Conversations in Equine Science

Why My Gelding Chews the Reins: The Cortisol Connection

In this episode Nancy McLean answers listener emails about geldings that chew lead ropes and reins, she explains how cortisol and the HPA axis relate to stress-driven behaviors, and describes how consistent training, handler calmness, routines, turnout, and nutrition can help horses down-regulate stress. The episode also summarizes research on cortisol sampling methods (plasma, saliva, hair) for short- and long-term stress assessment, and closes with a brief update on a new world screwworm outbreak, what has been done historically to eradicate it, and practical steps owners should take if they suspect infestation. Research: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/13/12/2219 https://assets.cureus.com/uploads/review_article/pdf/413141/20251106-69309-xadaoe.pdf

Get Back On: The Neuroscience of Remounting After a Fall

In this episode Nancy McLean explores a listener question about whether to remount after a fall, using Dr. Stephen Peters’ research and a review by McBride et al. to explain how equine learning, myelination, and long-term potentiation shape behavior. Nancy explains how automaticity, basal ganglia consolidation, and dopamine-driven rewards can help overwrite fearful responses, and she shares a real-life example of calmly remounting to reinforce positive patterns. Key takeaway: when horse and rider are uninjured, a calm remount and rewarded repetition can help redirect the horse’s neural pathways and prevent lasting fear responses.

The Equine Limbic System

The core of the equine brain’s emotional center, Nancy describes how the neurological processes of the limbic system take place. She also highlights the reward prediction error (RPE) and the impact it has on equine learning.

Horse Brain Science - Part 3

This is a continuation of our study on Equine Neurology and Ethical Horse Training and Management.

Inside the Horse Brain: How Equine Minds Think, Feel, and React

In this episode Nancy McLean explores Dr. Stephen Peters' book Horse Brain Science, comparing human and equine brain anatomy and function. She explains brain size and cortical folding, then walks through the four main lobes (frontal, parietal, temporal, occipital), the amygdala and hippocampus, and the brainstem. The episode connects these brain differences to horse behavior and training—why punishment fails, how pressure and removal or positive rewards work, and how understanding sensory processing, memory, and fear responses can improve ethical horsemanship.