Study Confirms Demonstrator Horses Can Have Calming Effect

Naive horses that watched an experienced horse perform a scary task were less fearful when it was their turn.
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“Well, he did it, so it can’t be that bad,” said the Icelandic waiting his turn to cross a plastic tarp for the first time.

Okay, so maybe he didn’t say that exactly. But new study results from Danish researchers suggest that horses watching another horse perform a scary task end up being less spooked about that task when it’s their turn to do it. And that, they said, can be a great improvement for equine welfare as well as horse and human safety.

“Using experienced or older horses when training a younger or naive horse is a technique that’s been used for several years, but there’s never been evidence that it actually works in frightening situations, until now,” said Maria Vilain Rørvang, a PhD fellow in the Aarhus University Department of Animal Science, in Tjele.

What “works,” however, is not actual learning, Rørvang said. Her research indicates that horses learn to cross a plastic tarp just as fast whether they’ve observed a demonstrator do it first or not

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Passionate about horses and science from the time she was riding her first Shetland Pony in Texas, Christa Lesté-Lasserre writes about scientific research that contributes to a better understanding of all equids. After undergrad studies in science, journalism, and literature, she received a master’s degree in creative writing. Now based in France, she aims to present the most fascinating aspect of equine science: the story it creates. Follow Lesté-Lasserre on Twitter @christalestelas.

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