A quieter horse is just a sniff – ScienceDaily

A recently published research in the Journal of Equine Veterinary Science revealed significant signs of stress reduction in horses that inhaled lavender from a diffuser. The study was conducted by Isabelle Chea, undergraduate student at AU, and Ann Baldwin, UA Professor of Physiology and Psychology

"Horses can be subjected to a lot of stress, so I wanted to see if aromatherapy, "said Chea, who had never gone around horses before taking the Baldwin course, Physiology of Mind Body Interactions, at AU Tucson, in Arizona

.The frequency and variability of the heart rate, which is a measure of the variation in the time between each heartbeat.The two are indicators of the level of stress that a person or animal experiences, well that variability in heart rate is a much more sensitive measure.

Heart rate has been the focus of limited research on the use of aromatherapy to calm horses the presence of a stress factor, such as towing. e study, the horses were frightened by an air horn and then supplied with humidified lavender air. The heart rate of horses increases in response to the horn of the air, but returns more quickly to normal in those who inhale lavender.

None of the studies examined the response of a horse to aromatherapy in the absence of imposed stressor. "We wanted to test normal horses that are not stressed by outside forces," said Baldwin, who is training with his Major, Major, 18. "Some horses and some breeds, it's just in their nature that they are more stressed, so we wanted to use horses that were not afraid to see the effect, if any , aromatherapy on them. "

Baldwin asked the help of other owners at his boarding house to gather a group of nine dressage horses of different breeds and ages. Each horse was driven to a small paddock and held by a volunteer while a diffuser containing lavender essential oil was held near the horse's nose. A monitor tracked heart rates and heart rate variability for a total of 21 minutes – seven minutes before the broadcaster was introduced, seven minutes with the broadcaster nearby, and seven minutes after it was removed.

What has changed is what is called the parasympathetic component of heart rate variability, "Baldwin explained. "One of the parameters of heart rate variability is the RMSSD, which represents parasympathetic intake, which is the relaxation part of the autonomic nervous system.If the RMSSD increases, this indicates that the horse is relaxed. lavender, RMSSD significantly increased from baseline. "

Data were confirmed by the observed behavior of horses, which often included relaxation signals such as lowering of the neck and licking and chewing during the inhalation of lavender. water vapor and chamomile, neither of which produced a similar calming effect or an increase in the RMSSD

"We got a soothing effect with lavender, but when we measured thereafter, we had no more effect. . "So, it's just during the snorting of lavender that we see this calming effect."

Research has direct implications for riders looking for new or natural ways to calm an anxious or nervous horse. Traditional tranquilizers often have long-term effects, while lavender can be used with precision and precision when needed.

"Some horses do not like to be shod, so when the farrier starts skating be good for that," Baldwin said, giving a practical example of how lavender aromatherapy could to be used in the barn. "You do not need a diffuser, just put a few drops of lavender essential oil on your hand and let your horse sniff."

Baldwin says that future research projects could examine the effectiveness of aromatherapy for horses doses. When it comes to lavender, however, the research is clear. A sniff is all it takes to calm an anxious horse.