Effects of transporting horses facing either forwards or backwards on their behaviour and heart rate.

The research examines how the direction horses face during transport (forward versus backward) can affect their heart rate and behavior. It was discovered that horses transported facing backwards exhibited lower average heart rates and were generally less stressed than those transported facing forwards.

Study Design and Methodology

• The researchers chose six thoroughbred horses as subjects for this study. These horses were transported in pairs, in a lorry, over a standard one-hour route.
• These horses were subjected to two different transport experiments. In one, the horses were placed facing the direction of travel (forward-facing). In the other, the horses were positioned facing away from the direction of travel (backward-facing).
• The horses’ heart rates were monitored and recorded at three different stages: before, during, and after the journey. This allowed the researchers to assess the cardiovascular stress endured by the horses in each scenario.
• The behavior of the horses was also observed and recorded every other minute through a technique known as scan sampling.

Key Findings

• The study found a significant difference in the average heart rate of the horses based on their orientation during transport. The horses that were transported facing backwards had a significantly lower heart rate (P < 0.05) than those transported facing forwards.
• The horses transported backwards also tended to rest on their rumps more often, indicating potentially less stress (P = 0.059).
• On the contrary, horses facing forwards during transport showed more frequent movement, held their necks in higher positions than usual, and vocalized more. These are all signs of distress or discomfort, suggesting that this orientation was more stressful for the horses.
• While loading the horses into the transportation vehicle, it was found that the peak heart rate was 38 bpm lower when the horses were backed into the horse box for rear-facing transport as compared to when they were loaded facing forwards (P < 0.05).
• However, the researchers did not find a significant difference in peak unloading heart rate or average heart rate during loading or unloading, regardless of whether the horses were facing forwards or backwards.

Conclusion

• From these findings, it seems that horses find it less physically stressful to be transported when facing backwards as compared to when they are facing forwards. The researchers’ measurements of heart rate and behavioral observations support this conclusion.