Emotions Are Biology – How the Body Feels, Learns and Reacts

Show notes

Emotions aren’t moods or attitudes – they are biology in action. In this episode of Science & Soulfulness for Equestrians, we dive deep into the neurobiology of feeling: What happens inside your horse when it reacts? How do hormones like cortisol, dopamine, and oxytocin shape its behavior? And why is emotional safety the foundation for all real learning?

In this episode, you’ll learn: • How emotions arise in the body – from sensory input to hormonal output • Why horses embody emotion rather than think it • How cortisol, dopamine, and oxytocin shape training and behavior • What research by Dr. Cath Henshall reveals about emotion and learning • How laterality shows what your horse truly feels • Why co-regulation between horse and human is measurable physiology, not magic

Referenced studies: Henshall et al. (2023) – Recognition of human facial expressions by horsesMcBride & Parker (2015) – The disrupted stress system in horses Sankey et al. (2021) – Oxytocin release in human–horse interaction Christensen et al. (2006); König von Borstel et al. (2017) – Emotion & LearningKeeling et al. (2019) – Heart-rate variability synchronization

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