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Asian-Australasian journal of animal sciences2016; 29(6); 895-900; doi: 10.5713/ajas.15.1068

Influence of Horse and Rider on Stress during Horse-riding Lesson Program.

Abstract: The present study aims to confirm the influence of a horse-riding lesson program (HRLP) on the stress level of horses and riders by respectively analyzing their salivary cortisol concentration. Twenty-four healthy horses and 23 riders participated in this study. The horses were randomly classified into two groups for the horse riding lesson program: Class 1 (for the beginner lesson) and Class 2 (for the intermediate lesson). The Class 1 group consisted of 12 horses and 12 riders, while the Class 2 group consisted of 12 horses and 11 riders. Salivettes cotton wool swabs were used for saliva collection and the saliva analyses were conducted using a two-way analysis of variance for repeated measures with SAS version 8. As for the results, the average salivary cortisol concentration of all horses before HRLP significantly increased compared to the baseline (p<0.001) while it decreased after the HRLP. The results of the salivary cortisol concentration of the riders were similar to the horses' results. However, there was no difference during the HRLP between Class 1 and Class 2 in the horse or rider groups. The results suggest that the HRLP did not influence the stress level of the horses or riders. Thus, this study provides the necessary information and guidelines for future studies on stress in horses during riding and gives insight into better horse welfare and management options.
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Publication Date: 2016-03-22 PubMed ID: 27004819PubMed Central: PMC4852258DOI: 10.5713/ajas.15.1068Google 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.

The research article focuses on a study examining the effects of a horse-riding lesson program on the stress levels of horses and riders, measured using salivary cortisol concentration. The results indicate that the program didn’t impact the stress level of either group.

Methodology

The study involved 24 healthy horses and 23 riders who were divided into two groups for the horse riding lesson program. The objective was to ascertain if these lessons impacted the stress levels of both horses and riders:

  • There were two classes of the horse-riding lesson program (HRLP); Class 1 was for beginner lessons, and Class 2 was for intermediate lessons.
  • Class 1 consisted of 12 horses and 12 riders, whereas Class 2 comprised 12 horses and 11 riders.
  • The research employed the use of Salivettes cotton wool swabs for collecting saliva samples from both horses and riders.
  • These samples were then analyzed using a two-way analysis of variance for repeated measures with SAS version 8.

Results

The results showed that the average salivary cortisol concentration, which is a stress indicator, increased significantly in all horses before the HRLP compared to baseline measurements:

  • This concentration, however, decreased after the HRLP. This showed an initial increase in stress levels before the lessons, which then dropped after the lessons got underway.
  • Similar results were observed in riders, which pointed to a pattern equivalent to that observed in the horses.
  • Interestingly, it was found that there were no significant differences in horse or rider stress levels during the HRLP between Class 1 (beginners) and Class 2 (intermediates).

Conclusions

The research concluded that the HRLP did not influence the stress levels of the horses or riders. This conclusion is based on the comparison of stress levels before and after the horse riding lessons:

  • The absence of a significant difference in stress levels between the classes suggests that HRLP does not impact stress levels based on the rider’s proficiency (beginner or intermediate).
  • This study provides crucial information that can guide future research on stress in horses during riding. It also offers insights into improving horse welfare and management practices.

Cite This Article

APA
Kang OD, Yun YM. (2016). Influence of Horse and Rider on Stress during Horse-riding Lesson Program. Asian-Australas J Anim Sci, 29(6), 895-900. https://doi.org/10.5713/ajas.15.1068

Publication

Asian-Australasian journal of animal sciences
ISSN: 1011-2367
NlmUniqueID: 9884245
Country: Korea (South)
Language: English
Volume: 29
Issue: 6
Pages: 895-900

Researcher Affiliations

Kang, Ok-Deuk
  • Department of Hippotherapy Welfare, SungDuk C.University, Yeongcheon 38801, Korea.
Yun, Young-Min
  • College of Veterinary Medicine, Jeju National University, Jeju 690-756, Korea.

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Citations

This article has been cited 6 times.
  1. Vincent A, Peth-Pierce RM, Morrissey MA, Acri MC, Guo F, Seibel L, Hoagwood KE. Evaluation of a Modified Bit Device to Obtain Saliva Samples from Horses. Vet Sci 2021 Oct 15;8(10).
    doi: 10.3390/vetsci8100232pubmed: 34679064google scholar: lookup
  2. McKenzie J, Fenner K, Hyde M, Anzulewicz A, Burattini B, Romness N, Wilson B, McGreevy P. Equine Responses to Acceleration and Deceleration Cues May Reflect Their Exposure to Multiple Riders. Animals (Basel) 2020 Dec 31;11(1).
    doi: 10.3390/ani11010066pubmed: 33396451google scholar: lookup
  3. Friend MM, Nicodemus MC, Cavinder CA, Lemley CO, Prince P, Holtcamp K, Elam R. Cognitive and physiological impacts of psychotherapy incorporating human-equine interactions during substance withdrawal: A scoping review. J Equine Rehabil 2025;3.
    doi: 10.1016/j.eqre.2025.100022pubmed: 41054627google scholar: lookup
  4. Jung Y, Yoon M. The Effects of Human-Horse Interactions on Oxytocin and Cortisol Levels in Humans and Horses. Animals (Basel) 2025 Mar 21;15(7).
    doi: 10.3390/ani15070905pubmed: 40218299google scholar: lookup
  5. Potier JF, Louzier V. Evaluation of stress markers in horses during hippotherapy sessions in comparison to being ridden by beginners. Anim Welf 2023;32:e10.
    doi: 10.1017/awf.2023.6pubmed: 38487430google scholar: lookup
  6. Rigby BR. Characterizing stress during animal interaction: a focus on the human endocrine response during equine-assisted services. Front Vet Sci 2023;10:1303354.
    doi: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1303354pubmed: 38188717google scholar: lookup
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