A new study shows that the type of riding a horse is asked to do and his age affect cortisol release. Drs. Boguslawa Dlugosz, Tomasz Próchniak, Monika Stefaniuk, Marta Basiaga, Jaroslaw Łuszczyńśki and Magdalena Pieszka created a study to determine what level of stress horses experienced when engaged in a variety of types of riding.
The research team used 68 horses that were divided into groups based on the type of activity they were asked to do, their breed, age, gender and type of saliva collection. Activities the horses were involved in included dressage, jumping, giving lessons, reining, driving, hippotherapy exercises, lunging and hacking outside an arena. Saliva samples were taken at 6 a.m., 6 p.m. and immediately after the horse was ridden.
It was discovered that salivary cortisol was lowest before noon and highest during the night; cortisol levels can be affected by management, transport and weather. The scientists noted that monotonous training, changing the hours of training and handling the horse in an unprofessional manner that may cause pain and discomfort can all affect the horse's cortisol levels.
Young horses had higher levels of cortisol no matter what activity they did; it's assumed that age and skill level allow horses to better cope with the demands of recreational riding. The team also found that horses with the highest levels of cortisol are those involved in dressage, jumping, driving and reining; school horses and hippotherapy horse had cortisol levels that changed the least.
It's believed that the stress dressage horses feel is related to the way in which they are asked to carry themselves to correctly complete movements.
Read the study here.
Read more at EquiManagement.
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