Exercise has been shown to lower stress levels in humans and research has shown that horses are no different: horses that are regularly exercised have lower levels of stress hormones than those who are not worked.
Drs. Ok-Deuk Kang and Wang-Shik Lee of the Jeju National University used 61 horses in a study to test stress levels of horses in various endeavors. Each of the horses fell into one of three groups: horses that weren't ridden at all, horses ridden in lessons and horses that gave rides to tourists.
Salivary samples were collected from each horse four times a day, including before and after an exercise session for the horses that were worked. The saliva samples were tested for cortisol levels; cortisol is a hormone produced when an animal is stressed.
The cortisol levels of all three groups of horses were lowest in the samples taken on the third day. The lesson horses had the greatest decrease in cortisol throughout the day. The horses ridden by tourists had the next most-significant drop, followed by the unridden horses.
The research team also tracked spikes in cortisol levels, which correspond with periods of increased stress. The highest spikes were found in the horses that were not ridden and the lowest spikes were found in the lesson horses.
The researchers concluded that consistent exercise reduces stress levels in horses even when the horses are ridden by beginner riders.
Read more at EQUUS magazine.
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