Horses’ Cardiovascular Responses to Equine-Assisted Group Therapy Sessions with Children

Children with psychosocial, developmental or physical impairments benefit from equine-assisted therapy (EAT) in multiple ways. However, to date, the animal perspective of such interventions has received comparatively less scientific dedication. Thus, heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) of seven therapy horses that lived in an open stable environment and participated in therapeutic group sessions with children were monitored within 60 min prior to and within 90 min after EAT. Moreover, cardiovascular activity was compared to a control condition on a day without any EAT sessions. No significant differences in HR or HRV were found, neither before nor after EAT nor under the control condition. These findings do not give rise to any concern regarding horse welfare in the studied setting but cannot be generalized to a broader population of equines serving in EAT. Given the enormous heterogeneity in EAT, more in-depth research is warranted using behavioral and physiological indices of equine health and wellbeing.

E.motion Lichtblickhof
Landesklinikum Mauer