The utility of instructor evaluations, reactivity tests and plasma neuroendocrine measures in selecting horses for use in therapeutic riding

Abstract

A total of 103 horses (76 from therapeutic riding programs and 27 non-therapeutic riding horses from four sites) were used in this experiment. After a pretest of the methodology, surveys that determined the temperament of each horse were filled out by three therapeutic riding instructors at each therapeutic riding program or by the individual most knowledgeable about the horses at the other sites. Twenty personality traits from the temperament survey were used as indications of temperament. A IO ml basal blood sample was collected from each horse between I 000 and I I 00 h for determination of concentrations of plasma cortisol, norepinephrine and epinephrine. ARer the blood samples were collected, a reactivity test was conducted which involved introducing three novel stimuli: a walking and vocalizing toy pig placed on a cardboard surface in front of the horse for 20 s-popping a balloon near the horse's flank area; and suddenly opening an umbrella and holding it open in front of the horse for 20 s. Reactions (expressions, vocalizations and movement) to each of the stimuli were scored and used to calculate an average reactivity score. Therapeutic riding instructors did not agree on the temperament of their program's horses. There was agreement between two instructors on an average of 29% of the horses across all programs (P <.0006). One program showed agreement across all three instructors, but it was only for 17% of the horses. This lack of agreement indicates a need for more collaboration. No correlations were found between temperament, reactivity and the blood data (r < . 19), but regression analysis found some evidence of a possibility to predict temperament based on reactivity and the blood data (P < .08). There was also a trend for relationships between extremes in temperament (desirable vs. undesirable) and reactivity (low vs. high) and the blood data (P < .09). This study found that it is very difficult to objectively determine the suitability of horses (regarding temperament and reactivity) for therapeutic riding programs.