Influence of riders’ skill on plasma cortisol levels of horses walking on forest and field trekking courses.

This research evaluates how a rider’s skill level affects the stress levels, measured by plasma cortisol, of trekking horses on forest and field routes.

Research Design

• This study aimed to understand the impact of a rider’s skill level on the stress experienced by trekking horses. The stress levels were determined by measuring the plasma cortisol levels in the horses’ blood.
• The experiment was carried out on two different trekking courses: a field and a forest course. Both trails were approximately 4.5 to 5.1 kilometres long.
• Three riders, classified as advanced, beginner, and intermediate participated in the study. They rode the horses in a tandem line with the advanced rider leading, followed by the beginner, and finally the intermediate rider.
• Six horses were involved in the study and experienced all conditions and positions across the two courses. A total of 12 experiments were conducted.

Data Collection

• Blood samples were collected from the horses at three different times: before the horse trekking (HT) activity, immediately after, and then again two hours after completing the trek.
• To establish the baseline, additional blood samples were collected from the same horses on non-riding days (control days) for comparison against activity days

Findings and Conclusion

• The findings revealed that the cortisol level was higher before the HT on both courses, irrespective of the rider’s skill level, when compared to the control level.
• Interestingly, cortisol levels were found to be higher immediately after the HT when the horses were ridden by an advanced rider on both courses, compared to the control level.
• However, the cortisol level returned to a level similar to that of the control two hours after completing the HT. This was consistent across all situations, rule out the rider’s skill level or the course type as significant stress factors.
• The study concluded that the stress experienced by a trekking horse during the treks was not sufficient to disturb their circadian rhythm of cortisol level, regardless of the route taken or the skill level of the rider.