Stres pri terapevtskih konjih

Poljanec, Urška (author), Jordan, Dušanka (mentor), Grajfoner, Daša (comentor)

Namen magistrske naloge je bil ugotovili, ali terapevtskim konjem sodelovanje v hipoterapiji predstavlja stres. Poskus smo izvajali na lokaciji CIRIUS Kamnik, kjer smo opazovali 4 terapevtske konje med hipoterapijo. Spremljali smo pogostost oblik obnašanja, ki nakazujejo na stres (položaj ušes in glave ter gibanje) in v določenih časovnih razmakih (pred terapijo, po terapiji, 45 minut po terapiji) merili očesno temperaturo ter odvzeli vzorce sline za določanje koncentracije kortizola. Konje smo štirikrat spremljali v poletni in štirikrat v jesenski sezoni. Pripravili smo tudi anketo za ocenjevanje osebnosti konj. Na podlagi zbranih podatkov smo v poletni sezoni zabeležili značilno več sprememb v gibanju konja kot v jesenski sezoni in večjo pogostost sprememb položaja glave, ko je konja jahal pokreten uporabnik. Višjo koncentracijo kortizola v slini smo izmerili v jesenski sezoni, značilna interakcija med sezono in meritvijo pa je pokazala razliko med prvo in četrto meritvijo v jesenski sezoni. Glede na čas odvzema vzorca sline smo zabeležili značilno višjo koncentracijo kortizola tik po terapiji v primerjavi z meritvijo 45 minut po terapiji. Med meritvama pred terapijo in po terapiji nismo ugotovili značilnih razlik. Pri meritvah očesne temperature je bila izmerjena značilno višja očesna temperatura v poletni sezoni v primerjavi z jesensko sezono, značilne so bile tudi razlike med posameznimi meritvami. Interakcija med sezonama in meritvami je pokazala nihanja očesne temperature le v jesenski sezoni, značilna interakcija med sezono in časom meritve pa značilno razliko v očesni temperaturi pred terapijo in 45 minut po terapiji, vendar le v jesenski sezoni. Podatki očesnih temperatur morda niso optimalni, saj ni bilo možno zagotoviti optimalnih pogojev za merjenje. Na podlagi ankete o osebnosti konj nismo ugotovili stopnje strinjanja med tremi ocenjevalci za posameznega konja, so se pa ocenjevalci med seboj strinjali na podlagi vseh 69 osebnostnih lastnosti za vse 4 konje. Na podlagi vseh zbranih rezultatov lahko sklepamo, da so konji med sodelovanjem pri hipoterapiji doživeli nekaj stresa.

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: terapije s pomočjo živali, hipoterapija, terapevtski konj, stres
• Work type: Master's thesis/paper
• Organization: BF - Biotechnical Faculty
• Year: 2021
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-131704
• COBISS.SI-ID: 78890499
• Publication date in RUL: 01.10.2021

Secondary language

• Language: English
• Title: Stress in therapy horses

Abstract

The purpose of the master's thesis was to find out whether participation in hippotherapy stresses out therapeutic horses. The research was performed in CIRIUS Kamnik, where 4 therapeutic horses were observed during hippotherapy. We monitored the frequency of behaviours indicating stress (ear and head position and movement). Before therapy, right after the therapy and 45 minutes after the therapy we measured the eye temperature and took saliva samples to determine cortisol concentration. The horses were monitored four times in the summer and four times in the autumn season. We also prepared a survey to assess the personality of the horses. We recorded significantly more changes in the horse movement in the summer season than in the autumn season and a higher frequency of changes in head position when the horse was ridden by a mobile user. Higher cortisol concentrations in saliva were measured in the autumn season. The interaction between the season and the measurement showed a significant difference between the first and the fourth measurement in the autumn season. Significantly higher cortisol concentration was recorded right after therapy compared to the measurement 45 minutes after the therapy. No significant differences were recorded between pre-therapy and post-therapy measurements. A significantly higher eye temperature was measured in the summer season compared to the autumn season; differences between individual measurements were also significant. The interaction between the seasons and the measurements showed significant fluctuations in eye temperature only in the autumn season. The interaction between the season and the time of the measurement showed a significant difference in the eye temperature before the therapy and 45 minutes after the therapy, but only in the autumn season. It was not possible to provide optimal measuring conditions for measuring eye temperature and therefore the eye temperature data may not be accurate. Based on the horse personality survey, we did not find a degree of agreement between the three evaluators for each horse, but the evaluators agreed on all 69 personality characteristics for all 4 horses. Based on the all collected data, we can conclude that the horses experienced some stress while participating in the hippotherapy.

• Keywords: animal, assisted therapy, hippotherapy, therapy horses, stress