Introducing Polyvagal Theory

Editor’s Note: At HorseHead, we’re intrigued by Polyvagal Theory, a relatively new explanation of the autonomic nervous system, present in all mammals. This is an introduction to Polyvagal Theory and its application with horses and horsemanship. Please note: what follows is theory and not yet […]

Brain Doc Hits the Road

Dr. Steve Peters is becoming increasingly busy as he ramps up his horse brain science presentation across the country and the world. This October, you can see him at the Best Horse Practices Summit in Lexington, Kentucky. Register here. Here are additional dates and locations: […]

Novelty: Key to Horses and Riders

New additions to my herd are Bug and Barry. Bug is a four-year old Utah mustang. During his young life, he’s been passed from one owner to the next, six owners in total, before landing with me. Barry is a ten-year old Tennessee Walker with […]

Cribbing: Understanding the Science

What is a smile or a handshake? The answer is like a Matryoshka doll with another doll inside it and then another doll inside that one. Sure, they’re gestures of welcome. But neurologically speaking, they are the manifestations of a bundle of voluntary and involuntary […]

Your Horse’s Internal Mapping System, Part II

Read Part I In Evidence-Based Horsemanship, Martin Black describes a daunting scenario: One night, I was riding in the dark and two feet of snow. It was overcast, so there was no moon or starlight. Not even the silhouette of the horse’s head could […]

Of Horses, Cows, and Humans

Recently, Dr. Steve Peters traveled to Idaho to visit informally with stockmen and livestock researchers from Treasure Valley Community College, Oregon State University, and the University of Idaho. He was introduced by local and international stockman Martin Black. The pair co-authored Evidence-Based Horsemanship. They will […]

What’s NOT in your Horse’s Head

Horses are not people. We know this is true. But attend any horse event, enter any tack shop, open any horse magazine and you’ll come away thinking otherwise. You’ll be convinced horses have feelings, motivations, and goals. We tend to replace their simple needs with […]