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Scientific reports2022; 12(1); 1918; doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-03582-4

The effect of stress and exercise on the learning performance of horses.

Abstract: Domestic horses are widely used for physically demanding activities but the effect of exercise on their learning abilities has not been explored. Horses are also frequently exposed to stressors that may affect their learning. Stress and exercise result in the release of glucocorticoids, noradrenaline and other neurotransmitters that can influence learning. It is not currently possible to directly measure concentrations of neurotransmitters in the brains of behaving horses, however the inference of neurobiological processes from peripheral markers have been widely used in studies of human cognition. We assigned 41 horses to either ridden exercise, uncontrollable stress or inactivity and evaluated their acquisition of an industry-style aversive instrumental learning task. Exercised horses achieved the learning criterion in the fewest number of trials compared to the stressed and inactive horses whose performance did not differ. The exercised horses' salivary cortisol concentrations decreased during learning whereas the concentrations of the other groups increased. Spearman's correlations revealed that horses with the highest cortisol concentrations required the most trials to reach the criterion. We present novel data that exercise prior to learning may enhance the acquisition of learning in horses. Conversely, activities that expose horses to uncontrollable stressors causing strong cortisol release may impair learning. It is proposed that these effects may be due to the influence of neurotransmitters such as cortisol and noradrenaline on brain regions responsible for learning.
© 2022. The Author(s).
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Publication Date: 2022-02-04 PubMed ID: 35121736PubMed Central: PMC8816904DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-03582-4Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Comparative Study
  • Journal Article
  • Research Support
  • Non-U.S. Gov't

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 focuses on analyzing the impact of stress and exercise on the learning abilities of horses. The main finding is that exercise prior to learning seems to boost learning acquisition in horses, whereas exposure to high-stress situations might hinder their learning performance.

Study Design and Participants

  • The study was done on 41 domestic horses, which were divided into three groups: those subjected to ridden exercise, those exposed to uncontrollable stress, and those kept inactive.
  • The exposure type was intended to stimulate the release of certain glucocorticoids, noradrenaline, and other neurotransmitters, which are known to affect learning capabilities.

Measurements and Evaluations

  • The horses’ learning abilities were evaluated based on their performance in an industry-style aversive instrumental learning task. The number of trials each horse took to meet the learning criteria served as the primary measure of learning acquisition.
  • The study also measured salivary cortisol concentrations, which indicated the level of stress experienced by the horses, at different stages of the learning process.

Research Findings

  • The exercised horses were found to meet the learning criterion in fewer trials compared to the stressed and inactive horses. The performance levels between the stressed and inactive horses showed no significant difference.
  • There were changes in the horses’ cortisol concentrations during the learning process; cortisol levels decreased for the exercised group, but increased for the stressed and inactive groups.
  • The study’s data revealed a correlation between high cortisol concentrations and the number of trials required for a horse to reach the learning criterion. Specifically, horses with the highest cortisol levels needed the most trials to meet the criterion.

Conclusions and Implications

  • The study’s results suggest that exercise before learning may enhance the learning acquisition in horses. On the other hand, activities causing high-stress conditions (and thus strong cortisol release) could impair learning in horses.
  • The research speculates that neurotransmitters like cortisol and noradrenaline might influence certain brain regions responsible for learning, causing the observed effects.
  • While direct measurement of neurotransmitter concentrations in horse brains is currently not possible, these findings provide valuable insights into the influence of peripheral physiological markers on equine cognitive processes.

Cite This Article

APA
Henshall C, Randle H, Francis N, Freire R. (2022). The effect of stress and exercise on the learning performance of horses. Sci Rep, 12(1), 1918. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-03582-4

Publication

Scientific reports
ISSN: 2045-2322
NlmUniqueID: 101563288
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 12
Issue: 1
Pages: 1918
PII: 1918

Researcher Affiliations

Henshall, Cathrynne
  • School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Wagga, Wagga, NSW, Australia. chenshall@csu.edu.au.
Randle, Hayley
  • School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Wagga, Wagga, NSW, Australia.
Francis, Nidhish
  • School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Wagga, Wagga, NSW, Australia.
Freire, Rafael
  • School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Wagga, Wagga, NSW, Australia.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Behavior, Animal
  • Brain / metabolism
  • Brain / physiology
  • Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / blood
  • Cognition
  • Female
  • Heart Rate
  • Horses / blood
  • Horses / physiology
  • Horses / psychology
  • Hydrocortisone / metabolism
  • Learning
  • Male
  • Physical Conditioning, Animal
  • Physical Exertion
  • Saliva / metabolism

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

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