Effects of a calm companion on fear reactions in naive test horses

Abstract

It appears possible to reduce fear reactions in young, naive horses by allowing them to interact with a calm companion horse in fear-eliciting situations.

Validation of a fear test in sport horses using infrared thermography

“…Assessment of convergent validity of fear tests usually considers whether their outcome is related to physiological changes due to fear. Some of the most frequently used physiological indicators are heart rate (e.g., Christensen et al, 2008;Momozawa et al, 2003), heart rate variability (e.g., Rietmann et al, 2004;Stewart et al, 2008c;Visser et al, 2002;von Borell et al, 2007), cortisol concentration (e.g., Anderson et al, 1999;Cook et al, 2001;Flauger et al, 2010;Stewart et al, 2008a), and infrared thermography (IRT). Infrared thermography can be used to detect changes in peripheral blood flow (which causes changes in body heat) as a response to fear-induced stress.…”

“…Various fear tests have been used to determine temperament characteristics in horses, such as novel object (e.g., Anderson et al, 1999;Christensen et al, 2008Christensen et al, , 2005Seaman et al, 2002;Visser et al, 2003bVisser et al, , 2002Wolff et al, 1997), novel arena (e.g., Le Seaman et al, 2002;Wolff et al, 1997), and restraint and human fear tests (e.g., Le Visser et al, 2003bVisser et al, , 2001Wolff et al, 1997). The novel object test (NOT) is an experimental situation in which the animal is exposed to an unknown stimulus to provoke a fear reaction.…”

“…Sport horses may be subject to different fearful events, for example, being transported and competing in different environments with novel stimuli and sounds (McGreevy and McLean, 2010), being approached by unfamiliar people, or undergoing many handling and management procedures. Horses, as prey animals, have a tendency to escape from frightening stimuli and may show flight reactions which can be dangerous for both the horse and the man (Christensen et al, 2008(Christensen et al, , 2005McGreevy and McLean, 2010). Keeling (1999) demonstrated that in equitation sports many serious human injuries occur as a result of unexpected horse fear reactions.…”

Repeatability and Reliability of Heart Rate Variability in Healthy, Adult Pony Mares

“…While non-invasive methods can provide a more accurate indication of the stress experienced by the animal, the method selected needs to be both valid and quantifiable. Non-or minimally invasive methods include recording behavioral indices [4], assessment of salivary cortisol levels [5], fecal or urinary glucocorticoid metabolite levels [5,6], indirect blood pressure measurements [4], heart rate monitoring [7], and quantification of heart rate variability (HRV) [5,6].…”

The effects of transport, riot control training and night patrols on the workload and stress of mounted police horses

“…Since seclusion is a severe social challenge (McGreevy and McLean, 2007), being in pairs or in squads of six horses incorporates herd instinct and bonding and helps police horses cope with their work (Feh, 2002;Waring, 2002;Sighieri et al, 2003;Christensen et al, 2008a). During seclusion training HR was significantly lower when the rider was able to manage and mitigate the horse's fear response compared to when the rider was not able to do so or even exacerbated the horse's fear response.…”