end of the arena—put down the lunge line. Step away from the groundwork.
You’ve been doing it all wrong.

Training? Pfft. That’s so 2005.
Welcome to the future: Vagus Nerve Healing for Horses.
Because clearly, your horse isn’t ignoring your cues—he’s just neurologically dysregulated. 🌀

Cue the triumphant entrance of the printable 14-Day Vagus Nerve Reboot for Horses.
It’s not training.
It’s not pressure.
It’s not even work.
It’s healing.
(Just 10 minutes a day. Results guaranteed.)
(Assuming you redefine “results” as “slightly calmer standing around.”)

🚩 The Symptoms of a Horse Crying Out for a Nervous System Intervention?

Spooking at shadows 👻
Calling out to friends like a teenager left on read 📱
Moving when you want mounting 🚫🪜
Tail swishing like a runway model in a huff 💃
Occasionally, gasp, not doing what you asked 😱
Clearly, not behavioural. Not environmental. Not management-related.
Medical.
A classic case of… vagal disarray. 🫠

Because if your horse doesn’t park at the mounting block, it must be his parasympathetic system short-circuiting, right?

🌬️ It’s Not Training—It’s Trauma-Informed Nervous System Alchemy!

You’ll be relieved to know this isn’t groundwork.
There’s no teaching.
No timing.
No understanding of equine behaviour, biomechanics, or learning theory required. 🙈

Just:

Breathe near the withers 😮‍💨
Trace an invisible spiral over the SI joint 🌀
Whisper your intentions toward the spleen 🗣️🫀
And print it all out, because nothing says “equine neuro-healing” like an A4 colour-coded checklist 🖨️

💸 Why This Works (For the Seller)

Let’s pause the satire for a second. Here’s how this sleight of hand works:

🔹 It offers emotional relief to owners:
If your horse’s behaviour is caused by a nerve, not your choices, you’re off the hook.

🔹 It hijacks scientific language to justify inaction:
“Science-backed.” “Regulate the vagus.” “Nervous system healing.”
It sounds profound.
It means very little.

🔹 It sells simplicity over substance:
Training is hard. Learning is slow.
But a printable vagus nerve ritual? Now that sells.

🔹 It moralises the method:
This isn’t just better.
It’s kinder.
More enlightened. 🧘
More compassionate.
(And conveniently, requires no uncomfortable skill-building.)

🌍 Meanwhile, in the Real World…

You still have a horse who:

- Spooks because they’re unprepared
- Calls out because their herding instinct has been triggered as they feel threatened and alone
- Won’t stand still because you never taught them how to… and they’re feeling pressured and triggered to move
- No amount of nasal humming, belly tapping, or chakra colour coordination is going to substitute for actual training. 🙃

What your horse really needs is:

💡 Understanding
🛠️ Skill
🧭 Consistency
🧠 Thoughtful exposure
🧍‍♀️ A human who knows the difference between nervous system buzzwords and actual nervous system NEEDS 🧠‼️

Read that again.

Let it sink in.
➡️🧍‍♀️ A human who knows the difference between nervous system buzzwords and actual nervous system NEEDS.⬅️

⬆️That’s the whole point.

🧠 Final Diagnosis: Projection Disorder, Human-Origin

Let’s be honest:
You’re not connecting with your horse’s vagus nerve.
You’re connecting with your own yearning for certainty, healing, and easy answers—packaged in a downloadable PDF. 📎

And someone has figured out how to monetise your insecurity and wrap it in a beige Canva template. 🎨

So before you rebrand your horse’s behaviour as a cry for polyvagal somatic vibrational recalibration…

Maybe ask:

- Does this align with what we understand about how horses learn? 🤔
- Does it create measurable improvement? 📊
- Or does it just feel emotionally safe while doing absolutely bu**er all? 🫥

💪✨ Real Calm Comes From Real Skills

The good news?
You can learn how to help your horse—with the right thoughtful support, clear guidance, and a no-nonsense approach to behaviour and training (there are lots of good trainers out there and some of them will comment on this post😉). 👣🐴

And here’s a fun little bonus:
As you grow more competent and confident, your vagus nerve will thank you too. 💞🧠
Because you feeling grounded is good for both of you.

🔁 If This Tickled Your Fancy...

…made you laugh, made you think, or made you feel a tiny bit seen 👀—hit the share button.

Not to copy and paste. Not to guilt or shame.
But to help more people recognise the difference between:

✨ Building skills that help horses
🆚
🌀 Magical promises that trigger cognitive dissonance at best and do absolutely nothing at worst.

Let’s spread support, not soft-sell sorcery.

📝 Satire Disclaimer (aka Please Don’t @ Me)

This piece is satire.
It’s a fake ad. It’s a real issue. And it’s a fun way to get you thinking. 🧠✨
It’s not aimed at any specific person, product, or program—except the imaginary one I made up. 😇

I am not dismissing the importance of the vagus nerve—it’s a fascinating and crucial part of both human and equine biology.
But if you don’t stop making your horse feel threatened, confused, or unsafe, you’ve got bu**er all chance of switching on any calming response, let alone their parasympathetic system. 🚫🧘‍♂️

If it made you laugh and reflect, mission accomplished.
If it made you a little uncomfortable... well, maybe lean into that.
Discomfort can be a sign you’re on the edge of learning something brilliant. 😉

Now go hug your horse (or don’t—depending on their consent and vagal tone 😏).

16/05/2025

Stallion Josh was a bit h***y yesterday and thought he could behave like a teenager

I have told him it’s not acceptable and if he decides to go off and say hello to the mare behind him he will get a tug on the rope so he is standing to attention saying he promises he will be good.

I don’t have to nag him or get over excited about his behaviour just give him clarity that there is no s*x coz he’s British. Xx