General News
Research Finding: Therapy Horses Do Not Show Increased Stress Levels
Whilst we know from our own experiences that our therapy horses don’t appear to be in any way stressed by working in our programs, it’s always nice to have some research to back our understanding. The welfare of our horses is every bit as important to us as the welfare of our program participants.
A University of Missouri study has found that horses used in a therapeutic program for sufferers of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder did not have undue physiological stress responses, nor did they exhibit behavioral stress while participating in a programs.
They also found that taking part in such programs may provide a viable re-purposing for retired or unwanted horses.
We couldn’t agree more.
Link: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0737080617303684
Barb Blashki
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