Somatic Experiencing® for Horses? (Beyond Behaviorism Part 2 of 2)

This second video (part 2 of 2) features an analysis of two training sessions showing Julie Lannen of the Australian Clicker Connection and her horse, Star, as they work with his fear of objects using a combination of negative reinforcement (CAT for Horses), positive reinforcement, and Intrinzen work. Sarah deconstructs Julie's process with Star from the lens of the polyvagal theory, Somatic Experiencing®, attachment theory, and other developmental neuroscience concepts.
Note: This video depicts a case study. The process depicted in this video has not been replicated with other horses and in other contexts to determine its validity and generalizability. Somatic Experiencing has been studied with humans and found to be effective for working with PTSD, and other studies are under way. Using SE with horses has not been empirically validated yet and Sarah encourages anyone interested in further exploring these ideas to contact her via equusoma.com
The original theory video (part 1 of 2) is important to watch first to get the most out of the training session analysis, and to understand why going beyond behaviorism is important when working with fear in horses. There is much more to this picture, of course, including understanding the complexities of the HPA axis, the endocrine system, the horse's trauma and attachment history, its personality, its history of interactions with people and objects, and other antecedent factors that contribute to fear-related issues. The first video is not meant to be an exhaustive overview, but rather to briefly introduce some key ideas that are not typically mentioned in the equine literature.
To watch the first video, click here: • Somatic Experiencing® ...
This video series has been reviewed by the Somatic Experiencing® Trauma Institute and released with permission. It is also released and shared with permission of Julie Lannen.
This video is not an endorsement of Julie's work by Sarah, or an endorsement of Sarah's work by Julie; Sarah and Julie are not affiliated in any professional way and have differing perspectives on a number of points. However, they created this video series due to some shared observations that they felt were useful to articulate that have not been described elsewhere.
Sarah Schlote, MA, RP, CCC, SEP
equusoma.com
sarahschlote.com