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Certain Smells Soothe Stressed Out Steeds

Aromatherapy is a holistic treatment that uses plant extracts to encourage health and wellbeing based on the idea that specific scents trigger certain reactions, including relaxation and stress relief. Lavender is often touted to bring about feelings of relaxation and calmness in humans that inhale its scent. A recent study suggests that this scent can calm horses, as well.

The University of Arizona used eight dressage horses for an aromatherapy study. Cardiac parameters were taken before, during and after they inhaled air that had been infused with a lavender scent from a humidifier. Each horse was also tested using air infused with chamomile essential oil and plain water.

The horses wore monitors that collected information on heart rate, time intervals between heartbeats and heart rate variability (HRV) during each testing period. HRV increases when a horse is relaxed.

Trial data showed that inhaled lavender relaxed seven of the study horses, while the chamomile oil relaxed just two of the eight horses. The researchers note that some horses may be more sensitive to the smell of lavender and chamomile than others. The team also reported that none of the horses was exposed to external stressors during the study period. Physiological effects subsided when the inhalation of the oil stopped.

Study Shows Horses Relax In Presence Of ‘Their’ People

An Italian study has objectively shown that horses can recognize individual people familiar to them, highlighting the importance of handler familiarity in the horse-human bond. Horses are generally relaxed when hanging out with humans they know.

Drs. Chiara Scopa, Alberto Greco, Laura Contalbrigo, Elisabetta Fratini, Antonio Lanatà, Enzo Pasquale Scilingo and Paolo Baragli noted that horses can determine if a person is familiar or unfamiliar by both vocal and visual cues. Horses are most likely to engage with someone who is familiar to them; they form long-lasting memories of these people and can recognize them long after their last encounter.

Horses then classify humans based off the interactions they have as either positive, negative or neutral. The research team noted that though the human-horse relationship has been investigated though behavioral analysis, they recommended that physiological indicators be considered for an objective assessment of emotional responses.

They hypothesized that long-term, positive relationships with humans would impact a horse's emotion regulation. The team looked specifically at heart rate variability of 23 healthy horses when they interacted with both familiar and unfamiliar handlers.

The team used 22 people, 12 of them familiar to the horses and 10 unfamiliar people. A baseline heart rate was taken before each person entered the stall and stood near the door for five minutes. The horse could see and smell the person, but could move around. The person then groomed the horse for 2.5 minutes on each side.

The researchers found that the horses appeared more relaxed while physically interacting with familiar handlers; this was especially noticeable during right-side grooming. They concluded that repeated positive interactions with a person are probable triggers for positive emotions during interactions with the same person.

Read the study here.

Don’t Hold Your Breath: Horses Can’t Phsyically ‘Blow Up’ To Prevent Girth Tightening

When budding equestrians are fist taught how to tack up, one of the first things they learn is to always check their horse's girth before mounting; some horses hold their breath to keep the girth or cinch a bit loose. This lack of security could invite a saddle to slip.

That belief has recently been debunked: while horses may resist a girth being tightened, they don't hold their breath to do it, reports EQUUS magazine. The ribs that lie directly beneath the saddle area are relatively immobile, making it nearly impossible for a horse to expand his girth area through his lung power.

However, a determined horse might tighten his abdominal muscles enough to expand his chest and prevent the girth from being completely tightened. A horse may tighten his muscles for a variety of reasons, including the anticipation of discomfort, but many horses tighten their muscles naturally because something is being wrapped around his abdomen.

The key to preventing a horse from tightening his muscles and keeping the girth from being tightened is relaxation. First, ensure that his tack fits well and isn't causing him pain. When beginning to tack, keep the horse's girth or cinch loose, tightening it gradually throughout the tacking-up process. Once the horse has been led to the mounting block, the girth should be checked again. One final check once the rider is mounted may also be necessary.