Thorbergson Zoë W, Nielsen Sharon G, Beaulieu Rodney J, Doyle Rebecca E
a School of Animal and Veterinary Science, Charles Sturt University , Wagga Wagga , Australia.
b Quantitative Consulting Unit, School of Computing and Mathematics, Charles Sturt University , Wagga Wagga , Australia.
J Appl Anim Welf Sci. 2016 Jul-Sep;19(3):245-59. doi: 10.1080/10888705.2015.1130630. Epub 2016 Mar 9.
Riding is considered to be an arousing activity for horses. It has been suggested that wither scratching may be a more useful tool for relaxation compared with the common practice of neck patting. In the current study, 18 horses were exposed to 3 treatments, including control or no interaction, neck patting, and wither scratching, for 1 min each following a short obstacle course. Heart rate, heart rate variability, and a variety of behaviors were measured in the horses. Wither scratching produced a significantly longer duration of relaxed-type behaviors. Wither scratching could be a useful tool to help a horse relax while under saddle. Additionally, the study identified 2 ear positions that may be useful for future research in horse behavior.
骑乘被认为是一种会让马匹兴奋的活动。有人提出，与常见的颈部轻拍做法相比，挠肩胛骨可能是一种更有效的放松方式。在当前这项研究中，18匹马在完成一段短障碍课程后，分别接受了三种处理，包括对照（即无互动）、颈部轻拍和挠肩胛骨，每种处理持续1分钟。对这些马的心率、心率变异性以及各种行为进行了测量。挠肩胛骨产生的放松型行为持续时间显著更长。挠肩胛骨可能是帮助马匹在鞍上时放松的一种有用方式。此外，该研究还确定了两个耳部位置，这可能对未来马匹行为研究有用。
