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Topic:Emotions
The study of emotions in horses involves understanding the behavioral, physiological, and psychological responses of horses to various stimuli. Emotions in horses can be inferred through observable behaviors, such as vocalizations, body language, and interactions with their environment and other animals. Physiological indicators, including heart rate, cortisol levels, and other stress-related biomarkers, are also used to assess emotional states. This research area explores how emotions affect horse welfare, training outcomes, and human-animal interactions. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that examine the identification, measurement, and implications of emotional states in horses.
Differences between horses (Equus caballus) displaying oral and locomotor stereotypies in their responses to a stable mirror. Recent cross-species analyses suggest that the different forms of stereotypic behaviour have heterogeneous causal mechanisms. In ungulates, there are indications that some forms of locomotor stereotypy may be linked to social factors. Using the domestic horse as a model species within this clade, we investigated whether individuals displaying the locomotor stereotypy box-walking (n=6) demonstrated greater responses to a stable mirror, intended to mimic presence of a conspecific, than horses displaying the oral stereotypy crib-biting (n=5) and non-stereotypic horses (n=5). After a 24hr baseline...
Recognition of unfamiliar predators in domestic horses through only visual predator cues. Acoustic, olfactory, and visual predator cues trigger various adaptive responses among a variety of prey species even when they are under human protection since birth. Previous studies have found that domesticated animals show increased vigilance, stress, flight, and aggregation behaviors in response to predation threats. These investigations, however, did not directly test visual threatening cues alone in animals that communicate more with body language than vocalizations while considering individual temperament and social status. The current study aims to address this issue. Eighteen horses ...
Parents’ perspectives on equine-assisted occupational therapy intervention for their children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This study examined how parents experienced the ASTride Equine-Assisted Occupational Therapy intervention for their children with ADHD, and the meanings they ascribed to changes observed in their children and themselves. Unassigned: Thirteen parents of children aged 7-12 who completed the ASTride intervention participated in in-depth, semi-structured interviews. A grounded theory approach guided the analysis, which included open coding, category mapping, and thematic modeling to identify central processes across narratives. Unassigned: (1) Parents' perceived benefits for children including emo...
Observations on Anti-Predator Defense Behavior in Feral Horses in Venezuela. Apart from vigilance and flight, anti-predator defense behavior in horses has not been well documented despite its importance during natural selection. In this study, observations of a feral herd (around 140) of Venezuelan horses sympatric with puma and jaguar divided such defense into precaution and reaction. Group living and the avoidance of danger areas are precautionary measures enhanced by the stallion's vigilance and his actions to keep small foals with the band. Reactions to perceived threats comprise communication of alarm; bunching, or cohesion, as a primary response; massed flight fo...
Psycho-Spiritual Reflections on the Horse/Human Relationship. This essay offers a psycho-spiritual and psychoanalytic meditation on the horse-human relationship as a nonverbal site of attunement, regulation, and meaning-making. Drawing on autobiographical clinical narrative, it explores how horseback riding became a medium for experiencing and reflecting upon embodied connection, mutual responsiveness, and contemplative presence. Encounters with horses illuminate forms of reciprocity that preceded and exceed speech, while also opening reflection on maternal attachment, separation, loss, and the emergence of selfhood. In dialogue with Freud, Winnicott, Pi...
A non-trauma-focused equine-assisted intervention was associated with reductions in all four PTSD symptom clusters in treatment-resistant military veterans. Veterans are at greater risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and show a poorer response to first-line treatments than civilians. Although equine-assisted interventions (EAIs) represent a promising alternative for military veterans,the underlying mechanisms remain uncertain, and their effectiveness across different PTSD symptom clusters has yet to be established. This study examined the effects of a non-trauma-focused EAI on specific PTSD symptoms in treatment-resistant military veterans. Unassigned: Participants in the intervention were military veterans diagnosed with PTSD...
Equine-assisted coaching in formerly incarcerated men with histories of substance abuse: a 12-week exploratory study of anger regulation, quality of life, human-horse synchrony, and equine behavior. Equine-assisted interventions are increasingly used as complementary approaches to support psychosocial functioning, yet empirical evidence in justice-involved populations with histories of substance abuse remains limited. The present exploratory quantitative study examined the effects of a 12-week equine-assisted coaching program on anger regulation, quality of life, and human-horse synchrony in formerly incarcerated men, while also monitoring equine behavioral responses from a One Health perspective. Eleven male participants residing in a residential reintegration facility in the Netherlands...
Effects of three equine-related training modalities on inhibitory control in children aged 7-8 years: an exploratory randomized controlled trial. Horseback riding training (HRT), horseback riding simulator training (HRST), and horse companion training (HCT) can improve physical fitness, cognitive abilities, and emotional well-being. However, their effects on inhibitory control (IC) are not well studied. Unassigned: This exploratory randomized controlled trial examined the effects of HRT, HRST, and HCT on IC in children aged 7-8 years and analyzed brain neural mechanisms using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Twenty-four children aged 7-8 years from Maple Leaf International School-Xi'an were randomly divided into three grou...
Industry Perceptions of Thoroughbred Racehorse Emotions and Quality of Life: Implications for the Development of an Equine Quality of Life Assessment Tool. Understanding how horses experience their lives is essential for improving their welfare, particularly in high-performance industries such as horseracing. Quality of Life (QoL) frameworks highlight the balance between positive and negative experiences over time, yet there is limited evidence on how racing professionals assess horse emotions and QoL, especially positive emotional states. This study reports findings from an international online survey of 230 racing industry participants. It explored confidence in assessing racehorse emotions, the perceived importance of emotional state for perfo...
Effects of an Equine-Assisted Riding Program on Motor Performance, Movement Quality, and Well-Being Among Young Inmates. Equine-assisted programs have been shown to promote psychosocial outcomes, but quantitative evidence of motor benefits in correctional settings is scarce. Objective: The present study examined the effects of a one-week equine-assisted riding program on riding performance, movement quality, and well-being among young inmates in an open German prison. Methods: Ten male participants (24.5 ± 0.71 years) completed a five-day program combining practical riding exercises, cooperative activities, and guided reflection. Riding performance was assessed using standardized expert video ratings based on t...
Farm Atmosphere: Calm Attention and Mobility Characterise Positive Horse Welfare. On-farm welfare assessment of equines is a challenge given the large diversity of management practices, especially in terms of housing and activities. In our study, we tested time budget measures as a complementary tool to more conventional welfare indicators (e.g., stereotypic behaviours, ear position while foraging, neck shape). We observed 174 horses living in eight facilities (in their home environment) for which data on management practices and welfare were available. Time budget was assessed using the scan sampling method (1 min scan sampling over 30 min; 33 scans), while welfare assessm...
Riding toward better math: executive functions mediate the link between horseback activities and children’s mathematical achievement. Research directly examining the cognitive and academic correlates of horseback-riding in childhood remains limited. This study examined the relationships among monthly horseback-riding hours, executive function (EF), and mathematics achievement in children aged 7–9 years. A sample of 262 participants from Saudi Arabia was assessed using parent interviews and official educational records, with data collected from sports clubs and horse stables. EF was modeled as a latent construct—including organization and planning, working memory, emotion regulation, self-control, and motivation—`using ...
Social enrichment mitigates facial expressions and physiological indicators of short-term stress in horses. This study aimed to evaluate the ability of social noncontact environmental enrichment to facilitate social buffering and to characterize the emotional experience of horses subjected to restraint in stock by assessing physiological parameters and facial expressions. Pantaneiro horses (n = 11) were evaluated in a crossover design with two treatments: social noncontact enrichment during stock restraint and social isolation during stock restraint. Physiological parameters (heart rate, heart rate variability, respiratory rate, ocular temperature by infrared thermography, and auricular temperat...
Money, morality, and nationalism: the contested sponsorship of the Falsterbo horse show. In early 2025, the Falsterbo Horse Show entered a title sponsorship agreement with Al Shira'aa Stables in the United Arab Emirates, prompting extensive Swedish media coverage and strong public reactions. This controversy offers an opportunity to examine how sport sponsorship becomes a site for moral and geopolitical boundary-making. Drawing on a Foucauldian understanding of discourse as a meaning-making practice, the study analyses 210 Swedish newspaper articles published between February and April 2025 to explore how power/knowledge operates through language and how sponsorship is discursivel...
Horses Prefer Their Rider: A Strange Situation Test Adaptation Shows Behavioural Evidence for Partner-Specific Bonding. The relationship between horses and humans is often described as cooperative and affective, yet empirical studies on horse-rider bond remain scarce. Previous findings on horse-human relationships yielded conflicting results on whether and how horses show bonding like behaviour toward their owners. Objective: We tested whether horses show partner-specific approach and proximity toward their primary rider compared with an unfamiliar experimenter in an adapted Strange Situation Test, and whether the rider's presence was associated with behavioural patterns indicative of safe haven and secure base...
Leading With HEART©: Equine-Assisted Leadership Training Fosters Emotional Intelligence, Resilience, and Identity Formation in First-Year Osteopathic Medical Students. Burnout, emotional dysregulation, and lack of resilience are prevalent among medical students and professionals contributing to stress and burnout. Despite recognition that emotional regulation, leadership capacity, and PIF are essential competencies, medical education provides limited structured training in these domains. The Holistic Equine-Assisted Resilience Training (HEART©) curriculum was developed to address these gaps through integration of HeartMath biofeedback, equine-assisted learning and experiential leadership development. This study evaluated the effects of HEART© on physiologi...
RAiSE (recognizing affective state in equine) and the assessment of equine affective state: Accuracy and application. Accurate interpretation of affective state (AS) of animals is critical to assessment of their wellbeing. Although horse owners may appreciate the importance of this skill, many lack the ability to interpret AS accurately. Objective: To test if the online course Recognizing Affective States in Equine (RAiSE) improves participants' assessment of AS in horses and increases use of AS in management. Methods: Participants completed pre (PRE), post (POST), and 90 day post (90POST) course surveys to assess accuracy in identifying AS in 20 videos, as well as use of AS in their horse interactions. Pre/p...
Effect of Equine-assisted Biographical Work (EABW) in older adults with subclinical depression: a randomized controlled trial. Preventive approaches for depression in adults aged 50 years and older have received little attention, despite increasing needs arising from demographic changes. In particular, subclinical depression is often underdiagnosed and associated with anxiety, a poorer quality of life, and greater need for assistance from the healthcare system. This multicentre, randomised, controlled phase III trial investigated if Equine-Assisted Biographical Work (EABW) is effective to improve subclinical depression. Qualified sites in Germany enrolled 52 participants ≥ 50 years (Full Analysis Set (FAS),...
A Newfound Experience of Being Good Enough: Youth’s Experiences of an Equine-assisted Therapy Intervention. Mental health, encompassing self-esteem, confidence, physical activity, and social interaction, is essential for the well-being of children and adolescents and supports executive functions crucial for school performance. Mental ill health among young people is increasing in Sweden, with rising rates of self-reported problems, psychiatric diagnoses, and prescriptions of psychotropic medication. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of equine-assisted interventions (EAI) among children and adolescents with anxiety-related mental ill health in southern Sweden. A qualitative design ...
Animal-Assisted Therapy for Reducing Anxiety in Vulnerable Clinical Populations: A Systematic Review. : Anxiety is highly prevalent among individuals living with disability, chronic illness, or hospitalisation, yet it often remains insufficiently addressed in healthcare settings. Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) has been proposed as a complementary intervention to reduce anxiety; however, existing evidence is fragmented across populations and methodologies. : A systematic review was conducted following PRISMA 2020 guidelines. The review protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42024494109); no amendments were made to the protocol after registration. Four databases (Scopus, APA PsycInfo, Web of Sci...
Human emotional odours influence horses’ behaviour and physiology. Olfaction is the most widespread sensory modality animals use to communicate, yet much remains to be discovered about its role. While most studies focused on intraspecific interactions and reproduction, new evidence suggests chemosignals may influence interspecific interactions and emotional communication. This study explores this possibility, investigating the potential role of olfactory signals in human-horse interactions. Cotton pads carrying human odours from fear and joy contexts, or unused pads (control odour) were applied to 43 horses' nostrils during fear tests (suddenness and novelty ...
Perceived Benefits and Barriers for Autistic Adults Accessing Therapeutic Horse Riding for Mental Health. Therapeutic horse riding (THR) is a non-traditional intervention that may support mental well-being in individuals with autism spectrum conditions. Despite growing interest, most research has focused on children and has tended to privilege practitioner or caregiver perspectives, leaving autistic adults underrepresented. This qualitative study explores the psychological benefits and systemic barriers associated with THR among Autistic adults, drawing on perspectives from both clients and practitioners. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six Autistic clients and four practitioners, a...
Horses show limited owner bias in reunion and odor tests: a pilot study. Compared to other companion animals, our understanding of the human-horse relationship is limited, particularly from the horse's perspective. This pilot study examined whether horses (N = 30) show a bias towards their owner in a reunion in the presence of both the owner and a stranger. Afterwards, the horses were also presented with the odor of the owner and a stranger. Both tests were video recorded for behavioral analyzation. No significant owner-directed bias was observed at the group level in either the reunion test or the odor test. Nonetheless, in the reunion test, owner bias in physical...
I feel your pain: Individual differences in welfare indicators after castration in horses. Personality affects both experience and expression of pain and the welfare impact of castration on horses is poorly understood. Therefore, the current study observed 19 horses to determine: the welfare impact of standard castration on horses; whether individuals consistently vary in their behavioural and emotional responses to pain; the influence of personality on behavioural and physiological responses to pain; whether Horse Grimace Scale (HGS) indicates how individuals feel about painful experiences. Eye temperature (IRT), salivary cortisol, HGS and a pain ethogram were measured at intervals...
Therapists’ reasons for including horses into psychotherapy, a qualitative study. The integration of horses into psychotherapy has gained popularity over recent decades, offering unique therapeutic opportunities that may enhance emotional healing, empathy, and relational trust. This study investigates the perspectives of experienced psychotherapists on why they incorporate horses into their therapeutic practices. In-depth interviews were conducted with ten clinicians (eight female, two male) from diverse theoretical orientations. The data, which were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis, revealed four key themes: "Supporting presence and getting to the heart of things...
Equine-assisted learning and leadership transformation: an exploratory qualitative study of workplace behavior. This study explores how equine-assisted leadership development (EALD) interventions activate experiential processes that reshape leaders' self-concept, relational schemas, and behaviors. A conceptual model is proposed to explain how non-verbal interaction with horses catalyzes transformational learning. Unassigned: A qualitative exploratory design was employed to examine leaders' experiences over 12 months following reintegration into their workplaces. Eight leaders ( = 8) attended a 5-day EALD program, engaging in "join-up" exercises with horses. Data were analyzed through reflexive the...
‘Pretty devastating’: exploring horse owner and veterinarian lived experiences of the equine Hendra virus. With more than 60% of emerging infectious diseases being zoonotic, we apply a One Health lens that connects human, animal, and environmental dimensions of the response to a Hendra virus (HeV) event. One Health promotes collaboration among health professionals, veterinarians, environmental scientists, and policymakers to strengthen health infrastructure and improve responses to complex health threats. HeV is an uncommon high-consequence and potentially fatal zoonotic disease endemic to parts of Australia. Previous research has largely focused on the uptake of preparedness measures by veterinari...
Horses and ADHD: the ASTride intervention for cognitive and emotional growth. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of the Attention Skill Training (ASTride) protocol, an Equine-Assisted Occupational Therapy (EAOT) intervention, for children diagnosed with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in enhancing and promoting cognitive and emotional aspects including executive functions, self-efficacy, anxiety and hope perception. Methods: A prospective cohort study with an Interrupted Time-Series design was conducted. Fifty participants (mean age = 9.51 years, SD = 1.52) were assessed at four time points: baseline, pre-test (following a 12-week waiting ...
Parental perceptions of the psychosocial outcomes of equine-assisted activities and therapies for children with autism spectrum disorder in Japan: a phenomenological study. Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often experience challenges in social communication, behavioral regulation, and daily life adaptation. Equine-assisted activities and therapies (EAATs) have been implemented as complementary approaches to support psychosocial development. However, little is known about the experiences of parents in Japan whose children participate in EAATs. Unassigned: The study aims to qualitatively explore how parents in Japan perceive the psychosocial outcomes of EAATs for their children with ASD. By focusing on parental perspectives, this study seeks to clarify ...
Equine-Assisted Interventions: Cross Perspectives of Beneficiaries and Their Caregivers from a Qualitative Perspective. : Although equine-assisted interventions (EAI) are gaining growing attention, their scientific evaluation among individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD) living in nursing homes remains limited. This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of an EAI program from the perspectives of the participants living with AD as well as their families and professional caregivers. : Thirty non-directive interviews were conducted between June and July 2024 across several nursing homes in the Centre-Val de Loire region (France). The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using thematic analy...
