18/10/2024
𝗙𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿-𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘂𝘀 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
I saw yet another post in a local group this morning supposedly promoting systematic desensitisation when in fact what they were doing is flooding. There is a huge need for education so that caregivers, riders and coaches understand the very crucial distinction .
I first came across titration and pendulation some years ago as part of my own on-going healing journey from trauma and complex ptsd. Ever since, this had made so much sense to me than the more frequently used systematic desensitisation and counter-conditioning.
I have also had the opportunity to deep dive into this on the EQUUSOMA course and further learning from Laura Donaldson which only emphasised for me that this is my preference when working with horses and dogs.
When systematic desensitisation and counter- conditioning are introduced too soon or if the intensity of the trigger is misjudged can lead to re-traumatisation. On the other hand with tiny drops of stress with titration the risk is greatly minimised.
Systematic desensitisation is the graded exposure to a trigger at a level the horse can cope with (Butler et al,2011, Wolpe,1950).
The aim is to maintain relaxation throughout. If your horse becomes tense go back a step to where they are calm.
Systematic desensitisation involves the following criteria:
• Distance
• Intensity (strength)
• Duration (start with seconds)
• Distraction ( layer them in one at a time)
Increase one criteria at a time. For example it you move closer (distance) then you lower intensity, duration and distraction. We need to recognise that we can still be removing agency from the horse when we use systematic desensitisation.
Counter - conditioning
Counter-conditioning is a type of classical conditioning. In this case the aim is for the horse to develop a positive or neutral response to a stimulus or situation that worries them ( positive conditioned emotional response or CER) (Bouton,2002,Dickinson & Pearce,1977). It is challenging to tell if what we are seeing is just a change in behaviour response or if the emotional response has truly changed with the behaviour.
This is frequently done by pairing the fear or anxiety provoking stimulus with something pleasant such as food or scratches.
For example a person on a bike is paired with food. However, this is not easy to apply as it requires precision and good timing. If your horse spots the bike before you then the association may be weakened .
Systematic desensitisation and counter-conditioning protocols can be long and complicated to follow.
Both can lead to flooding and potential re-traumatisation if done too soon, too quickly or at too high a level of intensity!!
If your horse has had a very frightening experience it is important that this is addressed FIRST through minimising every day stress and any veterinary treatment if required (Saur et al,2019)
👿FLOODING This is the process by which the horse is exposed to the fly spray at full intensity whilst escape is prevented. It is extremely poor for welfare, detrimental to the horse/ human relationship and unethical. DO NOT FLOOD YOUR HORSE!!
Titration and Pendulation
This way of working is more suitable if your horse is phobic or traumatised.
The goal with all horses to AVOID causing explosive BIG reactions as this worsens fear responses, erodes trust and can hinder progress. The aim is to settle the nervous system to optimise it's functioning (Levine, 1999,2010,Van der Kolk, 2014, Payne et al,2015) and allow for stress to be discharged safely.
Essentially pendulation and titration are about returning an individual to a more balanced state that allows them to calmly re-engage with the world (Levine, 2010). The process involves moving from a tiny droplet of stress or activation back to a sense of safety.
Dr Peter Levine describes pendulation as a primal restorative rhythm of contraction and expansion, that indicates to the individual experiencing the stress that does not last forever (Levine, 2010 p79) .
For example breaking stimuli down into it's sensory components drop by drop ie sound, sight, sight observing from a distance, tactile walking over different surfaces.
Working in tiny droplets makes flooding almost impossible. For example allowing your horse to observe a bike moving in the distance then move or graze or mutually groom with a friend to return to a sense of safety. This also allows for completion of the stress cycle (Schwartz, 2020).
References
Bouton, M. E. (2002). Context, ambiguity, and unlearning: sources of relapse after behavioral extinction. Biological psychiatry, 52(10), 976-98
Butler, R., Sargisson, R. J., & Elliffe, D. (2011). The efficacy of systematic desensitization for treating the separation-related problem behaviour of domestic dogs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 129(2-4), 136-145
Dickinson, A., & Pearce, J. M. (1977). Inhibitory interactions between appetitive and aversive stimuli. Psychological Bulletin, 84(4), 690.
Levine, P. A. (1997). Waking the tiger: Healing trauma: The innate capacity to transform overwhelming experiences. North Atlantic Books.
Levine, P. A. (2010). In an unspoken voice: How the body releases trauma and restores goodness. North Atlantic Books.
Payne, P., Levine, P. A., & Crane-Godreau, M. A. (2015). Somatic experiencing: using interoception and proprioception as core elements of trauma therapy. Frontiers in psychology, 93.
Sauer, F.J., Hermann, M., Ramseyer, A., Burger, D., Riemer, S. and Ge**er, V., 2019. Effects of breed, management and personality on cortisol reactivity in sport horses. Plos
one, 14(12), p.e0221794.
Schwartz, A. (2020). The complex PTSD workbook: A mind-body approach to regaining emotional control and becoming whole. Sheldon Press.
©️Jessie Sams (2023) Animal Behaviour and Trauma Recovery Service
