Assessing Equine Behavioural Responses in Equine-Assisted Services: A Field Study Analysis

TL;DR

This study examines the emotional states of horses in equine-assisted services to ensure their welfare and identify factors that promote positive experiences.

Contribution

The study introduces behavioral thresholds for assessing horse affective states and identifies key variables influencing their well-being in EAS.

Findings

Horses in EAS mostly exhibited behaviors within acceptable or neutral thresholds for negative affective states.

The 'comfortable' affective state was most frequently observed across both coaching and therapeutic riding sessions.

Health, suitable horse selection, and proper management significantly influence positive affective states in EAS.

Abstract

Equine-Assisted Services (EAS) offer many benefits for people with intellectual or physical disabilities. As these services grow in popularity, ensuring the welfare of the horses involved is crucial. This study explored the horses’ mood state during equine-assisted coaching and therapeutic riding sessions, focusing on factors like session length, the horse’s personality, and care practices. The study included 98 horses which were followed over a two-month period where all EAS sessions were monitored, resulting in 830 EAS sessions. Horses in equine-assisted coaching typically participated in four sessions over two months, while those in therapeutic riding programmes attended 31 sessions on average. Equine behaviour and field experts set standards for evaluating horse behaviours. Behaviours suggesting discomfort were limited and mostly within acceptable levels, while the exhibited behaviours linked to positive affective states varied widely between horses and were seen in too few sessions. Furthermore, the study identified different affective states in horses, with “comfortable” being the most common state across both coaching and therapeutic riding. This study highlights the importance of maintaining horse health, selecting suitable horses, and implementing effective care practices to promote positive affective states in EAS.

Equine-Assisted Services (EAS) offer significant benefits for individuals with intellectual and/or physical disabilities. However, ensuring the welfare of the horses involved remains a key ethical concern. The objective of this study was to assess the affective states of horses involved in EAS while also establishing behavioural thresholds for indicators of positive or negative affective states. A total of 98 horses were observed over a two-month period, accumulating data about horse behaviour and session characteristics from 830 EAS sessions. Horses participating in coaching programs averaged four sessions in two months; those involved in therapeutic riding averaged 31 sessions. Equine behaviour and field experts defined behavioural thresholds to assess welfare standards. Negative state behaviours were predominantly aligned within excellent or neutral thresholds, while positive state behaviours were observed from unacceptable to excellent. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of the gathered behavioural data identified six affective states in coaching sessions and four in therapeutic riding, explaining 63% and 73% of the total variation, respectively. Among these states, “comfortable” was the most frequently observed. Multiple linear regression showed several significant variables, highlighting the importance of health, suitable horse selection, and proper management in promoting positive affective states in EAS.

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