The Way Back Time Machine

On the sidebar of this blog you will find “My Favorite Blogs”-you’re all on there, (many have gone dark 😭), and if you’re a horse blogger and not on there and would like to be, let me know. 

There is also “Popular Posts,” which is generated by blogger stats. Since I took many of my old posts off last year during some weird, wild hair of mine, that section has been more representative of diverse topics. 

Well, anywho, I do peek at that sidebar every so often and today I saw this one “A Sensitive, Neurotic Horse May Be Just What the Doctor Ordered.”  It’s a time capsule that is relevant to my situation yesterday and some of you commented on it way back then. 

Within it there is a link to another post: Equine Anxiety from a Psychiatric Perspective.  It is based upon a conversation I had with my husband about human anxiety and how it can be applied to horses. (Your comments from the way back Time Machine are fun to read!)

Here is the portion of that convo that I find interesting today:

——

“Husband:  Sure. [Seems to be eager to talk about one of his favorite topics.] There are cells, deep inside the brain that release norepinephrine, it's adrenaline, and that is released throughout the brain and affects all the major structures of the brain such as the cortex, which is where thinking goes on. So, people have scary thoughts, it affects the hypothalamus, which is what controls heartbeat, breathing and, of course, those go up in a panic attack. And then, norepinephrine stimulates nerves that go to the peripheral nervous system, which creates the shaking, sweating, and all those sorts of things, as well as the gut which can go into spasms and become part of it. That can go on from anywhere between ten minutes to two hours, and then, those people experiencing a panic attack will be drained, but it will replenish itself in a few hours.

The interesting thing is, while panic attacks usually start in some kind of situation of fear and anxiety, after a while, the thing that's really painful is that people fear having a panic attack itself--they fear the feeling of anxiety, and then they can become housebound.

Me: How do you stop a panic attack once it's started?

Husband: You have to start with a top down approach, so you go to the thinking part of the brain and start to rethink what's going on, re-frame what's going on, learn new ways to relax, learn to control at least one physiological parameter, because in a panic attack physiology is out of control. This tells the brain, I might be partly out of control, but I'm not totally out of control. And, eventually, you have to begin to expose yourself to feared situations, in small doses, so you can begin to re-experience them as more pleasurable now.

Me: So, for instance with Cowboy, panicking about water or anything else, how would that apply if they're already at the feared object?

Husband: If they're already there, try to get them to relax without having them go further. Don't let them run away. For humans, you have to get them to recapture some bodily function that they can control. Eventually, you want them to experience the feared situation as a pleasurable situation.”

——

In the follow-up article, I wrote this:

“The things I took from that human/horse panic attack connection were:

1. Control some physiological parameter.
2. Use a top down approach and get them thinking.
3. Do not pressure them forward, but get them to relax and not run away. (In retrospect, #3 should be amended a bit because it’s not real clear.)
4. Help them experience the feared situation as a pleasant situation.”

—-

So, here I am a decade or so later, did it work with Cowboy?

Yes.

When I switched to that modus operandi, Cowboy and I grew into the most exceptional trail riding partnership. I earned his try and his deep trust. That trust (and love) was one of the greatest accomplishments of my life. 

Did he do absolutely everything I asked? No, but he always “tried” to do something towards it and he regularly went across water (which was his worst fear even before I got him.)

Did I feel super safe on his back? Yes, so safe. It was like we were one. 

Did he want to go on rides with me? Yes, and he’d even walk past the trailer on purpose to keep rides going. 

Was he a happier horse? Oh yes.

In a nutshell, I want with Tumbleweed what I had with Cowboy. ❤️ That sums it up best. 

Interesting to hear what all your thoughts are now, a decade later. 

—-

On another note, if you don’t own ZOCKS, you need some. I bought several pair five years ago and they are perfect for summer. Mine are finally getting thin from use, so I had to first remember what the heck they were called (zocks) and then buy them again. Worth the investment. 🙌