Horses’ Cardiovascular Responses to Equine-Assisted Group Therapy Sessions with Children
Authors: L. Kreuzer, A. Naber, R. Zink, L. Glenk
Journal: Pets
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Cardiovascular Responses in Therapy Horses During Equine-Assisted Group Sessions While equine-assisted therapy (EAT) has demonstrated significant psychological and developmental benefits for children with various impairments, little research has examined the physiological impact on the horses themselves—a crucial gap in understanding animal welfare within these programmes. Kreuzer and colleagues monitored heart rate and heart rate variability in seven therapy horses living in open stable environments, comparing cardiovascular metrics across 60 minutes before and 90 minutes after therapeutic group sessions with children, plus a control day without EAT activity. The researchers found no significant differences in either heart rate or heart rate variability measures between therapy sessions and control conditions, suggesting that participation in group EAT did not impose measurable cardiovascular stress on these particular animals. Whilst these findings are reassuring for the specific horses and setting studied, the authors appropriately caution against broader generalisation, given the substantial variation in EAT methodologies, facilities, horse temperaments and session intensities across different programmes. Their conclusion—that comprehensive investigation combining behavioural observation with physiological markers is needed—reinforces an important principle: welfare assessment in therapy work requires multi-modal evaluation rather than reliance on single stress indicators, particularly given the individual nature of equine responses to novel or demanding situations.
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Practical Takeaways
- •In this setting, equine-assisted therapy does not appear to cause acute cardiovascular stress in therapy horses based on HR and HRV monitoring
- •However, this small study (n=7) cannot confirm welfare safety across all EAT programs—monitor your own therapy horses using behavioral signs and additional health indicators
- •Consider broader health and behavioral assessment beyond heart rate alone when evaluating therapy horse welfare, as single parameters may miss important stress indicators
Key Findings
- •No significant differences in heart rate or heart rate variability were observed in therapy horses before, during, or after equine-assisted group therapy sessions with children
- •Cardiovascular parameters in therapy horses showed no variation between EAT session days and control days without therapy
- •The studied therapy horses in open stable environments demonstrated stable physiological responses to therapeutic interactions