Effect of manual imitation of grooming on riding horses' heart rate in different environmental situations

摘要

Among the physiological effects of allogrooming, a reduction in the recipient heart rate (HR) has been demonstrated for primates (Boccia et al., 1989; Aureli el al., 1999), dogs (Lynch and Gantt, 1968), horses (Fell and de Mazieres, 1993) and cattle (Albright and Arawe, 1997). In Caraargue horses, Feh and de Mazieres (1993) found that the reduction in HR induced by manual imitation of grooming depended on the body part being groomed. There was a HR reduction when the withers and nearby areas were groomed, while there was no reduction when the shoulder, towards which agonistic actions are directed (Waring, 1983), was groomed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of manual imitation of grooming on saddle horses' HR in different environmental situations.