Horses can learn to communicate their own stress, research shows

Therapy horses can learn to communicate their own stress. This is evident from a pilot study by Austrian and Swiss researchers and therapists. As they report in the journal ‘Human-Animal Interactions’, after several months of training, the horses used sniffing as a veto and cooperation signal – the therapists were able to respond accordingly. The animals were therefore considerably more relaxed.

According to the research, more than 1,600 horses participate in various therapeutic programs in the German-speaking countries alone. To date, research into equine-assisted therapy has mainly focused on its effects on patients. Only a few studies have examined the effects on the horses themselves or there are no studies into concrete methods to optimally guide horses in a therapeutic setting, write Karin Hediger from the University of Basel (Switzerland) and Anna Naber, Magdalena Völk and Roswitha Zink from the therapy center “Lichtblickhof” in the publication.

“We have already tried to establish veto signals in the therapy situation so that the horses can give the signal ‘Stop, this is too much for me now'”, explains clinical psychologist Anna Naber, who works as an equottherapist at the “Lichtblickhof”. In addition, the therapists continuously observed the sometimes subtle body language of the animals. “However, in the therapy situation I have to be involved with the child, monitor the environment and also watch the horse – there are so many factors that it can certainly happen that a veto signal is overlooked,” says Naber.

In the search for a safe and clearly perceptible veto signal, Roswitha Zink and her team came up with sniffing – one of the many acoustic means of expression that horses use and that usually signal relaxation. 20 horses from the “Lichtblickhof” and the therapists who usually work with the animals in question took part in the pilot study.

The horses consisted of different breeds, were of different ages and had different previous experiences with therapy. Once a week for six months, they participated in a training session in which, with the help of positive reinforcement, they learned to use sniffing as a strategy in communicating with people.n – the experts call it “sniffing correspondence” (“Audible Exhale Communication”).

Once the horses understood the concept of being able to exercise a veto, which took a different amount of time for each animal, they eagerly went to work with the newly acquired tool. They use it not only during training, but also in other challenging situations, the experts write in the newspaper. “The horses snorted much more often after the six months of training because they noticed that this was physiologically good for them and that they could influence a situation.” Naber said.

According to the therapists’ observations, the animals showed fewer stress signals and more positive emotions and signs of relaxation. Breathing out deeply also helped with chronic respiratory conditions. (saw/sda/apa)