Horses communicate with researchers
Published: Monday, Jan 22nd 2024, 08:50
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Therapy horses can learn to communicate their own stress. This is shown by a pilot study conducted by Austrian and Swiss researchers and therapists. As they report in the journal "Human-Animal Interactions", the horses used snorting as a veto and cooperation signal after several months of training - the therapists were able to react accordingly. The animals were significantly more relaxed as a result.
According to the study, more than 1,600 horses take part in various therapeutic programs in German-speaking countries alone. So far, studies on equine-assisted therapy have mainly focused on its effects on patients. Karin Hediger from the University of Basel (Switzerland) and Anna Naber, Magdalena Völk and Roswitha Zink from the "Lichtblickhof" therapy center write in the publication that only a few studies have examined the effects on the horses themselves and that there is a lack of studies on specific methods for optimally accompanying horses in a therapeutic setting.
"We have already tried to establish veto signals in the therapy situation so that the horses can signal 'Stop, that's too much for me now'," explained clinical psychologist Anna Naber, who works as an equine therapist at "Lichtblickhof". The therapists also constantly observe the sometimes subtle body language of the animals. "In the therapy situation, however, I have to engage with the child, keep an eye on the environment and also observe the horse - there are so many factors that it can easily happen to overlook a veto signal," says Naber.
"Snort correspondence"
In their search for a safe and clearly perceptible veto signal, Roswitha Zink and her team came across snorting - one of the many acoustic expressions horses usually use to signal relaxation. 20 horses from "Lichtblickhof" and the therapists who usually work with the respective animals took part in the pilot study.
The horses included a variety of breeds, were of different ages and had different levels of previous experience in therapy. Once a week for six months, they took part in a training session where they were taught to use snorting as a strategy for communicating with humans using positive reinforcement - experts call it "audible exhale communication".
Happier horses
As soon as the horses understood the concept of being able to veto, which took each animal a different amount of time, they eagerly engaged with the newly acquired tool. They used it not only in training, but also in other challenging situations, the experts write in the paper. "The horses snorted much more often after the six months of training because they realized that it was physiologically good for them and that they could influence a situation," says Naber.
According to the therapists' observations, the animals exhibited fewer stress signals and showed more positive emotions and signs of relaxation. Deep breathing also helped with chronic respiratory diseases.
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