106 Use of biobehavioral responses during a novel object test to assess suitability of horses for equine assisted services

Abstract

Many recent studies have demonstrated positive outcomes for human participants in a variety of equine assisted services (EAS). Horses by nature are highly sensitive and their responses to unfamiliar stimuli can have important consequences for horse and human safety. Individual variation in the personality characteristics of horses, including their reactivity, may not only create safety concerns but also influence therapeutic outcomes. To date, there are no available standardized guidelines for the selection of equine in EAS. Observation of horse behavior by equine professionals has historically been used to assess the potential suitability of equine participants. However, overall behavior of individual horses can be challenging to objectively measure. Novel object (NO) tests are often used to measure reactivity in many animal species. To our knowledge, no study has yet evaluated the reactivity of horses in response to a NO test to assess their suitability for groundwork-based EAS. The purpose of this study was to compare biobehavioral responses of 11 Quarter Horse mares (11.6 ± 4.9 yr) before, during, and after exposure to a NO (stationary flamingo pool float) as a potential measure of their suitability for participation in EAS. The experiment consisted of 3 consecutive 5 min periods: Pre-NO test (P1), NO test (P2), and Post-NO test (P3) in the same 27 × 26 mpaddock. HR was recorded using a Polar H10 equine HR monitor. Behavior was video recorded and scan sampling of video every 10 s was used to determine counts. Data were analyzed using PROC MIXED in SAS v 9.4. Horse HR differed by horse and decreased with time within all 3 periods (P < 0.01). During the NO test, locomotion increased with increasing proximity to the NO (P < 0.05). Standing alert and exploratory behaviors decreased during the NO test but were not influenced by the horse's location (P < 0.03). Interestingly, eating behaviors increased during and after the NO test (P < 0.05). This study illustrates that behavioral and physiological responses of horses are influenced by their individuality which may ultimately influence their interactions during EAS. The reduction in HR over time within each period suggests that horses can quickly acclimate to changes in their environment and the overall lack of differences in their behavioral responses across periods suggests low reactivity among this study population. However, future studies with additional novel objects and horses are needed to determine if the use of this methodology can serve to evaluate suitability for horses for participation in EAS.