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Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2025; 15(7); 905; doi: 10.3390/ani15070905

The Effects of Human-Horse Interactions on Oxytocin and Cortisol Levels in Humans and Horses.

Abstract: Therapeutic programs involving human-horse interactions are gaining popularity as a means of enhancing human well-being. Understanding the physiological responses of both humans and horses during these interactions is essential for evaluating the effectiveness of such programs. This study examined the effects of specific interactive activities on both humans and horses by monitoring changes in oxytocin and cortisol levels. Six participants and six horses took part in the study. The participants engaged in three distinct activities, each lasting 15 min: (1) resting alone without the horse (resting), (2) standing near the horse without physical contact (standing), and (3) gently rubbing the horse's neck and withers (rubbing). Saliva samples from the participants and blood samples from the horses were collected at three time points for each activity: T0 (before the activity), T1 (at the end of the activity), and T2 (15 min after the activity ended). The results indicated that oxytocin levels significantly increased in horses at T2 following both the standing and rubbing activities, while cortisol levels remained unchanged in both humans and horses across all activities. These findings suggest that human-horse interactions, particularly standing and rubbing, may foster social bonding in horses without eliciting a stress response in either species.
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Publication Date: 2025-03-21 PubMed ID: 40218299PubMed Central: PMC11987743DOI: 10.3390/ani15070905Google 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 examines how human-horse interactions affect oxytocin (hormone linked to social bonding) and cortisol (stress hormone) levels in both humans and horses. It indicates that such interactions, particularly standing near the horse and gently rubbing its neck, increase oxytocin in horses, promoting social bonding without causing stress.

Research Methodology

  • The study involved six participants (humans) and six horses. The participants engaged in three distinct 15-minute activities: resting alone without a horse (resting), standing near a horse without physical contact (standing), and gently rubbing the horse’s neck and withers (rubbing).
  • The researchers collected saliva samples from the human participants and blood samples from the horses at three-time points for each activity: T0 (before the activity), T1 (at the end of the activity), and T2 (15 minutes after the activity ended).

Research Findings

  • The study found that the horses’ oxytocin levels increased significantly at the T2 time point (15 minutes after the end of the activity) in response to both the standing and rubbing activities. This suggests that just standing near a horse or gently rubbing it can enhance social bonding from the part of the horse.
  • The cortisol levels, which are usually associated with stress, remained unchanged in both the humans and the horses across all activities that were part of the study. This is indicative that the activities carried out during human-horse interactions in this study didn’t elicit a stress response from either the humans or the horses.

Implications of the Study

  • The findings could be important for improving therapeutic programs involving human-horse interactions. By integrating activities that increase social bonding from the horse’s perspective into these programs, the effectiveness of the therapy could potentially be enhanced.
  • The study also provides indicative evidence that activities like standing near a horse or rubbing the horse can be done without causing stress to either the human or the horse, making them safe and suitable for therapeutic programs.

Cite This Article

APA
Jung Y, Yoon M. (2025). The Effects of Human-Horse Interactions on Oxytocin and Cortisol Levels in Humans and Horses. Animals (Basel), 15(7), 905. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15070905

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 15
Issue: 7
PII: 905

Researcher Affiliations

Jung, Youngwook
  • Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, Kyungpook National University, Sangju 37224, Republic of Korea.
Yoon, Minjung
  • Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, Kyungpook National University, Sangju 37224, Republic of Korea.
  • Department of Horse, Companion and Wild Animal Science, Kyungpook National University, Sangju 37224, Republic of Korea.
  • Research Institute for Innovative Animal Science, Kyungpook National University, Sangju 37224, Republic of Korea.

Grant Funding

  • RS-2023-NR077294 / National Research Foundation

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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