Short-term equine interaction for reducing test anxiety and facilitating coping skill development in college students during examination periods: A preliminary study.
Authors: Everett K, Friend M M, Farnlacher E, Hilliard A, Nicodemus M C, Cavinder C A, Holtcamp K, Jousan D
Journal: Journal of equine veterinary science
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Equine Interaction and Test Anxiety in College Students Examination periods present a well-documented mental health challenge for college students, with heightened stress and anxiety potentially impairing academic performance and wellbeing. Everett and colleagues designed a preliminary investigation to establish whether a single one-hour equine interaction session during final exam week could measurably reduce test-related anxiety and develop coping skills, employing both self-reported psychological measures and objective physiological markers (heart rate and salivary cortisol) to capture the intervention's effects. Participants demonstrated statistically significant reductions across all anxiety domains measured—overall academic anxiety, final exam preparation anxiety, and anxiety about taking the exam itself (all P = 0.0003)—alongside improvements in assertiveness as a coping mechanism (P = 0.008), with lower post-session cortisol concentrations (P = 0.05) and elevated heart rate (P = 0.003) providing physiological corroboration of these psychological shifts. The positive correlation between reduced exam anxiety and cortisol levels (r = 0.69, P = 0.03) suggests genuine stress-hormone modulation rather than placebo effect. Whilst these preliminary findings warrant cautious interpretation given the study's limited scope, the combination of measurable anxiety reduction and coping skill development indicates that brief equine-assisted interventions may merit inclusion in university student support programmes during high-pressure academic periods—a direction particularly relevant for equine professionals involved in therapeutic settings who seek evidence-based justification for their work with vulnerable populations.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Equine facilities can market short therapeutic interaction sessions to local colleges as a stress-management tool during high-pressure academic periods, positioning horses as contributors to mental health services
- •One-hour equine interaction sessions appear sufficient to produce measurable physiological changes in stress markers, making this feasible for busy college students
- •The positive correlation between subjective anxiety reduction and objective cortisol measures suggests equine interaction produces real physiological stress relief, not just perceived benefits
Key Findings
- •Short-term equine interaction significantly reduced all areas of anxiety during final exam week (Overall Academics P = 0.0003, Final Exam Preparation P = 0.0003, Taking Final Exam P = 0.0003)
- •Reduction in exam-related anxiety was positively correlated with salivary cortisol concentrations (r = 0.69, P = 0.03), with lower post-session cortisol levels (P = 0.05)
- •Post-session heart rate significantly increased (P = 0.003) following equine interaction
- •Assertiveness as a coping skill showed significant improvement post-session (P = 0.008)