The beneficial effects of horse trekking on autonomic nervous activity in experienced rider with no disability.

The research indicates that a single session of horse trekking (HT) may improve the autonomic nervous activity in riders, shifting their nervous system towards a parasympathetic dominance.

Objective and Methodology of the Research

• The research aspires to examine whether one round of horse trekking exercise can change the autonomic nervous activity of a rider with no disability. The autonomic nervous activity, in other words, the involuntary actions of our nervous system that regulate basic body functions, were evaluated through heart rate variability (HRV) analysis.
• The experiment engaged 23 participants with no disability. These participants engaged in a 60-minute horse trekking exercise, post which their HRV was analyzed at different intervals – before the trek, immediately after, 60 minutes post-trek, and 120 minutes post-trek. As a control group, another set of 22 participants of the same age were tested during their resting phase. This was conducted to compare the changes in autonomic nervous activity with and without HT.

Results and Interpretation

• The results showed that the high frequency component’s normalized unit value (HF nu), which stands for parasympathetic nervous activity, increased significantly post-trek (120 minutes later) than before the HT.
• The ratio of low to high frequency elements (LF/HF), which is typically interpreted to reflect sympathetic nervous activity, was found to be lower in the horse trekking group compared to the control group after 60 and 120 minutes from the activity.
• These findings suggest that a single round of horse trekking led to a shift in the autonomic nervous balance of the rider towards dominance by the parasympathetic nervous system. This represents a shift towards a state of relaxation and rest, indicating beneficial effects on the participants’ mental health and stress levels.

Implications of the Findings

• The outcome of this research could potentially enhance the utilization of horse trekking for human health benefits, particularly in managing stress and mental wellbeing.
• However, while single sessions of horse trekking showed favorable results, it is unknown whether recurring sessions would have the same or a cumulative positive effect. Further research is required to explore this aspect.