An investigation into the horse/human relationship

using heart rate as an objective measure Iain Marshall BSc (Hons) Plymouth University

Background

Equity Charitable Trust

Horse/human relationship timeline

Nearly 8.000 years ago man considered

the horse to be an essential source of

food.

The horse’s agility, speed and wariness

would have made it difficult to kill with

primitive weapons.

An un-equal balance of energy income,

to expenditure may have prompted early

man to relinquish hunting in favour of

farming.

This may have been the decision that led

to the domestication of the first horse in

3,000BC.

Man realized that the horse had uses

other than as a food source.

The horse was used as a beast of burden

and then as a means to carry a rider.

It is very likely that the first horse/human

relationship was based on total domi-

nance.

The horse had lost its free will, but not its

innate ability for fear and flight.

This flight response, combined with a lack

of herd leadership, may be the cause of

unwanted behaviours in all domesticated

equines,

Background to the proposed study

Taking into account the chequered history of

man’s involvement with the horse, it would

appear that the horse/human relationship is

based on a series of misunderstandings. This

breakdown of, inter-species, communication

is likely to be the result of emotional changes

within the human, that transfer as negative

messages to the horse, via vocal and body

language cues. The insecure horse, having

placed his trust in his replacement herd

leader, is quick to lose his confidence and

manifests, what is perceived as, an unwanted

behaviour. As a result, the human is likely to

become more emotional and a whole cycle of

misunderstandings may develop.

Proposed Method

As changes in emotional status affect heart

rate values, it is the purpose of this study to

measure the heart rates of both members of

the horse human dyad, simultaneously, whilst

assessing the effect of different common

tasks employed when interacting with horses.

Tasks such as tacking up, rugging, grooming

and plaiting. The study will also investigate

the influence of handler experience by using

inexperienced, intermediate, and experienced

handlers. Heart rate measurements will be

logged at regular intervals throughout each

procedure culminating in a comparative data

analysis at the end of the study. There may

be a requirement for both human and equine

participants to be filmed whilst interacting as

a visual guide to emotional changes. A total of

16 horses and handlers will participate, and

each procedure will last no longer than a

maximum of 45 minutes. The horses will

remain in their stables, on the yard at Duchy

College Riding Centre and at no time will the

participants be put at any risk over and

above those taken during normal duties.

Results from a pilot study

A pilot study (Marshall 2010) tested the

hypothesis that human heart rates could

affect horse heart rates.

One horse and five handlers ( of varying

abilities) took part in a procedure that

required the handler to lead the horse, first

at a walk and then at a trot for a set period of

time. Both horse and handler heart rates

were measured simultaneously and the data

analysed using the parametric Pearsons

Product Moment Correlation test.

Results suggested that there was a positive

relationship between horse and human heart

rates, and a regression analysis indicated

that horse heart rate can be predicted from

human heart rate.

However, anomalies, due to cross talk

between heart rate monitors, have prompted

this new, and more in depth study.

Possible conclusion

Should the results of this study conclude that

there is a positive relationship between

horse and human heart rates, and that the

horse can be affected by the emotional state

of the human, then a handler/rider re-training

programme should be given consideration.

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank:

Dr Hayley Randle and Alison Abbey for their

present and future help on this project.