Effect of body direction on heart rate in trailered horses.

The research examines the impact of a horse’s facing direction in a trailer on their heart rates, and by extension their stress levels, during transport. It reveals that direction did not significantly affect heart rates and that transport, regardless of direction faced, leads to higher heart rates than being in a parked trailer.

Objective and Methodology

• The researchers aimed to identify the effect of a horse’s body direction (forward or backward) within a transportation trailer on horse heart rates, as an indication of their excitement or possible stress levels during transport.
• The study was performed on 8 Thoroughbred geldings (castrated male horses) which were transported on a 32-km route of county roads. They travelled inside a 4-horse stock trailer, tethered in either a forward or backward facing direction.
• For control measurements, their heart rates were also recorded while they were tethered in the same positions but in the stationary trailer.

Findings

• The heart rates of the horses, regardless of whether they were facing forward or backward, decreased during the first 10 minutes of the journey and stabilized after the first 15 minutes.
• There were no significant differences in the heart rates of horses facing forward or backward during transport or while in the stationary trailer.
• However, the heart rates of horses were significantly higher during transport than while in a parked trailer, irrespective of their facing direction.

Conclusions

• The research concludes that the direction in which the horse is facing (forward or backward) in a trailer does not significantly influence their heart rates, or presumable stress levels, during transport.
• It also implies that the act of transportation, regardless of the horse’s facing direction, induces greater physiological stress – as evidenced by higher heart rates – compared to when the horses are in a stationary trailer.