Horses’ Cardiovascular and Glucocorticoid Responses to Equine-Assisted Therapy with Women with Intellectual Disability: An Exploratory Study.

This study investigates the physiological effects of equine-assisted therapy (EAT) on therapy horses, namely their cardiovascular and glucocorticoid responses. It finds that horses show a higher heart rate and salivary cortisol levels during EAT sessions, especially when guided by a client through an obstacle course, but these increased levels do not cause immediate animal welfare concerns.

Research Objectives

• The primary objective of this research was to understand how EAT affects the horses involved, an aspect that has been under-researched. The focus was on assessing the cardiovascular and glucocorticoid activity in therapy horses during EAT sessions.
• The study also aimed to provide initial insights into any potential animal welfare issues related to EAT by examining the horses’ physiological reactions during sessions.

Methodology

• The study was conducted using four experienced therapy horses, which provided EAT to women with intellectual disabilities.
• A control condition was also established wherein the horses completed the EAT protocol solely with the therapist, paralleling a training session.
• The researchers measured the horses’ heart rates and salivary cortisol levels during both the control and experimental EAT sessions.

Findings

• Data analysis showed that the horses had higher heart rates during the experimental EAT sessions, particularly when being navigated by the client through an obstacle course in the “challenge” phase of the protocol.
• Horses also showed increased salivary cortisol levels during this phase, suggesting a greater physical demand on the horse due to the recipient riding on its back.
• However, the researchers observed parasympathetic activity and overall heart rate variability across EAT sessions and cortisol levels began to decrease after the sessions, indicating that these elevated physiological responses did not cause immediate welfare concerns.

Implications

• This study adds to the relatively sparse body of knowledge about EAT’s effects on the therapeutic horses themselves. It suggests that while EAT does induce physiological changes in therapy horses, these changes do not give rise to any immediate animal welfare concerns.
• The research also suggests that additional larger-scale studies looking at a wider range of welfare markers are needed to better understand the horse’s perception of EAT and provide a more comprehensive view of its impact.