RAiSE (Recognizing Affective State in Equine) and the Assessment of Equine Affective State: Accuracy and Application.
Authors: K. Hiney, Kathy Anderson, C. Brady
Journal: Journal of equine veterinary science
Summary
# RAiSE Course Improves Horse Handlers' Ability to Recognise Affective States Accurately reading a horse's emotional state—whether it appears positive or negative, calm or aroused—forms a cornerstone of good horsemanship and welfare assessment, yet many horse owners struggle with this skill. An online educational intervention called RAiSE (Recognising Affective States in Equine) was tested on 73 participants (mean age 53 years, predominantly female) who completed pre-course, post-course, and 90-day follow-up assessments requiring them to evaluate affective state in 20 video clips. Overall accuracy improved significantly from 12.8 to 14.4 out of 20 (P=.002), with gains driven primarily by better recognition of valence—the positive-to-negative dimension (15.4 to 17.1, P=.001)—whilst arousal assessment remained relatively unchanged. By 90 days post-completion, 87.5% of participants wanted to incorporate affective state assessment into their horsemanship, with three-quarters reporting they had already begun doing so. For farriers, veterinarians, physiotherapists and coaches, this work suggests that structured, accessible online training can meaningfully enhance handlers' observational skills and translate into measurable changes in how they interact with and manage their horses, potentially yielding tangible welfare improvements across the equine industry.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Online education can meaningfully improve horse owners' ability to recognize emotional states in their horses, with sustained behavioral change at 3 months
- •Participants improved most at recognizing emotional quality (valence) rather than activation level (arousal), suggesting training should emphasize both equally
- •Three-quarters of learners successfully translated course knowledge into management practice, demonstrating real-world application for equine welfare improvements
Key Findings
- •Overall accuracy in identifying affective state improved significantly from 12.8 to 14.4 out of 20 (P=0.002) following the RAiSE online course
- •Valence (emotional quality) accuracy increased significantly from 15.4 to 17.1 out of 20 (P=0.001), while arousal accuracy showed minimal improvement
- •At 90 days post-course, 74.1% of participants reported implementing affective state assessment in their horse management practices