Correlation of Human and Horse Heart Rates During Equine-Assisted Therapy Sessions with At-Risk Youths: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Minimal research has been done to examine the cause of the positive results of animal-assisted therapy. This study examines the correlation between horse and human heart rate, an involuntary stress response, which may allow the mechanisms of potential therapeutic benefits to be further understood. Horse and human heart rates were recorded during equine-assisted therapy sessions, compared, and the significance of human/horse heart rate correlation was documented. Results indicate that each incidence of correlating changes in the heart rates appeared to be the result of external stimuli. Findings are discussed and recommendations for future trials with controlled environments are made.

Potential Mechanisms of Action and Outcomes of Equine-Assisted Services for Veterans with a History of Trauma: A Narrative Review of the Literature

“…More research is needed in the EAS field, but it is likely that in some circumstances, horses could play a role like some psychiatric service dogs that provide a biofeedback function alerting humans to anxiety or arousal and thus facilitating appropriate self-care [126]. Lastly, there is preliminary evidence [144][145][146][147] that horse-human heart-rate synchronization may occur during some, but not all [145], interactions, which may be related to equine sensitivity to the environment. This phenomenon warrants further study as it may contribute to the therapeutic response experienced by humans.…”

“…Thus, measurement of HRV may make significant contributions to the understanding of physiological mechanisms underlying the benefits of EASs. Further, HRV assessments can be utilized to further explore the intriguing potential [144][145][146][147], mentioned above, that horse-human heart-rate synchronization may occur in some humanequine interactions.…”

“…Hypothesized mechanisms by which horse-human interactions could contribute to benefits for humans include physical touch, interspecific bonding [54,111,112], emotional transfer [72], and decreased arousal, all of which may be related to emotional mirroring, psychological flexibility, and heart-rate synchronization [144][145][146][147]. Additionally, emotional mirroring likely provides a way for humans to examine and discuss their emotions without feeling overwhelmed or judged.…”