Towards Consensus: A Pilot Study in Enhancing Recognition of Equine Affective States with RaiSE (Recognizing Affective States in Equine).

This research looked at how an online educational tool called RaiSE helped to improve the ability of horse caretakers to recognize and understand the emotional states of horses, thereby contributing to better animal welfare. It found a significant improvement in the recognition of negative emotional states but less impact on recognizing positive ones.

Research Context and Method

• The study was centered around equine welfare, which relies heavily on the ability of horse care providers to accurately recognize and interpret horse emotions.
• The online course, RAiSE (Recognizing Affective States in Equine), was developed with this in mind. Using the Theory of Planned Behavior, which suggests that behavior is primarily driven by habits, attitudes and perceived social norms, the course aimed to enhance the skills of horse industry participants in recognizing horse emotions.
• The study involved 45 participants who had taken part in the RAiSE course. They were tested before and after the course to assess their ability to interpret horse emotions. Participants assessed horse emotions from 20 video clips of horses.

Results

• The data showed significant improvement in participants’ ability to interpret negative emotional states in horses after taking the online course, with an increase in correct assessments from 61% to 69%.
• Feedback from participants suggested that the lessons “Identifying Abnormal States” and “Horse-Human Interaction” were particularly useful.
• However, the course was less successful in improving the ability to recognize positive emotional states in horses, suggesting potential areas for future study and development.

Implications and Recommendations

• Improving interpretation of horse emotions can contribute significantly to equine welfare, leading to informed decisions regarding care, treatment and interaction with horses.
• Despite less effectiveness in improving recognition of positive emotional states, the study suggests that educational intervention, such as the RAiSE course, holds potential for contributions to equine welfare.
• Future research is suggested to focus more on improving the ability to interpret positive emotional states in horses as this is an area where the current course showed less effectiveness.

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