The Bond Between a Horse and a Human

Abstract

The bond that exists between a horse and human was examined using EEG from the horse and human simultaneously. Three volunteers ranging from novice to elite horse experience participated with an unfamiliar horse. The elite participant was also recorded with her own horse. A dose-response effect was tested using 6 conditions requiring increasing interaction between the horse and human (baseline - apart, standing together, petting, grooming, sitting, and riding). EEG was recorded from 10 locations on the horse and the human. EEG brain maps illustrated that increasing interaction between the horse and human showed more synchronous EEG. The elite horse person showed greater synchronization with her own familiar horse. Perhaps these findings illustrate the bond that exists between horses and humans.