Emotional excitability and behaviour of horses in response to stroking various regions of the body.

The research summarizes a study on how stroking various parts of horses’ bodies affects their emotional excitability and behaviour. It indicates that horses’ reactions differ depending on the specific area being stroked, and this variance also depends on the type and gender of the horse.

Objective and Scope of the Study

• The research was undertaken to study how horses’ emotional excitability and behaviour change in response to being stroked in different parts of their bodies. Understanding this can better inform horse-caretakers and trainers on welfare strategies and how to best form positive interactions with these animals.
• The sample for the study consisted of 30 adult horses – 15 warmbloods and 15 ponies, with each group having nine geldings and six mares.

Methods Used in the Study

• The study began with a novel-object test to orient the horses to the upcoming tactile stimuli.
• Over five consecutive days, each horse was stroked for five minutes in one of five different body regions. The body regions stroked included were not specified in the abstract but were likely to be common areas of interaction such as the neck, flanks, back, or underside.
• The horse’s heart rate and heart rate variability were monitored at rest, during the test and while being stroked, serving as indicators of their emotional state and excitability.
• The behaviour of the horses was simultaneously assessed, using a scale from 1 to 5, probably judging calmness or agitation levels.
• The findings were statistically analyzed using GLM analysis of variance, Tukey’s Honestly Significant Difference test, and Spearman’s correlation coefficient.

Key Findings of the Study

• The study demonstrated that horses showed greater excitement when being stroked than when at rest, supporting the idea that stroking leads to emotional arousal in horses.
• The horses’ reactions differ when stroked on different body regions, suggesting that certain areas are more sensitive or pleasurable to the animal.
• These reactions also varied depending on the type and gender of the horse, meaning that a personalized approach is beneficial when working with individual horses.
• Stroking the head was found to yield positive effects in both warmbloods and ponies, but stroking the trunk requires caution due to nuanced or variable reactions.
• The study concludes that horses of lower emotionality and better behaviour both at rest and during the novel-object test may respond more positively to stroking. The abstract does not elaborate on this, but it suggests that horses with calmer temperaments may find the stroking more pleasurable or less threatening.