Kaiser Lana, Heleski Camie R, Siegford Janice, Smith Katharine Ann
Human-Animal Bond Initiative, College of Nursing, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2006 Jan 1;228(1):39-45. doi: 10.2460/javma.228.1.39.
To determine whether therapeutic riding resulted in higher levels of stress or frustration for horses than did recreational riding and whether therapeutic riding with at-risk individuals was more stressful for the horses than was therapeutic riding with individuals with physical or emotional handicaps.
Observational study.
14 horses in a therapeutic riding program.
An ethogram of equine behaviors was created, and horses were observed while ridden by 5 groups of riders (recreational riders, physically handicapped riders, psychologically handicapped riders, at risk children, and special education children). Number of stress-related behaviors (ears pinned back, head raised, head turned, head tossed, head shaken, head down, and defecation) was compared among groups.
No significant differences in mean number of stress-related behaviors were found when horses were ridden by recreational riders, physically handicapped riders, psychologically handicapped riders, or special education children. However, mean number of stress-related behaviors was significantly higher when horses were ridden by the at-risk children.
Results suggest that for horses in a therapeutic riding program, being ridden by physically or psychologically handicapped individuals is no more stressful for the horses than is being ridden in the same setting by recreational riders. However, at-risk children caused more stress to the horses, suggesting that the time horses are ridden by at-risk children should be limited both daily and weekly.
确定与休闲骑行相比，治疗性骑乘是否会给马匹带来更高程度的压力或挫折感，以及与身体或情感有障碍的个体进行治疗性骑乘时，与有风险的个体进行治疗性骑乘对马匹而言压力是否更大。
观察性研究。
参与治疗性骑乘项目的14匹马。
创建了马行为的行为图谱，并在5组骑手（休闲骑手、身体有障碍的骑手、心理有障碍的骑手、有风险的儿童和特殊教育儿童）骑马时对马进行观察。比较了各组中与压力相关行为（耳朵向后贴、头抬起、头转动、头摆动、头摇晃、头低下和排便）的数量。
当马由休闲骑手、身体有障碍的骑手、心理有障碍的骑手或特殊教育儿童骑乘时，与压力相关行为的平均数量没有显著差异。然而，当马由有风险的儿童骑乘时，与压力相关行为的平均数量显著更高。
结果表明，对于参与治疗性骑乘项目的马来说，由身体或心理有障碍的个体骑乘，与在相同环境中由休闲骑手骑乘相比，给马带来的压力并不更大。然而，有风险的儿童给马造成了更多压力，这表明有风险的儿童骑乘马的时间在每日和每周都应受到限制。
