Paleomammalian Cortex and Horse + Human Connections.

Paleomammilian Cortex and Human-Horse Connections

Yesterday we talked about limbic resonance and how horses connect with us through the emotional and survival parts of the brain.

Today I want to talk about which layer of the brain that connection actually comes from.

This is called the Paleomammalian Cortex

This is a more primitive layer of the brain, shared by all mammals. It is responsible for emotional processing, bonding, attachment, and the sense of safety we feel in the presence of others. It evolved as a way for mammals to stay connected, regulate one another, and survive together in groups.

In horses, this system is highly developed, almost like a well trained muscle. As prey animals, their survival has depended on accurately reading emotional and nervous system states. Over time, this has made them exceptionally sensitive to what is happening around them.

This is how horses experience the world.

Humans still have this layer of the brain, but over time we have learned to talk ourselves out of listening to it with reasons and internal explanations etc…Horses have not! They respond through this system first, and it is always active, quietly checking what feels safe and what does not.

This layer of the brain responds to feeling rather than explanation. It takes its information directly from the animal’s own nervous system and the nervous systems of those around them.

Your breathing, posture, muscle tone, focus, chemical signature, scent and emotional state are constantly being read. When you settle, your horse often settles too. When you brace, he feels that just as clearly.

So how do you actually use this?

You stop trying to train your horse to be calm.

Instead, you let your horse train you to be calm

Every time your horse offers a try, a soften, or a willing response, that is your cue. Not to ask for more. Not to correct. Not to push on.

It is your cue to regulate yourself.

You breathe out

You drop your shoulders

You let your body soften

In that moment, your horse is teaching you how to settle your own nervous system.

Over time, your horse learns that when he offers calm, a calm nervous system comes back to him. That feedback matters more than pressure or reward. This is how the Paleomammalian Cortex learns.

It becomes a loop

Your horse offers calm

You respond by settling

That settling feeds straight back to him

Round and round it goes.

It is like syncing a smartwatch to your phone Once they are connected, information flows automatically. You are not forcing it. You are not controlling it. You are simply staying in the connection.

That is the bond

And once you understand this, working with your horse stops being about training. It becomes about being with them at a level your horse understands best, and the most important work is happening when you let him teach you how to be calm

PS: The image is not scientifically accurate. A horse’s brain is far smaller than shown. The image is purely intended to represent the connection between our brains and central nervous systems.