Towards Consensus: A Pilot Study in Enhancing Recognition of Equine Affective States with RaiSE (Recognizing Affective States in Equine).
Authors: A. Wells, K. Hiney, C. Brady, K. A. Anderson
Journal: Journal of applied animal welfare science : JAAWS
Summary
# Editorial Summary: RAiSE Training Programme Improves Recognition of Negative Equine Affective States Accurate interpretation of how horses are feeling—their emotional valence and arousal—underpins good welfare decision-making, yet industry professionals lack standardised training in this critical skill. Wells and colleagues piloted RAiSE, an online educational intervention grounded in behavioural theory, with 45 equine industry participants who viewed 20 video clips of horses before and after completing the course, with performance assessed against consensus scoring. Post-course results demonstrated significant improvement in overall valence recognition (p < 0.05), particularly for negative states, where correct identifications rose from 61% to 69%; the modules addressing abnormal presentations and horse-human interaction generated the strongest participant engagement. Notably, the course proved less effective at sharpening recognition of positive affective states—a limitation warranting further investigation, as misidentifying contentment or relaxation carries different practical consequences than missing signs of pain or distress. These findings suggest that structured, theory-informed education can meaningfully enhance welfare-relevant observational skills across the equine professions, though future work should address the apparent asymmetry in learning gains between negative and positive emotional states to develop more comprehensive programmes.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Educational interventions based on behavior theory can improve caretakers' ability to recognize equine negative emotional states, potentially improving daily welfare decisions
- •Practitioners should prioritize learning to identify abnormal behaviors and stress indicators, as this appears most teachable and impactful
- •Current tools are better at training recognition of distress than contentment; develop practical methods to identify positive states in your own horses
Key Findings
- •Participants significantly improved in interpretation of valence after RAiSE course completion (p < 0.05)
- •Recognition of negative valence states improved from 61% to 69% post-course (p < 0.05)
- •Lessons on abnormal states and horse-human interaction were rated as most impactful by participants
- •Course showed limited effectiveness in improving recognition of positive affective states