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  Discussion on Human heartrate and the horse
Author Message
Member:
Bblack

Posted on Tuesday, Nov 18, 2003 - 1:21 pm:

Hello,

Seems like I read once where a horse (probably all prey animals) can instantly tell when our (predator) heart rate goes up, like when we get excited or angry. This would make sense because with that gift, the prey animal could tell when a nearby predator was in the attack mode. Does anyone know of any research?

I also read recently where people with some forms of mental illness excited horses where, in contrast, other forms calmed horses. I would guess, if true, mental illnesses, such as depression, which I would think carried with it a lower heartrate, could calm a horse, while other illnesses, such as the manic part of bi-polar, with it excited heartrate, could make a horse un-easy.

For the past two years I have been on a medicine to slow my heartrate, and over that same period have had improving success with a number of horses. Could it simply be two years more experience for me or could it be the forced slower heartrate?

Any opinions of the subject or ideals of where I could find research.

Billy
Member:
Paix

Posted on Tuesday, Nov 18, 2003 - 2:37 pm:

Hi Billy,

There is research done on this subject as it relates human to human interaction.

Biochemistry of individuals indeed have an affect on animals - horses. I dont doubt your observations.

What would be difficult to discern in your personal experience is how much the medication affected your ability to perform and how much the horse picked up on the biochemistry change vs your hightened ability to perform more confidently.

Your approach and performance with the horse, because of your own "feeling better," also has a compounding affect. You begin to feel more confident the more successful you are, therefore approach horses with more confidence over the two years.

A horse definitely senses fear vs confidence in the people handling them. We have all seen it.

Has there been physical biochemical measurements performed with outcome data proven time and again...or even once or twice? I am not sure about that.

This, being all speculation from reading mounds of research and conducting much research in my days of Bio-psych study, would need testing and retesting with expensive equipment, many horses, many people with high heart rate taking the meds and those taking a placebo vs those taking nothing...on & on...very expensive!

I have not found research done on this very specific topic - but I think we have learned a lot about how horses are affected by their surroundings - physical as well as emotional.

A good start for possible/similar research would be through the UC Davis Equine Center. There are links at their site to other campuses as well that conduct research and are teaching hospitals throughout the country.

I hope this helps and ignites further thinking and viewpoints on the topic.
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