Inside Track Training, LLC

12/04/2025

So I read this and immediately started thinking how it pertained to our relationship with horses. I crossed out a few that had a lot of room for interpretation, but I think the rest ring true!

11/30/2025

Don’t make it harder than it is!!!!!
Shoulder in is pretty new for this student, and this is her first time on this horse (who is lovely but NOT easy!)
When students first learn a new movement it feels like A LOT!! “Sit to the inside, drop left seat bone, turn shoulders, but keep hips straight, outside rein against the neck, inside hand open, but not too much, time your left leg with the horse’s inside hind,….” IT’S A LOT!!

Often I see students “get it”, but then…..
Suddenly, the student starts doing weird s**t! 😱
They lean, they twist, and they over exaggerate every instruction I’ve ever given them!!!!
Nooooooooo.
WHHHHHYYYYYYYY?!???!??

I know why - it’s because when they first learned the movement: when they first learned to step into one stirrup and do a little spinal rotation to match their shoulders with the horse’s, shoulders, and their hips with the horse’s hips, and put their hands in the right spot,….. It felt hard!!! Initially it felt like a contortion. It’s not that these movements are ever big, but in the beginning, they felt very foreign!!!
➡️ Once the student gets used to the position it feels WAY TOO EASY!!!!!!
They remember when it felt so difficult and they are trying to match that feeling again because they can’t believe that in just two or three rides, it went from feeling almost impossible, to feeling second nature. So they exaggerate their body until it feels uncomfortable again. 🙈

This student had it in her head that shoulder is difficult! And so, she was trying to make it feel difficult. All I told her was to sit back and stop exaggerating…. I think at one point I said “just sit there!” (and if I didn’t say it to her, I’ve definitely said it to many other students. Lol.) But anyways, the second picture was only a few steps later.

My job now is to teach her that once she knows the mechanics of shoulder in, it should honestly feel effortless!!
She no longer has to shove her body into some weird foreign position. Her body KNOWS shoulder in position now! It’s no longer foreign. It’s no longer hard. A couple more lessons and she won’t even have to think about where her parts go… it will just be easy! ❤️❤️❤️

11/30/2025

11/30/2025

No new cases even from those that had direct contact with the positive case and we are past the 21-day incubation. 👏👏👏

11/29/2025

It’s a long read but a great read!

This is NOT anthropomorphism - it’s mammalian neuroscience. To be clear.

Most horse people have heard the term trigger stacking, but few truly understand what’s happening inside the horse’s body when it occurs. And fewer realise that humans experience the exact same nervous-system process.

This is not “treating horses like humans.” This is a biological truth.
Horses and humans share the same basic mammalian nervous system:

• sympathetic (fight/flight)
• parasympathetic (rest/digest)
• vagus nerve
• thresholds
• stress hormones
• startle responses

So comparing the experience is not only valid but it helps people understand, relate, and develop compassion.

So let us look at YOU the human reading this:

Think of a day like this:

• didn’t sleep well
• you’re running late
• the kids are shouting
• you stub your toe
• your phone keeps pinging
• someone snaps at you
• you’re worried about money
• the traffic is heavy
• you spill your coffee

You hold it together… until someone asks something tiny of you:

“Can you just... ?”

And suddenly you:

• snap
• cry
• shut down
• withdraw
• feel overwhelmed
• can’t cope
• overreact to something small

People think it was “the last thing.” But you know it wasn’t.
It was everything before it that pushed you past threshold.

This is trigger stacking.

And your reaction was NOT a meltdown, or disobedience, or manipulation. It was your nervous system saying:

“I cannot take one more demand.” and guess what friends? Horses are no different. Not because they are human like but because we share the same biological wiring. Isn't that just fascinating to comprehend?

Now, lets translate that from a horse's perspective...

A horse’s day might look like:

• didn’t sleep lying down
• herd tension
• flies irritating
• heat or humidity
• slight hoof discomfort
• a loud noise earlier
• a new horse on the farm
• a human arriving stressed
• pressure from the halter
• the saddle pinching
• uncertainty about what’s coming next

None of these alone may cause a big reaction. But inside the body, each one is adding sympathetic charge and slowly building on top of eachother stacking and stacking...

• small adrenaline spikes
• cortisol accumulation
• reduction in vagal tone
• increased muscle tension
• faster startle reflex
• sensory overload
• hypervigilance

Just like a human, the horse’s system is slowly filling the bucket.
Then the final moment happens when it all becomes too much:

• “Walk on.”
• “Just stand still.”
• “One more try.”
• someone closes a gate too loudly
• a bird takes off
• a leaf rustles
• your energy spikes

And the horse:

• spooks
• bolts
• balks
• bucks
• freezes
• shuts down
• refuses

People say, UGH “That came out of nowhere.” But it didn’t. It really did not. It came from every single moment that added to the stack.... Just like you.

This is NOT humanising horses. It is recognising shared mammalian reality.

When horses (and humans) experience multiple stressors, the same biological cascade happens:

• sympathetic activation rises
• cortisol stays elevated
• heart-rate variability decreases
• prefrontal cortex (thinking brain) goes offline
• limbic system (survival brain) takes over
• proprioception changes
• muscles brace
• breath shortens
• tolerance shrinks

This is why neither horse nor human can “think clearly” once the stack is high.

Neither is “naughty.”
Neither is “difficult.”
Neither is “dramatic.”

Both are overwhelmed. Let us please see it for what it is, in eachother and in horses.

And this is not anthropomorphising. Anthropomorphism is actually giving horses human thoughts, motives, or stories. This is different.

This is comparing shared physiology:

✓ We both have amygdalas
✓ We both have vagus nerves
✓ We both produce cortisol + adrenaline
✓ We both have startle reflexes
✓ We both have thresholds
✓ We both get overwhelmed
✓ We both shut down when we exceed capacity

This isn’t “treating horses like humans.” It’s understanding horses better by recognising what is universal to all mammals. You have lived through trigger stacking. You know what it feels like.

So when you see a horse “explode,” or “go blank,” or “overreact,” or “say no” - instead of judging, you understand.

You feel compassion. You soften. You respond differently.

This is why relating horse and human nervous systems is not anthropomorphism - it’s empathy rooted in biology.

How do we support our horses through trigger stacking?
Preventing the stack means supporting the nervous system:

Environmental

• herd stability
• forage
• movement
• predictable routine

Physical

• pain checks
• saddle fit
• hoof care
• vet care
• bodywork

Relational

• clear, consistent boundaries
• choice
• slowing down
• not pushing past threshold

Co-regulation

• you regulate first
• stable breath
• soft intention
• calm posture
• reading early signs

You are either lowering the stack… or unintentionally adding to it.

Horses don’t “react out of nowhere.” They react when their system can no longer cope, the same way you do.

When you realise this, everything shifts:

• behaviour becomes communication
• resistance becomes protection
• “naughty” becomes overwhelmed
• training becomes partnership
• pressure becomes patience
• correction becomes compassion

And the horse softens - not because they’re forced to… but because they finally feel safe. Just like you do when someone holds space for you, stays regulated when you can’t, listens without judgment, and meets you with gentleness instead of pressure.

We are not so different when it comes to how we feel things in our bodies. Meet the horse the way you would want to be met. ❤️

11/26/2025

New Horses Owners we were all there at one time yet often people judge rather than offer a helping hand
We all get things wrong, worry about not knowing, and often when we have been on a journey of learning we forget to give grace to those who are travelling the same path at a different time.

We often forget that there is always a whole new world that is opening to someone owning a horse for the first time, knowledge we take for granted is often new for someone else

I do not know about you but I can remember learning bandaging a tail for the first time and even struggling to wrap it up the correct way so the next time we used it, it unrolled correctly, I also learned at a time when we were still using needle and thread to put plaits in and elastic bands were frowned upon

And yes there are new things now but still having a basic knowledge of how to do things when all is calm is often knowledge that is remembered when an emergency hits, learning to apply a poultice to a foot is much easier when a horse is not in pain than trying to learn when a horse is reluctant to give you his foot due to a painful abscess

Learning the normal temperature, respiration and pulse of the horse is crucial as often you might have to check the temp if it is late at night and your vet may want to know as they cannot be there due to another emergency, but how many people may take temp without knowing to hold tight due to the action of a sphincter muscle or to place the probe slightly off centre as not to take the temp of faeces' rather than the body, or taking the pulse and knowing you can compress the artery against a bone to feel the beat and that will guide you as to where you can take it and a simple thing like do not place your thumb on the area or else you are feeling your own pulse and yes I know it may sound mudane to a more experienced person but we have all had to be corrected at some point

What brushes are used where and how, we all have raised our eyebrows at someone using a curry comb on the horses face yet who comes across and helps the new owner and show them their horse wincing at every stroke, we only know what we know and often new owners feel stupid or have worries about who do they ask but we all have been there at some point

Having the basic understanding of how tack fits is crucial for your horse's well-being, we often spend thousands on a saddle without considering how important girth and bridle fit is,

Having basic first aid knowledge for your horse is often the catalyst in how you react in an emergency or even to know whether it’s a vet call or can you handle it, I think there is not one horse owner that has seen their horse having choke and ringing the vet in a panic having a meltdown despite the vet reassuring you and only to find the horse is fine by the time the vet comes

Feed according to work, weight, age, etc

Behaviour and how to be safe in a situation where you once calm horse may be behaving out of character, complacency often leads to owner injury, so simple things like tying your horse up while applying a poultice may save you from getting knocked over if the horse moves, or having a competent handler who is aware of both you and your horses safety

Listen I am the most calm person you will meet if you and your horse needs help but as my vet will tell you I am an absolute neurotic mess when dealing with my own, apparently I thought I was talking to him normal but his version was probably a gibbering wreck on the end of the phone, so we all have those moments that is completely normal

The biggest issue is why people do not ask questions is because of fear of looking stupid or being judged but we were all there once and we are still there in the now, often when I do webinars I ask does anyone have a question and a wall of silence is reciprocated and I know people have questions because I always do but often hold back in case I get It wrong but no question is a stupid question and I love it when someone asks something and often if I don’t know it sends me on that learning curve

So, if you have a question ask it, go and do a first aid course so you learn in a calm environment to help you in a crisis moment remain calm and in control, know your horses normal and trust your gut and do not be dissuaded from what you feel

Learning the basics is not dumbing down its that first step into a whole new world

Learning should be just as enjoyable as achieving the goal, and those who are teaching must always remember they were once a student xx

And yes i wrote 7 bines Instead of 7 bones but just goes to show we all make mistakes 🤣

11/26/2025

As of midday 11/25/25

11/25/2025

11/23/2025

This is a bit long, but important to share ❤️ 15 Fascinating Facts About Horses’ Emotional Memory and Empathy

1. Horses hold one of the most powerful long-term memories among domestic animals — recalling people, voices, and events for decades.

2. They read human intent through facial expressions, distinguishing friend from threat long before a hand is raised.

3. A single act of kindness can echo for years — a horse may seek out the same person even after a long separation.

4. Trauma carves deep grooves — a horse may forever avoid a place, object, or person tied to fear.

5. They sense human emotion through voice tone, breath rhythm, and body tension — even from across a field.

6. They respond not just to fear, but to sadness, joy, or confusion — silently, instinctively.

7. Mirror neurons in their brains allow them to feel what others feel — true empathy in motion.

8. When tears fall nearby, a horse may approach softly, lower its head, and offer a gentle touch — comfort without words.

9. A wounded horse can form the deepest bonds with a patient human — shared pain becomes shared trust.

10. Horses are proven emotional therapists for PTSD, depression, and anxiety — healing hearts, not just bodies.

11. They grieve deeply — lingering by a lost companion or withdrawing in quiet mourning.

12. Once bonded, they memorize your personal rhythms — footsteps, breath, even the silence between.

13. Their memory isn’t just survival — it’s the foundation for profound connection with those who earn their trust.

14. With gentle consistency, fear can be rewritten into safety — even shattered trust can be rebuilt.

15. Horse empathy is biological fact, not folklore — their brains and hearts sync with human emotion in real time.