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Limbic resonance is the deep, non verbal emotional and physiological syncing that happens between individuals through the brain’s limbic system. In humans, this is how empathy, bonding, and emotional understanding develop. It’s that feeling of being on the same wavelength, where one person’s inner state naturally influences another’s.
We see this everywhere. A calm person can settle someone who feels anxious. A baby relaxes in the arms of someone who feels safe. Dogs will often choose to sit near certain people or lean into them, while reacting nervously around others. None of this relies on words or deliberate behaviour. It’s about how that person feels on the inside.
This is limbic resonance at work.
So what does limbic resonance actually look like in the body?
Inside the brain is a group of structures called the limbic system. This system is responsible for emotions, memory, bonding, and survival responses. It is constantly scanning the environment for information about safety, danger, and connection.
The limbic system does not work on its own. It is directly linked to the central nervous system, which carries electrical impulses throughout the body. These impulses influence breathing, heart rate, muscle tone, posture, facial expression, and subtle movement. Together, they create your internal state.
And that internal state is not private.
We are constantly broadcasting it outward in several ways at once. Through our body signals like posture, tension, breath, and rhythm. Through chemical signals such as scent and pheromones. And through electrical impulses moving through the nervous system. Other mammals pick this up automatically, without thinking about it.
This is limbic resonance in action. It is nervous system to nervous system communication. No words needed.
Horses excel at this.
As prey animals that have survived for over 55 million years, horses have developed this system to an extraordinary level. Their survival has always depended on being able to sense and respond to subtle changes in others. They are masters of limbic resonance.
Within a herd, horses are constantly reading each other’s emotional and physical states. This silent communication keeps them safe. It is their primary language.
When we spend time with horses, we step into that system.
Horses do not tune into our words first. They sense how we feel, how present we are, and what we are carrying inside. Long before we act or speak, they already know whether we feel calm, unsure, confident, or unsettled.
Your internal dialogue plays a big role here.
And to be fair, it is completely understandable that you might feel uneasy when you see something worrying ahead, especially when you are out riding. A flapping tarp, a banging gate, or something unfamiliar in the distance can easily trigger a moment of tension. That does not make you a bad rider or handler. It makes you human.
If you are standing there thinking, oh no, he’s going to freak out, your nervous system is already broadcasting tension. Your horse feels that immediately, often before anything actually happens, and that is very often the moment that actually sets him off and makes him freak out.
If instead you can gently train yourself to pause, breathe, and think, it’s fine, nothing to worry about, I’ve got this and I’ve got you, that provides him with a sense of reassurance and safety that often keeps him calm.
You do not need to say it out loud. When your thoughts, breathing, and body line up, your horse can feel that steadiness and borrow it. If you see something as just a thing, your horse is far more likely to see it the same way.
This is why breathing matters so much.
Slow, steady breathing slows the heart rate and settles the nervous system. When your nervous system settles, you are not pretending to be calm, you actually are calm. That genuine calmness then flows naturally through your body, your chemistry, and your nervous system.
Horses pick this up instantly.
When a horse feels that real steadiness, they feel safer. And when a horse feels safe, they are more likely to want to be near you, connect with you, and stay relaxed. Not because you asked them to, but because your presence feels good to be around.
And no, you do not need to be a Tibetan monk sitting on a mountain to do this.
Simply slowing your breathing, softening your body, and being present is enough. Even a few conscious breaths can change what you are broadcasting.
Horses do not need perfection. They just need you to be real.
In humans, limbic resonance builds connection and understanding. In horses, it is about safety and survival.
When you understand this, working with horses becomes less about trying harder and more about slowing down, breathing, and being present.
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copied from natural horses NZ.
This is what your horse sees when you work with him. This is energy with which you communicate with your horse.
This energy either gives your horse security or it doesn’t.
Anger
Fear
Happiness Joy
Sadness Sad
Surprise Surprised
Neutral
Anxiety Tense
Love affection
Depression Depressed
Contempt
Pride
Shame
Envy Jealousy
We talk a lot about how your horse reflects you and shows what kind of leader you are.
the fearful horse and your comfort zone
Grow beyond yourself..
Life begins outside the
comfort zone
where are you at: where do you want to go?
I dont want to
I cannot
I wish I could
I dont know how
I will try
I can do it
I will
I made it...
The horse is a flight animal,
which means that its survival depends on recognizing danger and reacting to it by running away as quickly as possible. Horses instinctively respond to the energy of fear, and if you have seen a herd of horses in a wide pasture where one raises its head and pricks up its ears and within the blink of an eye all the horses are looking in the same direction even though they are far apart. The first horse has communicated its fear, and all the horses were alert.
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Nevertheless, the horse is very curious and capable of learning. It will return to the "danger" and in this way will learn to interpret the danger and figure out how to deal with it in the future. This can be observed when the group of horses returns to the place where they were grazing to find out what spooked them.
​As a flight animal The horse always looks for security in the group. The larger the group the better, because more horses mean more attention and a better chance of survival. Each herd has a leader horse, usually an experienced older mare. She has proven her trustworthiness and strong character by being able to assess dangerous situations, and so the other horses trust and respect her leadership.
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This is where you come into play. You take your horse from his herd (or his safe environment at home) and lead him down an unfamiliar path with lots of new smells and sounds. It could be other horses or mules, or just the wind blowing in a different direction and your horse is looking for safety. You are to be his security, his experienced and trustworthy leader with a strong character who he can trust in this new frightening situation. But is that how you feel when you're sitting on your horse jumping around, snorting and jumping all over the place?
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Well, if you're like most riders, you expected this scenario, and when you got your horse out of the trailer, your horse noticed your fear and nervousness, because that's what's in his sensitive survival genes. You're tense, adrenaline is coursing through your veins, and you're trying everything to stay calm and relaxed and calm your horse. The horse immediately senses your tension and smells the adrenaline you are releasing. Even though there is no real danger, your horse recognizes your fear and also becomes nervous and anxious. Now it's your turn again. You think: I knew it, this always happens, and that's why I have to avoid situations like this.
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Comfort Zone
Look what happened. You were outside your comfort zone where you felt safe and in control. You were afraid of losing control, entering the fear zone and your horse sensed it. Your confidence was gone, you were afraid of what the other riders would think and the excuses you would have to present to the other riders about the behavior of your horse flashed through your mind. I've been there and experienced that.
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Here's what to do:
Look, this isn't your fault. You were raised to avoid all dangerous situations and to avoid all situations in which you have something to fear. But this has left you unable to deal with fear. Now fear is an indispensable survival tool for horses, but also for us humans. And being afraid is not a bad thing. It sharpens your senses and allows you to concentrate. It puts you in survival mode. And your horse can smell it from a distance.
How do we solve the problem?
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Take on the responsibility
Dealing with a flight animal means you have to face your fears. You can't change the horse or its genes. But you can become the strong and trustworthy leader your horse needs to feel comfortable. And you can do this in small, simple steps. And it all starts with your mind and a decision you make. When you understand that you and your fear are the problem and you decide to do something about it, then you enter the learning zone.
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From the comfort zone to the learning zone:
There are always situations in everyday life that we would rather avoid. Things that challenge us. And now it's up to you to make a change. Will you avoid the situation again or will you face it? Will you avoid the challenge or will you meet it? You don't have to climb Mount Everest right away. You can do that later. But the little challenge that you think you could overcome if you really tried, that's the one you want to tackle. You dare. You will succeed. And if not today, then tomorrow. And you will be proud of yourself. Your self-esteem will grow. And the same challenge is no longer a challenge because you have overcome it. But now it's time for the next bigger step. Write down the situations that scare you. Rate them based on their scariness. Tackle the ones that are easy to deal with. Your confidence will grow and your comfort zone will expand. You will learn new skills and set new goals.
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Working with the fearful horse:
Pat Parelli said it: Work on yourself... play with your horse... Or it takes two to tango. One leads, the other follows. While you are working on your own comfort zone....and by the way, life begins when you are outside your comfort zone...you can also work on your nervous horse by teaching him to calm down, if it is with you. Again, you start with a single problem and make it the easiest to deal with, just as you would with your own challenges. Let's say your horse doesn't stand still when you hold him by the bridle.
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Now it's important to understand that while we can have a hundred ideas a minute - our brains are capable of this - horses are much simpler and only deal with one idea at a time. So keep your brain quiet and focus on that one idea or task you want to tackle with your horse and stick with it until it is completed to your satisfaction. To do this, you need to have a clear picture in your head of the result you want to achieve. You want your horse to stand still. Point. Hold it by the bridle and don't let it move. Neither head nor hoof nor body. Any attempt to move will be corrected immediately. Pet your horse when he stands still for a minute. But don't let it move until you release and reward it.
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Three things are happening here at the same time. First, your horse learns to stand still. Second, you learn to focus on a single problem. And thirdly, but not least, your horse will understand that you are serious. That you are consistent. That a no also means no and a yes also means yes. That you can be trusted as a leader...
You have seen it or even experienced it yourself. The fearful horse that finds everything scary and jumps around like a hunted rabbit. You own a fearful horse. He is afraid of the rock on the side of the road, frightened because there is a dog nearby. If you have problems like this and don't know how to get your horse over it and the situation scares you, then you need to read on. I will try to explain the reason for your horse's behavior and how you can gain control over it.
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The anxious horse and how to calm it...
There are horses that remain calm even when shots are fired nearby or a tree collapses next to them... and others who have a panic attack because of the little flower on the side of the road. It could be the breed, it could be the training, it could be the way your horse is housed, but most of the time it has to do with the rider or the horse's owner. Sending the horse to a trainer to calm him down or changing the environment he lives in can help, but let's talk about the rider and the owner and how their behavior most affects their horses.
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Difference between horse and human:
Horses and humans are both mammals. Our brains may not be the same size, but they are almost identical in structure and function. So why can our brains look so similar, but our behavior and sensitivity to the world seem so different? The area in the image that is highlighted is the prefrontal cortex or the (PFC). Its job in humans, horses, dogs, dolphins, elephants, cats, mice, rats, all mammals and even birds is to perform "higher executive functions" such as:
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Problem-solving
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Decision making
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argumentation
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Risk assessment
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Forward planning
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Impulse control
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Intention
Obviously, these executive functions are more advanced in humans than in other types of mammals, but this part of the brain plays a crucial role in higher levels of learning beyond primitive behavior and learning survival skills. So why don't we see these higher executive functions and behaviors in horses as strongly as we do in dogs, dolphins, elephants and even birds?
Ultimately it's about safety!
The latest neuroscience research suggests that when the brain feels unsafe, it triggers the body to produce stress hormones, and these stress hormones cause the PFC to go "offline." This means that subcortical regions of the brain (deeper parts of the brain) such as the more primitive brain (also known as the limbic system, survival brain, flight/fight brain) completely take over to increase the chances of survival.
Feeling unsafe causes the feeling of fear, and it is fear that triggers this reaction.
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Behavioral patterns arise in 2 brain areas:
1. The PFC, can be interpreted as problem-solving skills, reasoning, impulse coordination and partnership.
2. The more primitive brain performs reactive survival behaviors. This brain does NOT do impulse control, forward planning, problem solving, etc. It simply reacts to the world. This brain relies heavily on pattern and consistency. This brain causes freeze/flight/fight behaviors such as shutting down, bolting, biting, climbing, humping, kicking, pushing, etc. In which brain does the domesticated horse spend most of its time? In the more primitive brain! This is why we don't see their full intellectual and cognitive potential because domesticated horses perceive their world in some fearful way most of the time.
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We can help our horse here:
Feeling anxious is the OPPOSITE of feeling calm. If we want to help our horses access their PFC, we MUST do everything we can to help them feel calm. ONLY when a brain feels calm can it slow down to develop TRUE confidence. Only when the brain feels confident will it access TRUE cognition (PFC). We must first understand that “bad behavior” from our horses is not intentional, naughty, or rude. What you are seeing is either a horse simply reacting to the fear he is feeling, or he is executing his "coping mechanisms" in response to the anticipation of fear. Try to remove the expectation that your horse “should know better.” “Knowing better” implies that all behaviors come from the PFC and there should be some impulse control and reasoning. Unless your horse is feeling calm, he cannot access the PFC to "know better"
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This is written by Charlotte Moore and if you want to learn more about her method go to her website.