Co-Regulation: Why Our Nervous Systems (and Horses) Matter in Equine Assisted Coaching

In Equine Assisted Coaching, we talk a lot about safety, connection, and presence. Underneath all of that is a powerful nervous-system process called co-regulation—and horses are masters at it. At The Freedom Way®, understanding and working with co-regulation is one of the reasons our sessions can be so deeply healing and transformative, whether a client is recovering from trauma or focused on personal growth and development.

Let’s take a closer look at what co-regulation is, what it looks like in an arena, what science is telling us, and why equine assisted coaching is uniquely positioned to lead in this area.

What is Co-Regulation?

Co-regulation is the process where one nervous system helps another come back into balance. It’s not just a “nice feeling”; it’s a physiological event.

Researchers describe co-regulation as a dynamic process where two beings continuously influence each other’s biology and behavior. Their heart rate, breathing, muscle tone, facial expression, and emotional state “dance” together and adjust in real time. (PMC)

Polyvagal Theory, developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, gives us a useful map for this. It suggests that our autonomic nervous system constantly scans for cues of safety or danger.

When we feel safe, we access the ventral vagal state—where social engagement, connection, curiosity, and learning are possible. Co-regulation is one of the main ways we get there: through another being’s calm tone of voice, soft eyes, grounded body, and steady presence. (Polyvagal Institute)

Over time, repeated experiences of co-regulation become the foundation for self-regulation—our internal ability to recognize our state, soothe ourselves, and choose how we want to respond.

The Science: Shared Physiology Between Humans and Horses

For a long time, equine professionals intuitively knew that just being with horses helped people settle, soften, and breathe more deeply. Now, research is beginning to explain why.

Several studies have shown that:

• Equine-assisted activities improve heart rate variability (HRV)—a key marker of nervous-system flexibility and parasympathetic (rest-and-repair) activation. A systematic review found that, with few exceptions, equine-assisted therapeutic activities were associated with improved HRV and increased relaxation in participants. (PubMed)

• Human–horse heart rhythms can synchronize. Recent research has documented physiological synchronization between horses and humans during equine-assisted sessions. HRV patterns and heart rhythms can “tune” to one another, especially when there is trust, safety, and connection between client, horse, and facilitator. (PMC)

• Hormones linked to stress and bonding shift. Studies of veterans engaging in equine-assisted services have shown changes in cortisol (a stress hormone) and oxytocin (sometimes called the “bonding hormone”), along with improvements in PTSD symptoms and emotional wellbeing. (Frontiers)

Together, these findings suggest that what clients feel in an arena is not “in their head”—their nervous system and the horse’s nervous system are literally interacting.

The Horse’s Role in Co-Regulation

Horses are prey animals. Their survival depends on being exquisitely tuned to the energy, intention, and nervous systems of the herd—and that includes us when we step into their space.

Some of the ways horses naturally support co-regulation:

• They read our nervous system, not our story. Horses respond to posture, breath, muscle tension, micro-movements, and subtle shifts in energy. If we say we’re “fine” but our body is tight and our breath is shallow, the horse will respond to what is true, not what is spoken.

• They offer immediate, honest feedback. A horse might walk away from chaotic energy, soften and approach grounded presence, or mirror a client’s agitation with increased movement. This real-time feedback keeps the session rooted in the body and the present moment.

• They model regulated states. A relaxed horse—soft eyes, lowered head, rhythmic breathing, loose muscles—embodies a regulated nervous system. Standing near, grooming, or moving with a regulated horse can invite the client’s body toward the same state.

• They are non-verbal and non-judgmental. For many clients, especially those with a trauma history, human co-regulation has been inconsistent or unsafe. A horse’s steady, non-judgmental presence can feel safer than human contact, making it easier to experiment with connection again.

In The Freedom Way® approach, the horse is not a “tool” but a sentient, equal partner in the session. Their choices, boundaries, and responses are respected—and their nervous system is cared for as thoughtfully as the client’s.

What Co-Regulation Looks Like in an Equine Assisted Coaching Session

Co-regulation in the arena usually isn’t dramatic. It’s subtle, moment-by-moment.

Here are some ways it might show up:

• A client begins the session visibly anxious—fast speech, tight shoulders, restless hands. The coach invites them to pause, feel their feet on the ground, and match their breath to the slow, steady rhythm of the horse’s breathing. Over a few minutes, the horse’s head lowers; the client’s shoulders drop; both bodies soften.

• As the client leads the horse, the horse hesitates or stops. Instead of “making” the horse move, the coach supports the client to check in with their own body: Am I rushing? Am I dissociated? Am I holding my breath? When the client becomes more present and grounded, the horse willingly steps forward. Co-regulation has just translated into new awareness and choice.

• A client exploring grief stands quietly next to the horse. The horse steps closer, puts their nose near the client’s chest, and stays. The coach holds space with calm, regulated presence while the client feels emotion rise and fall, without being overwhelmed. Three nervous systems—coach, client, and horse—are working together to create a container where big feelings can move safely.

From the outside it might look like “just standing with a horse.” On a nervous-system level, there’s a finely tuned co-regulation loop in motion.

Co-Regulation for Trauma Recovery

For clients recovering from trauma, co-regulation is not a luxury; it’s essential.

Trauma often leaves the nervous system stuck in survival states—hyper-alert and activated, or shut down and numb. Polyvagal-informed work emphasizes that we don’t heal by forcing ourselves to “calm down” or “get over it,” but by repeatedly experiencing safe connection where our body learns it is no longer in danger. (PMC)

Equine assisted coaching supports this by:

• Providing a non-verbal, relational field where the client can experience safety without pressure to talk or explain.

• Allowing the client to practice choice and boundaries—approaching, retreating, asking for space, or inviting connection with the horse at their own pace.

• Giving somatic proof that their system can move from activation or shutdown into regulation, often in a single session, which builds hope and confidence.

• Integrating the coach’s trauma-informed presence so the client is held by both human and equine partners in a carefully monitored, ethical way.

Over time, these experiences of co-regulation become internalized. Clients begin to

recognize their own cues of dysregulation, use tools they practiced in the arena, and seek supportive relationships that honor their nervous system outside of sessions.

Co-Regulation for Personal Growth and Development

Co-regulation isn’t just for trauma healing. It’s also a powerful accelerator for:

• Leadership and communication – Clients learn how their internal state affects the horse’s willingness to follow, mirror, or resist. This translates directly to how they lead teams, hold boundaries, and show up in relationships.

• Self-trust and intuition – As clients notice the horse responding positively when they are congruent (what they feel, think, and do line up), they gain trust in their own inner signals.

• Resilience and emotional agility – Sessions become practice grounds for moving through discomfort—frustration, fear, vulnerability—without abandoning themselves or disconnecting from the relationship.

In each of these, co-regulation is the bridge: the horse and coach provide enough safety for the client to stretch into new behaviors and ways of being.

Why Equine Assisted Coaching Leads in Co-Regulation

While many modalities use co-regulation, equine assisted coaching holds a unique position:

1. Three-way nervous-system field

   Client, coach, and horse create a living, responsive system. The horse often amplifies dynamics that might stay hidden in a traditional talk-only session, bringing patterns into the open where they can be worked with directly.

2. Immediate, embodied feedback

   Instead of simply talking about regulation, clients feel it. The horse’s responses provide instant feedback when a client moves toward or away from presence, authenticity, and safety.

3. Nature and movement

   Being outdoors, feeling the ground underfoot, walking beside a horse, or engaging in simple tasks like grooming all support nervous-system regulation in ways that fluorescent lights and office chairs simply don’t.

4. Integration of science and soul

   Modern research on HRV, physiological synchronization, and neurobiology is now catching up to what horse people have sensed for generations: these animals help regulate humans in profound ways. Equine assisted coaching sits at that intersection—grounded in science, guided by ethics, and infused with the wisdom of the horse. (MDPI)

Bringing It Back to The Freedom Way®

At The Freedom Way®, co-regulation isn’t a buzzword—it’s a core pillar of how we train coaches. We teach coaches to:

• Understand the nervous system and work from a trauma-informed, polyvagal-aware lens.

• Honor the horse as a sentient partner with their own needs, signals, and boundaries.

• Cultivate their own regulated presence so they can offer true co-regulation to both horse and client.

When clients step into the arena with us, they’re entering a space designed for their nervous system to experience something different: safety, connection, and possibility—held by two partners, human and equine, who are deeply attuned to their journey.

If you feel called to coach with horses and want to do this work in a way that honors both people and horses at the nervous-system level, The Freedom Way® is built for that.