Researcher: Strive to Recognize Happy Horse Behavior

Thanks to British researchers, we’re getting a better understand what defines a “happy” equine athlete.
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As we start off the new year with our horses, there’s one resolution we should all strive to keep: to have happy equine athletes. That goal is now more realistic, thanks to a British equitation science research team’s work to better understand what defines a "happy" equine athlete..

Spurred by the "happy equine athlete" concept the Fédération Equestre Internationale introduced several years ago, Carol Hall, PhD, and Nia Huws, PhD, both of Nottingham Trent University, in the U.K., developed a "happy equine athlete" evaluation test by preparing 2-minute-long videos of 10 different ridden horses. They then asked individuals–including professors and researchers, qualified dressage judges, professional riders and trainers, veterinary practitioners, and recreational (nonprofessional) riders–to score each horse on different measures that could relate to perceived happiness. Hall presented those results at the 2012 International Society for Equitation Science conference.

On the whole, everyone seemed to agree on which horses were happy and which ones were not, according to Hall. "This indicates that there is a general consensus regarding the behavior of horses deemed to be ‘happy’ in their work," she said. Even so, a follow-up study involving professionals only and including physiological measures (such as heart rate), suggested discrepancies between professional opinions and the measurements. (Editor’s note: Stay tuned to The Horse for more about that follow-up study.)

Hall noted that it’s important to not just subjectively view horses as "happy" or not, but to develop objective criteria for being able to consistently recognize the signs of happy–and unhappy–horses. And it’s not just professionals that need to recognize them, she added

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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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