04/02/2024
Recently, there have been images and videos doing the rounds on social media of a well known clinician working a horse in the round pen to the point where the horse is so overwhelmed and exhausted, they lay down.
Alexa Linton made a wonderfully written post about this; describing the behavior as an example of the collapse response in horses. Certainly not something anyone would want to ever aim for in their training.
For the past 30 years we have described this coping mechanism, part of our 5 F's, as "Faint".
"Faint" is typically the least common coping mechanism seen in domesticated animals, thankfully. Faint can sometimes be seen at the track when horses are saddled quickly and tightly while under a great amount of stress and the horse simply lies down. The animal’s nervous system is so overwhelmed that they go in to a “catatonic” state.
A horse who is under extreme pressure to trailer load or go through an obstacle may simply lie down and “say uncle”. Essentially their nervous system “shuts down” in an attempt to halt further escalation.
Learning to observe and respond to an animal's whispers, so you can avoid triggering these 5 F's, will help any guardian (whatever the species) become more empathetic and effective while building trust and communication.
Want to read more about the 5 F's? Check out this blog post: https://www.ttouch.ca/2021/07/14/the-5-fs-of-behaviour-beyond-fight-flight/
