Co-Regulating with Horses: Finding Balance Through Connection
Picture Credit Jess Martin Photography
There’s something almost magical about the way horses affect us. Just standing beside one can bring a sense of calm we didn’t even realize we were missing. Their slow breathing, steady heartbeat, and grounded presence seem to remind our bodies how to soften again — how to be.
This is the quiet power of co-regulation — when two nervous systems communicate without words and help one another find balance.
What Is Co-Regulation?
In simple terms, co-regulation is our body’s natural way of syncing up with another being. When we’re around someone who feels safe, calm, and grounded, our nervous system begins to mirror that state. It’s something we all do unconsciously — with children, loved ones, even animals.
Horses, as prey animals, are incredibly attuned to the energy and emotions of those around them. They read subtle changes in our breathing, heart rate, and body language. Because of this sensitivity, they naturally respond to our internal state — and, in turn, invite us to become more aware of it too.
How Horses Help Us Regulate
Unlike humans, horses don’t get lost in stories or judgments. They live in the now. When you stand beside a horse and begin to slow your breath, their body senses your shift. Often, they’ll lick, chew, or sigh — signs that their nervous system is softening too. Together, you both begin to settle into a shared space of peace.
It’s not about training or technique. It’s about presence — allowing yourself to be seen and felt by another sentient being without expectation. In that quiet connection, healing naturally begins to happen.
What We Can Learn From Them
Horses remind us that regulation doesn’t come from thinking our way into calm — it comes from feeling our way there. They teach us to listen to our bodies, notice our breath, and honor what we need in the moment.
When we approach them with openness rather than agenda, they reflect our truth. If we’re anxious, they show us where we’re holding tension. If we’re grounded, they rest beside us in that same groundedness. They are living mirrors for our nervous system — always honest, always compassionate.
A Simple Practice
Next time you’re near a horse, pause for a moment.
Take a few slow breaths.
Notice your heartbeat, your posture, the sounds around you.
Let yourself feel the space between you and the horse — a space that invites connection, not control.
You may find that, before long, your energy starts to match theirs — slower, steadier, more peaceful. That is co-regulation in motion.
The Gift of Shared Stillness
In a world that constantly asks us to do more, horses invite us to be more.
They show us that balance isn’t something we chase — it’s something we return to, together.
Through this shared stillness, we remember that healing doesn’t have to be loud or complicated. Sometimes, it’s as simple as a heartbeat, a breath, and a horse standing quietly by your side.
Awaken & Heal with Delicate Balance LLC
At Delicate Balance LLC, my goal is to help guide humans and horses back to harmony through energy work, body awareness, and intuitive connection. Whether through Reiki, equine bodywork, or intuitive communication sessions, my goal is to help you rediscover your natural rhythm — the place where peace and presence meet.
If this message resonates with you, I invite you to explore how co-regulation and energy healing can support both you and your horse.
With light & love,
Jessica Barrasso
Owner and founder of Delicate Balance LLC
Listening Beyond Words: What Horses Teach Us About Presence & Energy
Photo Credit: Maxwell Ward Photography
The yard was quiet except for the peepers peeping and the slow rhythm of breath — mine and his.
I wasn’t asking for anything, not trying to make something happen. I was simply standing beside him, hand resting gently on his shoulder, feeling the energy beneath my palm. And in that stillness, something shifted.
He sighed, lowered his head, and leaned in ever so slightly — not as if to say, I understand you, but more like, I feel you.
That moment reminded me of something I’ve learned again and again: horses listen in ways we often forget how to. They don’t need words. They don’t need explanations. They feel energy.
The Language Beneath the Surface
Horses live in a world that is deeply sensory and intuitive. They read the subtle — breath, posture, tone, the energy that lingers between heartbeats. When we walk into their space, they can sense whether we’re grounded or tense, open or guarded, truthful or hiding behind our stories.
What amazes me is how effortlessly they meet us where we are. They don’t judge or expect us to be perfect. They simply respond.
If we’re anxious, they might shift or turn away. If we soften, they soften. If we breathe, they breathe with us.
This, to me, is communication in its purest form — presence meeting presence.
When We Begin to Truly Listen
Over time, I’ve realized that listening beyond words isn’t something we do; it’s something we allow.
When we quiet the noise of our thoughts, when we stop trying to control or interpret, we begin to feel — and that’s when the real conversation begins.
One of my most profound teachers is my own horse, Bucky. Continuing to reflect me in ways I never knew subsided within me. I used to take it personally. But as I learned to slow down and become more aware of my own energy and emotions, I realized something: he wasn’t rejecting me — he was reflecting me.
It is the moments between our ego and our higher self where we find that little bit of light, our chance to awaken.
Bringing this awareness to the relationship you and your horse share, can give you a whole new perspective on what it means to truly listen.
The Bridge Between Energy Work and Horses
This is the same awareness I bring into my energy and bodywork sessions. Horses, like Reiki, remind us that energy doesn’t lie. What we feel internally ripples outward, influencing every interaction we have.
When we tune into that energy — when we become conscious of our own vibration — we open the door to healing. We learn that connection isn’t about control; it’s about resonance.
Each time I work with a horse, I’m reminded that healing is a shared experience. It’s not something we give them. It’s something we join them in — a sacred dance of trust, release, and presence.
An Invitation to You
The next time you’re with your horse — or any animal — pause.
Take a deep breath.
Notice your body, your thoughts, your emotions.
Feel your feet on the ground. Let your energy settle.
Then, without saying a word, notice how your horse responds.
Do they soften? Turn toward you? Exhale?
These are the moments when communication happens on a soul level. When both beings are simply being.
Horses have been my greatest teacher. They continue to remind me that healing doesn’t come from effort — it comes from awareness.
When we slow down enough to listen without words, we begin to hear everything that truly matters.
With love and light,
Jessica
Owner and Founder of Delicate Balance LLC
💭 Reflection prompt:
Where in your life are you being invited to listen more deeply — not with your ears, but with your heart?
Finding Delicate Balance
Photo credit: Maxwell Ward Photography
There was a time when I thought balance meant doing it all — staying strong, staying busy, holding it together.
But life, motherhood, and the quiet wisdom of animals have taught me something very different. Balance isn’t about holding everything perfectly still. It’s about learning to move with what is — to breathe, to listen, and to allow.
Welcome to Delicate Balance LLC.
This is a space where healing meets intuition, where stories of horses and heart remind us that there is beauty in slowing down. My hope is that you’ll find pieces of yourself here — pieces that feel seen, supported, and inspired to awaken and heal in your own way.
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The Beginning of My Journey
My path to energy work didn’t arrive all at once. It unfolded quietly, through moments of chaos, confusion, and uncertainty. The chaos turned into fuel, the confusion turned into knowledge, and the uncertainty, well that still creeps up. Slowly came the stillness and deep listening. Before I knew it, horses were my first teachers — they showed me what it means to feel without words.
When I stood beside them, I began to understand how much they could sense — my emotions, my energy, even the thoughts I tried to hide. They didn’t judge; they simply reflected what was true.
Over time, I followed the call toward deeper understanding not just for the animals, but for myself. My first reiki session completely turned my life up side down, in the best way possible. It just felt, right. I finally started to understand where my healing needed to begin.
Studying Reiki, animal communication, and equine bodywork have all continued humble me. Each practice became a new way of seeing, a new layer of healing for both animals and myself.
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The Heart of My Work
Through Reiki, intuitive communication, and bodywork, I help animals and their people find connection, clarity, and relief — not only in the body, but within the emotional and energetic layers that often go unseen.
Healing, to me, isn’t about fixing what’s broken.
It’s about remembering who we are underneath the noise. It’s about softening the parts of ourselves that have been protecting for too long, and allowing the energy of peace and understanding to flow freely again.
Each session, whether with a horse, dog, cat, or human, reminds me that we’re all searching for the same thing — to be felt, understood, and loved.
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What You’ll Find Here
This blog is an extension of that work — a place to share what I’ve learned and continue to learn every day.
You can expect stories from the barn, lessons from my teachers (both human and equine), reflections on energy and intuition, and gentle reminders to return home to yourself.
Some posts will be educational, others will simply be honest — moments of healing, growth, and the beautiful messiness of being human.
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A Closing Intention
Whether you’ve found your way here through your horse, your healing journey, or simple curiosity, I’m so grateful you’re here.
May this space bring you a sense of calm, inspiration, and connection.
And may it remind you that healing is never a straight path — it’s a delicate balance, one we learn to walk with grace, even through the muck!
With love and light,
Jessica
Owner and Founder of Delicate Balance LLC