The Polyvagal Theory

Things are never as simple as they seem…

- Shelley Wolhuter

The Polyvagal Theory is making waves in the horsemanship world, and rightfully so. It is excellently explained in detail by trauma psychotherapist Sarah Schlote of EQUUSOMA (and embraced by renowned horseman Warwick Schiller in his work).

This article, however, serves just to provide a brief overview of the concepts. If you would like to read about them in more detail, we would suggest you check out Sarah Schlote’s article[1], or look at some of Warwick Schiller’s freely available YouTube videos on the subject.

WHAT IS THE THEORY?

Neuroscientist Dr Stephen Porges introduced the Polyvagal Theory in 1994, which proposed that the autonomic nervous system (ANS) has three branches, as opposed to the widely known two-branch model. The two-branch model divides the ANS into the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), which is associated with sympathetic activation or ‘fight or flight’, and the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), which is associated with parasympathetic activation or ‘rest and digest’.

These two systems are understood to work in opposition, where only one can be ‘on’ at a time. This two-branch model was probably the one you were taught in school.