{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,5]],"date-time":"2026-06-05T16:48:28Z","timestamp":1780678108783,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":34,"publisher":"Oxford University Press (OUP)","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,12]],"date-time":"2025-02-12T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1739318400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":42,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-nd\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Rutgers Equine Science Center"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,7]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n               <jats:p>Heart rate variability (HRV) can be measured as an indicator of autonomic nervous system (ANS) balance and thus, stress and affective arousal. Mixed results have been reported in the limited literature addressing the effects of equine-assisted services (EAS) on HRV in the human and horse participants. The aims of the present study were to determine the effects of ground-based adaptive horsemanship (AH) lessons on veterans\u2019 and horses\u2019 HRV during weekly lessons as well as veterans\u2019 resting HRV outside of lessons. Veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were randomly assigned to 8\u00a0wk of AH or control (CON, no changes in treatments or activities) conditions. Horses were assigned to AH or control (CON, stall in arena) conditions based on previous experience (EAS or recreational riding). Electrocardiogram traces from the veteran and AH and CON horses were recorded during the 30-min lessons. Traces were recorded during resting conditions before (PRE) and after (POST) the 8-wk period from AH and CON veterans and healthy, non-veterans. Heart rate (HR), root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD) and low frequency to high frequency ratios (LF\/HF) were calculated after identification of peaks with the Pan-Tompkins algorithm and manual correction during 5-min epochs. Data were analyzed with repeated measures, mixed model ANOVAs (SAS v9.4). HR was lowest (p \u2264 0.0323) in the horses and veterans during the first 10\u00a0min of the lessons. Veterans\u2019 RMSSD was higher (p\u2005\u2264\u20050.0496) in weeks 4 and 6 than week 2. LF\/HF was greater in veterans with PTSD than healthy, non-veterans across PRE and POST time points. Increased HR later in the lessons is likely a result of increased movement in the horses and veterans. An interval of decreased stress and increased resiliency might be present in veterans participating in multi-day AH sessions. Increased sympathetic arousal measured via LF\/HF was not mitigated by 8\u00a0wk of AH. Horses appeared unstressed by the interactions as no changes in HRV were observed.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1093\/tas\/txaf019","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,12]],"date-time":"2025-02-12T18:23:26Z","timestamp":1739384606000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Heart rate variability responses of horses and veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder to ground-based adaptive horsemanship lessons: a pilot study"],"prefix":"10.1093","volume":"9","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3093-0060","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ellen M","family":"Rankins","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Animal Sciences, Equine Science Center, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , New Brunswick, NJ 08901 ,","place":["USA"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Boluwatife E","family":"Faremi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut , Storrs, CT 06269 ,","place":["USA"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kyle","family":"Hartmann","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Animal Sciences, Equine Science Center, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , New Brunswick, NJ 08901 ,","place":["USA"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Andrea","family":"Quinn","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Center for Psychological Services, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , New Brunswick, NJ 08901 ,","place":["USA"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hugo F","family":"Posada-Quintero","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut , Storrs, CT 06269 ,","place":["USA"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kenneth H","family":"McKeever","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Animal Sciences, Equine Science Center, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , New Brunswick, NJ 08901 ,","place":["USA"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Karyn","family":"Malinowski","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Animal Sciences, Equine Science Center, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , New Brunswick, NJ 08901 ,","place":["USA"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"286","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,12]]},"reference":[{"key":"2025032111573687400_CIT0001","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"99","DOI":"10.1111\/eve.12405","article-title":"Evaluation of heart rate and rhythm during exercise","volume":"28","author":"Allen","year":"2016","journal-title":"Equine Vet. Educ"},{"key":"2025032111573687400_CIT0002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1176\/appi.books.9780890425596","volume-title":"Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders","author":"American Psychiatric Association","year":"2013","edition":"5th ed."},{"key":"2025032111573687400_CIT0003","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"129","DOI":"10.3390\/bs11100129","article-title":"Physiological and behavioral benefits for people and horses during guided interactions at an assisted living residence","volume":"11","author":"Baldwin","year":"2021","journal-title":"Behav. Sci."},{"key":"2025032111573687400_CIT0004","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"26","DOI":"10.3389\/fphys.2013.00026","article-title":"The LF\/HF ratio does not accurately measure cardiac sympatho-vagal balance","volume":"4","author":"Billman","year":"2013","journal-title":"Front. Physiol"},{"key":"2025032111573687400_CIT0006","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"321","DOI":"10.1080\/10615809608249409","article-title":"Anxiety and heart rate under psychological stress: the effects of exercise-training","volume":"9","author":"Calvo","year":"1996","journal-title":"Anxiety Stress Coping"},{"key":"2025032111573687400_CIT0007","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"296","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijpsycho.2012.10.013","article-title":"Dynamical systems modeling of physiological coregulation in dyadic interactions","volume":"88","author":"Ferrer","year":"2013","journal-title":"Int. J. Psychophysiol"},{"key":"2025032111573687400_CIT0008","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"809","DOI":"10.1007\/s10597-015-9836-x","article-title":"Not just horsing around: the impact of equine-assisted learning on levels of hope and depression in at-risk adolescents","volume":"51","author":"Frederick","year":"2015","journal-title":"Community Ment. Health J"},{"key":"2025032111573687400_CIT0009","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"9","DOI":"10.30773\/pi.2019.0112","article-title":"Posttraumatic stress disorder and alterations in resting heart rate variability: a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"17","author":"Ge","year":"2020","journal-title":"Psychiatry Investig"},{"key":"2025032111573687400_CIT0010","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"60","DOI":"10.3138\/jmvfh.2017-0015","article-title":"Measuring the psychophysiological changes in combat veterans participating in an equine therapy program","volume":"4","author":"Gehrke","year":"2018","journal-title":"J. Mil. Veteran Family Health"},{"key":"2025032111573687400_CIT0011","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"501","DOI":"10.1080\/08927936.2015.1052284","article-title":"Exploring synchronicity in the heart rates of familiar and unfamiliar pairs of horses and humans undertaking an in-hand task","volume":"28","author":"Hockenhull","year":"2015","journal-title":"Anthrozo\u00f6s"},{"key":"2025032111573687400_CIT0012","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"162","DOI":"10.1016\/B978-0-7216-0075-8.00020-4","article-title":"The cardiovascular system: anatomy, physiology, and adaptations to exercise training","volume-title":"The Athletic horse: principles and practice of equine sports medicine","author":"Hodgson","year":"2014","edition":"2nd ed."},{"key":"2025032111573687400_CIT0013","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"77","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jevs.2017.05.006","article-title":"Horses working in therapeutic riding programs: cortisol, adrenocorticotropic hormone, glucose, and behavior stress indicators","volume":"57","author":"Johnson","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. Equine Vet. Sci"},{"key":"2025032111573687400_CIT0014","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"57","DOI":"10.1080\/13642537.2014.996169","article-title":"A systematic review of the efficacy of equine-assisted interventions on psychological outcomes","volume":"17","author":"Kendall","year":"2015","journal-title":"Eur. J. Psychother. Couns"},{"key":"2025032111573687400_CIT0015","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1080\/10888705.2024.2396968","article-title":"Horses\u2019 cardiovascular and glucocorticoid responses to equine-assisted therapy with women with intellectual disability: an exploratory study","author":"Kreuzer","year":"2024","journal-title":"J. Appl. Anim. Welf. Sci"},{"key":"2025032111573687400_CIT0016","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"43","DOI":"10.1016\/0165-1838(96)00028-8","article-title":"Assessment of autonomic nervous function by power spectral analysis of heart rate variability in the horse","volume":"60","author":"Kuwahara","year":"1996","journal-title":"J. Auton. Nerv. Syst"},{"key":"2025032111573687400_CIT0017","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1277338","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyt.2023.1277338","article-title":"Equine-assisted interventions for veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder: a systematic review","volume":"14","author":"Li","year":"2023","journal-title":"Front. Psychiatry"},{"key":"2025032111573687400_CIT0018","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"17","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jevs.2018.01.011","article-title":"The effects of equine assisted therapy on plasma cortisol and oxytocin concentrations and heart rate variability in horses and measures of symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder in veterans","volume":"64","author":"Malinowski","year":"2018","journal-title":"J. Equine Vet. Sci"},{"key":"2025032111573687400_CIT0019","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"135","DOI":"10.3138\/jmvfh-2023-0063","article-title":"Psychophysiological effects of equine-facilitated psychotherapy on veterans with PTSD and their horse partners","volume":"10","author":"McDuffee","year":"2024","journal-title":"J. Mil. Veteran Fam. Health"},{"key":"2025032111573687400_CIT0020","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"61","DOI":"10.1016\/j.applanim.2018.05.019","article-title":"Behavioural and physiological responses of therapy horses to mentally traumatized humans","volume":"205","author":"Merkies","year":"2018","journal-title":"Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci"},{"key":"2025032111573687400_CIT0021","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"99","DOI":"10.1294\/jes.28.99","article-title":"Changes in heart rate and heart rate variability as a function of age in thoroughbred horses","volume":"28","author":"Ohmura","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. Equine Sci"},{"key":"2025032111573687400_CIT0022","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"230","DOI":"10.1109\/TBME.1985.325532","article-title":"A real-time QRS detection algorithm","volume":"BME-3232","author":"Pan","year":"1985","journal-title":"IEEE Trans. Biomed. Eng"},{"key":"2025032111573687400_CIT0023","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"544","DOI":"10.1186\/s12888-024-05984-w","article-title":"Are equine-assisted services beneficial for military veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder? A systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"24","author":"Provan","year":"2024","journal-title":"BMC Psychiatry"},{"key":"2025032111573687400_CIT0024","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"104825","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jevs.2023.104825","article-title":"Equids in equine assisted services: a scoping review","volume":"127","author":"Rankins","year":"2023","journal-title":"J. Equine Vet. Sci"},{"key":"2025032111573687400_CIT0025","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"105049","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jevs.2024.105049","article-title":"Behavioral and physiological responses of horses to ground-based adaptive horsemanship lessons for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)","volume":"135","author":"Rankins","year":"2024","journal-title":"J. Equine Vet. Sci"},{"key":"2025032111573687400_CIT0026","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1390212","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyt.2024.1390212","article-title":"Ground-based adaptive horsemanship lessons for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder: a randomized controlled pilot study","volume":"15","author":"Rankins","year":"2024","journal-title":"Front. Psychiatry"},{"key":"2025032111573687400_CIT0028","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1937","DOI":"10.1017\/S003329172000207X","article-title":"Autonomic dysfunction in posttraumatic stress disorder indexed by heart rate variability: a meta-analysis","volume":"50","author":"Schneider","year":"2020","journal-title":"Psychol. Med"},{"key":"2025032111573687400_CIT0029","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1030","DOI":"10.3390\/ani9121030","article-title":"Emotional transfer in human\u2013horse interaction: new perspectives on equine assisted interventions","volume":"9","author":"Scopa","year":"2019","journal-title":"Animals"},{"key":"2025032111573687400_CIT0030","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"258","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2017.00258","article-title":"An overview of heart rate variability metrics and norms","volume":"5","author":"Shaffer","year":"2017","journal-title":"Front. Public Health"},{"key":"2025032111573687400_CIT0031","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1016\/j.applanim.2015.02.007","article-title":"Measuring heart rate variability in horses to investigate the autonomic nervous system activity \u2013 Pros and cons of different methods","volume":"166","author":"Stucke","year":"2015","journal-title":"Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci"},{"key":"2025032111573687400_CIT0005","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"293","DOI":"10.1016\/j.physbeh.2007.01.007","article-title":"Heart rate variability as a measure of autonomic regulation of cardiac activity","volume":"92","author":"Von Borell","year":"2007","journal-title":"Physiol. Behav"},{"key":"2025032111573687400_CIT0027","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"360","DOI":"10.3389\/fphys.2017.00360","article-title":"Resolving ambiguities in the LF\/HF ratio: LF-HF scatter plots for the categorization of mental and physical stress from HRV","volume":"8","author":"von Rosenberg","year":"2017","journal-title":"Front. Physiol"},{"key":"2025032111573687400_CIT0032","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"88","DOI":"10.1089\/acm.2020.0415","article-title":"Optimal terminology for services in the United States that incorporate horses to benefit people: a consensus document","volume":"27","author":"Wood","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. Altern. Complement. Med"},{"key":"2025032111573687400_CIT0033","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"368","DOI":"10.1016\/j.bspc.2016.11.003","article-title":"Quantifying mental arousal levels in daily living using additional heart rate","volume":"33","author":"Yang","year":"2017","journal-title":"Biomed. Signal Proc. Control"},{"key":"2025032111573687400_CIT0034","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"874","DOI":"10.1080\/03004430.2012.693486","article-title":"Equine-assisted therapy and its impact on cortisol levels of children and horses: a pilot study and meta-analysis","volume":"183","author":"Yorke","year":"2013","journal-title":"Early Child Dev. Care"}],"container-title":["Translational Animal Science"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/tas\/advance-article-pdf\/doi\/10.1093\/tas\/txaf019\/61863777\/txaf019.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"am","intended-application":"syndication"},{"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/tas\/article-pdf\/doi\/10.1093\/tas\/txaf019\/61863777\/txaf019.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"syndication"},{"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/tas\/article-pdf\/doi\/10.1093\/tas\/txaf019\/61863777\/txaf019.pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,23]],"date-time":"2025-03-23T05:41:44Z","timestamp":1742708504000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/tas\/article\/doi\/10.1093\/tas\/txaf019\/8010614"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025]]},"references-count":34,"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/tas\/txaf019","relation":{},"ISSN":["2573-2102"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2573-2102","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published-other":{"date-parts":[[2025]]},"published":{"date-parts":[[2025]]},"article-number":"txaf019"}}