Cardiac activity and salivary cortisol concentration of leisure horses in response to the presence of an audience in the arena
Publication Type: |
Journal Article |
Year of Publication: |
2019 |
Authors: |
Iwona Janczarek, Izabela Wilk, Anna Stachurska, Leszek Krakowski, Marta Liss |
Publication/Journal: |
Journal of Veterinary Behavior |
Keywords: |
audience, emotions, horses, leisure, stress |
ISBN: |
1558-7878 |
Abstract:
The aim of this study was to determine the influence of different forms of an audience’s behavior on the heart work parameters and salivary cortisol level of leisure horses during work. Twelve horses were studied at rest, during standardized work, and at recovery. There was no audience in the arena in the control variant, whereas an audience (10 people) was situated in the middle of the arena in four other variants: standing still and silent in the first variant, standing still and talking in normal voice in the second variant, being silent but walking in both directions along the middle line of the arena in the third variant, and walking as above and simultaneously talking in the fourth variant. Heart rate, heart rate variability parameters: root mean square of successive beat-to-beat differences, low frequency of the power spectrum (LF), high frequency of the power spectrum (HF) and ratio of LF and HF signal (LF/HF), as well as salivary cortisol levels were measured. We found that audience presence and various forms of behavior during horse-riding leisure hours caused a significant decrease (P < 0.05) in the activity of the parasympathetic part of the autonomic nervous system, which reduces inhibiting functions in favor of functions activating the body. The horses' reaction to the audience was more intensive at faster gaits. When the audience was simultaneously walking and talking, there was a particularly distinct decrease in the activity of the parasympathetic system, and stress shown by an increase of cortisol secretion was also generated.