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Home / Equine Research Bank / Vet Ophthalmol / Effect of attentional focus levels on spontaneous eyeblink r...
Veterinary ophthalmology2020; 23(4); 690-695; doi: 10.1111/vop.12778

Effect of attentional focus levels on spontaneous eyeblink rate in horses.

Abstract: Spontaneous eyeblink rate (SEBR) is inversely proportional to the level of attentional focus in humans. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of attentional focus on SEBR in horses. Methods: Twenty client-owned horses (2.5-23 years of age, five mares, 15 geldings) were evaluated. A GoPro HERO5 Session™ video recorder was attached to the halter and directed toward the eyes. Horses were acclimated for two hours before study commencement. Horses were filmed in five scenarios requiring different levels of attention: alone in a stall ("stall"), stall with an observer ("person"), standing in an arena ("stand"), walking in an arena ("walk"), and trotting in arena ("trot"). Each of the five scenarios was filmed for ten minutes. Video recordings were reviewed, and SEBR (incomplete, complete, and total blinks) was measured for both eyes in each scenario. Results: The median (25%,75%) total SEBRs (blinks/min) were as follows: STALL: OD-16.6 (12.4, 24.3), OS-18.8 (11.5, 26.9); PERSON: OD-17.7 (14.6, 24.2), OS-17.4 (13.9, 24.4); STAND: OD-18.7 (15.1, 24.4), OS-19.4 (16.2, 24.7); WALK: OD-40.1 (34.1, 44.8), OS-40.6 (33.8, 44.7); and TROT: OD-39.7 (30.3, 44.6), OS-39.4 (28.6, 45.0). The total SEBRs at walk and trot were significantly greater than SEBR in stationary scenarios. Conclusions: Despite requiring increased levels of attentional focus, activities involving motion caused increased SEBR in horses. We hypothesize the need for additional tear distribution due to tear evaporation (associated with air movement over the corneas) prevailed over the level of attentional focus to increase the SEBR.
© 2020 American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists.
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Publication Date: 2020-05-21 PubMed ID: 32437053DOI: 10.1111/vop.12778Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research explored how the spontaneous eyeblink rate (SEBR) in horses is affected by different levels of attentional focus. The results indicated that despite an increase in attentional focus during activities with motion, the SEBR was found to be significantly higher compared to stationary scenarios.

Research Methodology

  • The experiment involved twenty client-owned horses, ranging from 2.5 to 23 years old. This group comprised of 5 mares and 15 geldings.
  • An acclimatization period of two hours was allowed for each horse before filming started. Filming was done using a GoPro HERO5 Session™ video recorder attached to the horse’s halter, focused on the eyes.
  • Five different scenarios were filmed to test various levels of attentional focus: a horse alone in a stall, in a stall with an observer, standing in an arena, walking in an arena, and trotting in an arena. Each scenario was recorded for ten minutes.
  • Spontaneous eyeblink rate (SEBR), including incomplete, complete, and total blinks, was counted separately for each eye in different scenarios.

Research Findings

  • The median total spontaneous eyeblink rates (SEBRs) per minute were found to significantly increase when the horses were walking or trotting compared to when they were in stationary positions (alone in a stall, with a person, or standing in an arena).
  • More specifically, the median total SEBRs were around 18 blinks/minute in stationary scenarios and increased to roughly 40 blinks/minute during walking or trotting.

Conclusions

  • Contrary to the behavior observed in humans where SEBR decreases with increased attentional focus, in horses, the SEBR increased during activities involving motion, despite these activities requiring higher attentional focus compared to others.
  • The researchers posited a hypothesis to explain this unexpected finding: the need for additional tear distribution due to tear evaporation when air movement was higher over the corneas (as during trotting or walking) may have overridden the effect of higher attentional focus, therefore increasing the SEBR.
  • The findings of this study provide valuable insights on how horses’ eyes respond to their environment and could potentially inform equine training practices and welfare standards.

Cite This Article

APA
Cherry RL, Adair HS, Chen T, Hendrix DVH, Ward DA. (2020). Effect of attentional focus levels on spontaneous eyeblink rate in horses. Vet Ophthalmol, 23(4), 690-695. https://doi.org/10.1111/vop.12778

Publication

Veterinary ophthalmology
ISSN: 1463-5224
NlmUniqueID: 100887377
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 23
Issue: 4
Pages: 690-695

Researcher Affiliations

Cherry, Rose L
  • Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA.
Adair, Henry S
  • Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA.
Chen, Thomas
  • Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA.
Hendrix, Diane V H
  • Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA.
Ward, Daniel A
  • Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Attention
  • Blinking / physiology
  • Female
  • Horses / physiology
  • Male
  • Movement
  • Tears / physiology
  • Video Recording

Grant Funding

  • 2018.01 / Companion Animal Fund

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Citations

This article has been cited 1 times.
  1. Tomberg C, Petagna M, de Selliers de Moranville LA. Spontaneous eye blinks in horses (Equus caballus) are modulated by attention. Sci Rep 2024 Aug 20;14(1):19336.
    doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-70141-ypubmed: 39164361google scholar: lookup
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