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Trainer of Young Horses: Training Should Never Be an Assault
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Horses are flight and herd animals, driven by instincts they use to survive. Often this is how horses are described from a more biological perspective, but scientists have explored whether there is actually a special bond formed between humans and horses. It seems there might be.
Also read: Equine therapist Line Østerhagen believes in equal quality treatment for people and horses
You might have experienced your horse cuddling up to you or seeking comfort with you if it becomes uncertain or scared. Until now, most studies on the relationship between horses and humans have focused on human development and emotions associated with being with horses. Now, it's the horses' turn, specifically to see if they react when their owners leave a room and when they find themselves in an unfamiliar situation.
Three researchers from Linköping University are behind the study, aiming to discover if horses exhibit attachment behaviour towards humans. There are four aspects they look for when investigating attachment. These four are:
• Proximity-seeking.
• A "safe haven", that is, a reduction of stress when there is security in the form of a human.
• A secure base; the desire to explore because of a feeling of security.
• Separation anxiety; the feeling of depression and stress when the attachment figure is not present.
The three researchers state that trust in humans based on a strong bond can help reduce arousal if the horse faces a scary situation. This can fundamentally make training the horse easier because the horse can always trust that humans are there to help.
For the study, the research team ensured they had a total of 26 horses from different owners. 14 were mares and 12 were geldings. The experiment took place in a riding hall, which most of the horses were already familiar with.
The researchers named the study the separation-reunion experiment. Each horse owner walked with their own horse in a loose corral around the riding hall for three minutes. Afterwards, they went together to a specific point in the middle of the hall and stood still there for three minutes in a loose corral. The owner then left the riding hall for two minutes and then returned to their horse. The horse and owner then left the hall for 15 minutes and the previous exercise was repeated with a stranger.
In general, the horses spent more time at the entrance of the riding hall when separated from the owner and stranger compared to the reunion phase. The horses also sought closeness to humans upon reunion, both with the owner and the stranger.
The horse's heart rate was also higher during separation compared to the reunion, both with the owner and the unknown person. This shows, as most might have already anticipated, that horses become more stressed when left alone.
According to the researchers, the study demonstrates with reasonable certainty that horses exhibit some attachment to humans in stressful or unknown situations and view humans as their "safe haven".
An interesting aspect of the study is that the horses exhibited the same type of attachment, regardless of whether it was the owner themselves or the stranger who returned to the riding hall.
It's not a large research project with many animals and horse owners involved, so the research team also recommends further study into different training methods to see if it might have further impact on the bond between horses and humans.
If you want to read more about the project, you can do so here.
Also read: Scientists: Horses and humans have a special bond
