Assessing the effect of counterconditioning to reduce neophobic response in horses (Equus ferus Caballus)

Horses may exhibit evasive and flight behaviors to novel situations. These reactive behaviors threaten the safety of horses, owners, handlers, and riders. Poor handling of these reactions also negatively impacts the animal's behavior and, consequently, its well-being. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a counterconditioning technique to reduce fear responses in horses through a brief exposure procedure. It was conducted with 20 naive horses (16 females and 4 males) of Quarter Horse and Chilean Creole breeds. A pre-post design with experimental and control groups was used. Two training sessions of seven minutes each were conducted, applying counterconditioning in the experimental group and measuring Partial and Total Exposure responses to the fear-inducing situation, Resistance to Handling, Exploratory Behavior Towards Frightening Situation, Exploratory Behavior Towards Handler, and Heart Rate. Mixed ANOVAs were used to analyze the effects of counterconditioning on each dependent variable. The experimental group showed significantly lower resistance to handling compared to the control group (F(1,18) = 5.89, p = 0.02), with a reduction in fear-related reactions (mean decrease of 20 %, SD = 5.6). Additionally, exploratory behavior towards the handler increased significantly in the experimental group (F(1,18) = 6.34, p = 0.019), suggesting a shift in focus from the fear-inducing stimulus to the handler. Heart rate differences were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). These results suggest that counterconditioning can reduce resistance and promote positive human-animal interactions during exposure to fear-inducing stimuli. These findings show that counterconditioning operates as an active technique, manifesting effects exclusively when implemented. It also serves as an effective strategy for enhancing a horse’s exposure to novel or fear-inducing situations. The change in behavioral reaction can be attributed to a process of re-evaluative learning, in which horses shift their focus towards the positive stimuli provided by humans, reducing the prior negative association with fear-inducing situations. Reducing resistance behaviors and guiding the horse's attention toward the favorable aspects of human interaction holds significant importance for ensuring safe exposure and reinforcing the bond between humans and animals. An alternative approach explores appetitive stimulation as a reinforcer for coping, exposure, and collaborative behavior, influencing motivation and bonding. Ultimately, preliminary findings suggest that the appetitive technique positively impacts proximity to humans, indicating the potential for a secure horse-handler relationship. Further research is needed to assess this technique's long-term effects and nuances on the human-animal bond within the context of horses.