Heart Rate as an Indicator of Stress in Gotland's Russ Horses

Abstract

Animal welfare concerns both the physical and mental wellbeing of animals so the assessment of animals kept in captivity, for example zoos, is important and necessary both legally and ethically. Good welfare is especially vital when breeding endangered species as stress impairs reproductive investment. As zoos often have high numbers of visitors, it is important to know if humans and the associated noise might influence the animals' welfare. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the presence of visitors and activities offered to the visitors caused a stress response in horses housed in a city park, Slottsskogen, in Gothenburg, Sweden. Heart rate, an indicator of stress, was measured in eight Gotland Russ horses with Polar belts during three different treatments; resting, exercise, and during a playground event, where horses are in close contact with humans. The results showed that horses were neither stressed by humans and other animals in the park, nor by vehicles. The average heart rate was significantly different amongst all treatments. At rest, the average heart rate (± SD) was 42.5 ± 3.2 bpm, 85 ± 10.4 bpm during exercise, and 51 ± 7.2 bpm at the playground. Therefore, the playground event was not stressful for these horses. This knowledge is valuable for this park as many human activities occur there throughout the year and gaining a better understanding of how the animals are affected by such events is essential for informing good animal welfare.