01/05/2025
Exactly this!! Seen in the horse world, the dog world…..in many animal in the world!!
You also have to look for the absence of behaviours!
The Subtle Art of Shutting a Horse Down 😎
(Because looking calm and being okay are not the same thing)
There’s an idea floating around the horse world that needs a little caution tape. 🚧
It’s the belief that when a horse lies down during a clinic—snoring gently into the sand—it’s a sure sign of success. That they’re relaxed, trusting, and deeply at peace.
But here’s the thing: not all stillness is created equal.
It’s easy to spot an anxious horse. They’re reactive, unsettled, practically bouncing off the environment. But what about the ones that go very still? The ones who seem calm—too calm—and begin to check out completely… even to the point of lying down?
I’m not talking about a horse standing quietly. I mean that eerie kind of stillness that makes you wonder if anyone’s home. The lights are on, but the horse is mentally halfway to Narnia. 🦌
Because overwhelm doesn’t always look like movement. Sometimes, it looks like sleep. When a horse can’t run or fight, the brain takes the third option: freeze. Nervous system in low-power mode.
And yet, people often celebrate it.
“Look!” they say. “He’s lying down—he must feel safe!”
Which is a little like saying, “My child just fell asleep under the table during a shouting match. She must feel really loved and secure.”
Let’s flip it.
Imagine your child is anxious about school. She walks in, curls up on the floor, and nods off.
Do you think:
A) Wow, what a chilled-out kid.
B) That’s… not quite right. 😬
Because when horses—or humans—get overwhelmed, they sometimes switch off. Not because they’re calm, but because they resign into helplessness. It’s not healing. It’s coping.
So before you frame your horse’s nap or stillness as a breakthrough, there is a test:
👉 What happens when you ask them to do something?
Do they respond with interest and softness?
Or do they blink, brace, or go right back into tension?
Does movement bring willingness—or resistance?
Because if your horse is still struggling to engage, they might not be letting go of stress… they might just be disconnected from it.
Shutdown looks peaceful from the outside—but it isn’t the same as peace on the inside.
Let’s not confuse dissociation with progress.
Let’s not reward collapse just because it’s quieter than conflict.
Let’s aim for a horse that’s present, curious, and confident—not one that’s curled up in the sand because that’s the only option left. 🐴
We owe it to them to know the difference.
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