Regulation Is Not the Goal — It’s the Beginning of Learning

A small note before we begin:

This is a longer read — and a thought I’ve been pondering for quite a while.

It weaves together regulation, learning, biomechanics, and what it really means to build a better body.

If you feel like slowing down for a moment, this is an invitation.

Regulation has become one of the most frequently used words in the horse world.

We talk about nervous systems, safety, slowing down, co-regulation.

And that is important. Necessary, even.

But somewhere along the way, something subtle often gets lost:

Regulation is treated as the destination — instead of the doorway.

From my perspective, regulation is not where training ends. It is where learning can finally begin.

When Regulation Becomes a Holding Pattern

In many conversations, regulation is framed as:

• slowing everything down

• reducing stimulation

• staying in comfort

• avoiding challenge

  
  

Without regulation, there is no learning. A dysregulated horse cannot organize posture, balance, or thought.

But when we stay there, something else can happen:

The horse feels better —but does not yet learn how to move better.

Calmness without orientation often leads to:

• drifting movement

• collapsed posture

• loss of direction

• or a quiet horse that has stopped searching

  
  

The nervous system may be settled —but the body and mind are not yet engaged in learning.

The Missing Bridge: From Regulation to Organization

What is often missing is the bridge back into movement.

Not faster. Not bigger. Not more expressive.

But clear, organized, meaningful movement.

In PIB, regulation is the moment when we gently say:

“Now that you feel safe — let me show you how.”

How to:

• organize your body

• find balance within movement

• carry yourself with clarity

• stay mentally present while moving

  
  

This is where relaxed activity begins.

Not stillness.Not shutdown.But movement with tone, orientation, and purpose.

Regulation Is a Doorway We Visit Frequently

Regulation is not a place we pass once and leave behind.

It is a doorway we return to — again and again.

Especially when we:

• stretch a current border

• introduce something completely new

• add a new quality layer

• or ask the horse to reorganize in a more demanding way

  
  

This becomes even more relevant when external factors come into play:

• environmental challenges

• changes in context

• mental or emotional load

• or moments where we, as trainers, bring in tension, expectation, or lack of clarity

  
  

Internal challenges often arise directly from these external influences.

This is not failure. This is the nature of learning.

Stretching Borders Without Overloading the Nervous System

Whenever we search for something new —a new coordination pattern, a new posture, a new layer of quality —

we risk tipping the nervous system out of regulation.

That does not mean we should stop searching.

It means how we search matters.

This is where loopy and layered training becomes essential.

Instead of pushing forward linearly, we:

• add information in small, digestible pieces

• step back into regulation when clarity wobbles

• loop between understanding, movement, and rest

• revisit familiar elements to stabilize the system

  
  

Regulation becomes the safe return point —not a retreat, but a reset.

Why Understanding Must Come First

When regulation is lost during learning, the problem is rarely effort.

It is usually:

• missing understanding

• unclear orientation

• or complexity added too quickly

  
  

Prioritizing understanding means:

• slowing down when needed

• reducing layers instead of adding pressure

• helping the horse know what to do, not just cope with it

  
  

A regulated nervous system paired with clear understanding allows the horse to stay curious, motivated, and engaged — even when things feel new or challenging.

Why Movement Can Be Regulating — When It Makes Sense

Movement itself is not dysregulating.

Unclear movement dysregulates.Chaotic movement dysregulates.Movement without structure dysregulates.

But movement with:

• clear lines

• thoughtful transitions

• honest posture

• manageable complexity

…does the opposite.

It regulates through understanding.

This is why slow, well-organized movement is so powerful:

• slow enough for the nervous system

• clear enough for the body

• meaningful enough for the mind

  
  

The horse does not just calm down. The horse finds itself inside the movement.

Why Relaxed Activity Is the Gateway to Free Biomechanics

Relaxed activity is not just a philosophy.It is a biomechanical necessity.

Only in relaxed activity can the horse:

• move through joints freely

• allow the spine to swing and transmit force

• use muscles dynamically instead of bracing

• let fascia, tendons, and ligaments store and release energy efficiently

  
  

Tension isolates systems. Relaxed activity reconnects them.

This allows:

• elastic muscle use instead of holding

• adaptive fascial response instead of rigidity

• healthy tendon loading instead of overload

  
  

Strength created in tension is fragile.Strength created in relaxed activity is sustainable.

Relaxed Activity Allows the Body to Let Go of Compensation

Compensation patterns rarely come from resistance or laziness.

They arise when the body is:

• protecting itself

• lacking coordination

• managing instability

• or working around tension

  
  

Relaxed activity creates the conditions for small compensation patterns to soften and reorganize.

When the nervous system is regulated and the movement is organized:

• bracing becomes unnecessary

• habitual holding can release

• asymmetries become available for change

• movement redistributes more evenly

  
  

This cannot be forced.

Compensation dissolves when the body feels safe enough —and coordinated enough — to choose a better option.

A Clear Boundary: What Training Can — and Cannot — Resolve

It is important to be very clear and responsible here.

Thoughtful training can support the release of mild compensations —those linked to coordination, balance, or habitual tension.

However:

Training alone cannot resolve severe or long-standing compensations.

When patterns are rooted in:

• pain

• injury

• structural restriction

• or significant physical dysfunction

  
  

the support of qualified specialists is strongly recommended.

Working alongside:

• veterinarians

• physiotherapists

• osteopaths

• or other bodywork professionals

is not a weakness of training.

It is part of horse-centered, ethical practice.

Training supports the body —but it does not replace diagnosis, treatment, or rehabilitation.

Healthy Muscle Building Requires Softness First

Healthy muscle does not grow out of tension.

It grows out of:

• good circulation

• elastic loading

• clear coordination

• and repeated use without overstrain

  
  

Relaxed activity allows muscles to stay:

• soft enough to adapt

• well nourished through blood flow

• responsive instead of rigid

• strong without becoming hard

  
  

This is the difference between:

• muscles that hold posture

• and muscles that carry movement

  
  

Softness is not weakness. It is the prerequisite for strength.

Why “Doing a Lot” Is Not the Same as Building a Better Body

When we look around, we see many horses doing a lot.

They are active. They are often mentally settled. They are willing and cooperative.

And yet, many are not building a better body.

Not because the exercises are wrong.Not because the intention is bad.

But because movement alone does not guarantee correct biomechanics.

A horse can be mentally happy and still:

• avoid using the topline correctly

• move around tension rather than through the body

• rely on compensation instead of coordination

  
  

Mental well-being is essential —but it is not enough on its own.

Why Less — When Done Right — Builds More

When we compare a busy horse with poor organization to a regulated horse with correct biomechanics, something becomes very clear.

Even when the second horse does significantly less, they often look:

• more athletic

• more balanced

• more developed

  
  

Because quality of movement matters more than quantity.

Correct movement:

• requires fewer repetitions

• nourishes tissue instead of wearing it down

• builds strength without tension

  
  

Doing less — when done with quality — often builds more than doing a lot without it.

A Shift in the Question We Ask

There is a quote from 'The Whole Horse Journey ' that captures this beautifully:

“The question isn’t ‘how do I make my horse do this? 'It’s ‘how do I become someone my horse wants to do this with?’”

This question changes everything.

It shifts training from execution to relationship, clarity, and trust.

It invites us to reflect:

• Are we teaching in a way the horse can understand?

• Are we refining with clarity that keeps curiosity alive?

• Are we regulating ourselves as carefully as we regulate the horse?

• Are we inviting effort rather than demanding it?

  
  

When regulation, understanding, and motivation come together, the horse does not comply.

The horse participates.

The Bigger Picture: The Happy, Strong, Healthy Athlete

All of this serves a larger goal.

Not just calmness. Not just regulation.

But the development of a happy, strong, healthy athlete.

An athlete who:

• feels good mentally

• moves well biomechanically

• builds strength without tension

• and can sustain work over time

• 
  

Regulation opens the door.

Understanding shows the way through.

Relaxed activity allows free biomechanics.

And thoughtful repetition builds a better body.

Regulation is not the goal.

It is the beginning of learning.