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Helping you get a ‘YES!’ from your horses. One little message of support at a time.
Anatomy Dive – Dancing with the VAGUS NERVE (Part 3)
Where is the vagus nerve? Everywhere. The vagus nerve is a cranial nerve, so it emerges from part of the brain stem called the medulla. It leaves the cranium and loops around the first neck bone (the atlas), affecting the tongue, the palate and the voicebox before...
How do I deal with this problem? Dancing with the VAGUS NERVE (Part 2)
There's no problem with a vagal response - it's natural and useful. But you need to acknowledge it. And if it’s long-lasting, it’s most productive to remove the cause. Once your horse’s vagus nerve triggers him into ‘alert’, his eyes and ears are scanning for...
Why do I care? Dancing with the VAGUS NERVE (Part 1)
Is your horse a saint? Is he one of those angels so quiet you can do anything with him? If he’s not, I’m betting you’ve met that horse before - the really reliable one at the riding school, the ‘bombproof’ child’s pony (have you thought about how unnatural it is for a...
How well do you know YOURSELF? (part 2)
Don’t treat others as you would like to be treated; treat them the way THEY NEED to be treated. You’re probably not going to be in a hostage negotiation. But dealing with horses, you are very likely to be in a heightened and very time-sensitive situation that could...
How well do you know YOURSELF? (part 1)
‘Oh give him here!’ Have you thought about how your own instinctive behaviour will affect your success? In his book ‘Never Split the Difference’, which draws on his time as a hostage negotiator, Chris Voss outlines three main negotiation styles. Being aware of what...