Natural Feel for Horses: How Emotional Regulation in Horse Training May Make You a Better Rider

Ever watched someone walk up to a nervous horse and seem to know exactly what to do? They do not make a big production of it or rush to fix the situation. They simply seem to understand what the horse needs, and within a few moments, the horse settles. So we ask the question: is emotional regulation in horse training a natural gift, or a learned trait?

Ask the rider how she knew what to do, and the answer is often simple: "I just have a feel for horses."

For years, that kind of feel has been described as something a person either has or does not have. It can look almost instinctive from the outside. But research into horse-human interactions suggests that at least some of what we call "feel" may be connected to a much less mysterious skill: the ability to regulate our own emotional and physical responses.

Horses are paying attention to your Emotional Regulation in Training

A rider may feel nervous without saying a word. Her breathing changes, her muscles tighten and her movements become less fluid. She may shorten the reins, grip more tightly or change her posture without consciously realizing she has done it.

The horse may respond to those changes before the rider recognizes them herself. Horses are highly attentive to movement and other signals from the people handling them, which means a rider's physical response to a stressful situation can become part of the conversation.

A 2025 pilot study published in the Open Veterinary Journal looked at how horses responded to handlers with different levels of anxiety. Researchers compared interactions in which people were free to move and express themselves naturally with interactions in which their movements and expressions were restricted. Horses showed greater behavioral and physiological responses when interacting with highly anxious handlers during the unrestricted condition. When the handlers' body language was limited, those differences were reduced.

The findings suggest that horses may be responding to the physical signals associated with a person's anxiety rather than simply detecting an internal emotional state. In practical terms, that means the horse may not need to "know" that a rider is nervous. It may simply notice what nervousness causes the rider to do.

Emotional regulation is not the same as being fearless

This is where emotional regulation becomes important. Emotional stability is one of the personality characteristics researchers study in psychology, but being emotionally stable does not mean a person never gets nervous, frustrated or afraid. It refers more broadly to how a person responds to emotional pressure and how well she maintains control of her behavior when those feelings arise.

That distinction matters around horses. A rider can be nervous about a situation and still recognize the tension in her body, take a breath and make a deliberate decision about what to do next. Another rider may experience the same fear but respond by tightening her grip, becoming rigid or increasing pressure on the horse.

Neither rider is necessarily less afraid than the other. The difference is how that emotion affects her behavior. For a horse, those differences can be significant.

Horses may be picking up more than body language

Researchers have been studying the ways horses recognize and respond to human emotional information for years. Recent work suggests the communication may involve more than posture, movement and facial expression.

A 2025 study published in Scientific Reports examined how horses responded to human facial and vocal expressions associated with different emotions. The researchers found evidence that horses can respond differently to human emotional expressions, adding to previous research showing that horses are sensitive to information conveyed by people.

Smell may also play a role. In a study published in Applied Animal Behaviour Science, researchers exposed horses to body odors collected from people experiencing different emotional states. The horses behaved differently depending on the emotional condition associated with the odor, suggesting that horses can obtain information about human emotional states through smell.

Research published in PLOS One in January 2026 took that question further. Forty-three horses were exposed to human odors associated with fear, joy or a neutral condition. Horses exposed to the fear-associated odor showed greater fear-related behavior and less interaction with humans than horses exposed to the other odors.

For riders, the research adds another layer to something many have experienced firsthand. A horse may respond to changes in a person that are subtle enough for the person herself to overlook.

Is "feel" a personality trait?

Not exactly. There is no evidence that a single personality characteristic determines whether someone will become a good horse trainer or handler. Research has found associations between rider personality and the way riders perceive their horses and their relationships with them. A study of competition riders found relationships between several personality characteristics and riders' perceptions of their horses, including characteristics related to conscientiousness and neuroticism. The findings provide an interesting starting point for understanding the human side of the horse-rider relationship, but they do not establish that a particular personality type produces a better trainer. This leaves room for learning.

Think about what an experienced handler does when working with an uncertain horse. She watches the horse's expression and body position. She notices changes in tension and adjusts her own behavior rather than automatically increasing pressure. She may wait a few seconds longer, change the exercise or give the horse an opportunity to process what is being asked.

Those actions can look like instinct, especially when someone has spent years developing them. In reality, they may reflect observation, experience, self-awareness and the ability to remain consistent under pressure.

The pause can make a difference

Consider what happens when a horse suddenly spooks. The rider's first reaction may be a rush of adrenaline, followed by a tightening of the muscles and a change in breathing. Those reactions are normal. What happens after that initial response is where training and experience can make a difference.

A rider who recognizes her reaction may be able to regain her breathing, soften unnecessary tension and assess what the horse is doing before deciding how to respond. That does not mean she is never startled. It means the initial emotional response does not automatically dictate the next physical cue.

This is one reason emotional regulation may be relevant to what riders describe as feel. A horse is receiving information from the rider at the same time the rider is trying to interpret information from the horse. If the rider's own stress changes her hands, seat, breathing or movements, those changes can affect the interaction. The more aware a rider becomes of those responses, the more choices she has.

Experience may change the way riders respond

There is also an important reason not to assume that a rider who appears naturally calm was simply born that way. Experience can change how people respond to situations that once made them nervous.

A rider who has spent years handling difficult horses may still recognize danger quickly, but she may also have learned not to react to every unexpected movement. She has seen similar situations before. She has learned what deserves immediate action and what requires patience. Over time, that experience can make a response appear almost automatic.

The same principle can apply to self-awareness. A rider can learn to recognize when she is holding her breath, gripping with her legs or becoming rigid through her shoulders. She can learn to slow down before those reactions become part of the communication with the horse.

That does not mean every rider will develop the same level of confidence or the same relationship with horses. It does mean that some of the skills associated with good communication can be practiced.

What riders can work on

For anyone who wants to develop better feel, the starting point may be surprisingly simple. Pay attention to your own body while you are working with your horse, particularly during moments when the horse becomes tense, distracted or uncertain.

Notice your breathing. Pay attention to your hands and shoulders. Think about whether your movements become faster or whether you increase pressure because you are becoming frustrated. Then consider what the horse may be experiencing from those changes.

That awareness does not require a rider to become perfectly calm. It simply creates an opportunity to make a more deliberate choice. The next time a horse becomes nervous, try noticing your own response before immediately changing what the horse is doing. Give yourself a moment to breathe, observe and decide whether your current approach is helping. Sometimes the most useful adjustment may be the one the rider makes to herself.

Maybe feel is not something you either have or don't have

There is still much researchers do not know about how horses interpret human emotions and how personality, experience and training shape the horse-human relationship. The current research does not support the idea that one personality trait determines who will become a gifted horse trainer.

It does, however, give riders an interesting way to think about the qualities often described as "natural feel."

A rider who can recognize her own emotional response, remain aware of her body and respond consistently may be giving her horse clearer information. That is encouraging because emotional regulation, observation and good timing are not limited to riders who seem naturally confident. They can develop with experience and practice.

The rider who seems to have a special connection with horses may not have been born with a mysterious gift. She may have learned to pay very close attention, including to herself. Over time, that awareness can become so familiar that it looks like instinct. Maybe that is part of what we call feel.

Do you think a rider's emotional state affects how a horse responds?

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• Absolutely. My horse knows when I’m stressed.
• Definitely, but it takes practice to notice it.
• Sometimes. It depends on the horse and situation.
• I’m not sure, but this article made me think about it.