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The effect of odour on the autonomic status of the horse

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 February 2018

N Boyle ,
L Clarke  and
R Geering
N Boyle
Affiliation:
Department of Agricultural Sciences, Imperial College London(Wye Campus), Wye, Ashford, Kent, TN25 5AH, UK, Email, [email protected]
L Clarke
Affiliation:
Department of Agricultural Sciences, Imperial College London(Wye Campus), Wye, Ashford, Kent, TN25 5AH, UK, Email, [email protected]
R Geering
Affiliation:
Department of Agricultural Sciences, Imperial College London(Wye Campus), Wye, Ashford, Kent, TN25 5AH, UK, Email, [email protected]
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Extract

It is well established that the equid olfactory system is highly sensitive. It has been suggested that there is an intimate link between the sense of smell in the horse (Williams, 1995) and the fight and flight response, which is mediated by the autonomic nervous system (Marlin and Nankervis, 2002), thus affecting the heart. In humans, it has been demonstrated that lavender can have a pronounced impact on heart rate variability (Saeki, 2000) but it is not yet know whether the autonomic nervous system of the horse can be influenced by odour. It is the aim of the study to determine the effect of odour on the autonomic status of the horses.

Eight geldings were used in the study and the electrical activity of their heart was assessed using the “Polar S810” telemetric system before and during the presentation of either pig faeces or lavender to the horses’ nostrils. The experiment was conducted over a two–day period so that their response to both odours could be determined.

Type
Posters
Information
BSAP Occasional Publication , Volume 32: Emerging Equine Science , 2004 , pp. 183 - 184
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Production 2004

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References

Marlin, D. and Nankervis, K. (2002). The cardiovascular system. In: Equine Exercise Physiology, Edited by Nankervis K., Blackwell Science, Oxford, UK, pp. 55–73.Google Scholar
Saeki, Y. (2000). The effect of foot-bath with or without the essential oil of lavender on the autonomic nervous system, a randomised trial. Complementary Therapeutic Medicine 89(1): 2-7.Google Scholar
Williams, M. (1995). Horse Psychology, J. A. Allen, London, UK, pp. 61–62. Google Scholar