These horses are unaffected by petting in children's zoo, heart rate monitors reveal

These horses are unaffected by petting in children's zoo, heart rate monitors reveal Sadie Harley Scientific Editor Andrew Zinin Lead Editor The horses at the Children's Zoo in Gothenburg don't mind being petted by children and adults. However, they do get stressed by the noise from an excavator. Researchers at the University of Gothenburg discovered this after fitting heart rate monitors to eight Gotland Russ horses. The research is published in the journal Zoo Biology. People and organizations that keep animals must take the animals' welfare into account. For zoos that work to conserve species and breeds and wish to promote biodiversity, it is crucial to understand how visitors affect the animals. "Although a great deal can be gleaned from the animals' behavior, there is still some uncertainty about how they feel in the company of humans. That is why I chose to use heart rate monitors to find out how the horses in an animal park in Gothenburg are coping amid all the people and activity. They actually don't seem to mind all that much," says Isidora Dundjerovic, lead author of the study. Heart rate linked to stress Heart rate is linked to stress. When stress strikes, the heart rate rises. This applies to animals just as it does to humans. The researchers measured the heart rates of eight horses, both while they were resting and while they were working—that is, walking for hours in the park. This provided good baseline data for comparison when the researchers subsequently measured their reaction to being surrounded by a group of children petting them while the horses were being fed hay. "The resting heart rate averaged 42.5 beats per minute and 85 beats per minute during exercise. When the horses were in a paddock by a playground and were being petted by the children, their heart rate averaged 51 beats per minute. At one point, an excavator started up next to the paddock, and the horses' heart rates shot up significantly and they quickly moved away from the machine," says Isidora Dundjerovic. Barking dogs The study clearly shows that a noisy machine was stressful, but the horses took other unexpected sounds and events in stride. During their walks in the park, they encountered barking dogs on several occasions, and this had no effect on their heart rate. Nor did passing cars. "Horses have coexisted with the people who care for them for thousands of years. We now know a little more about how they are affected by being in an environment with lots of people, which is important for ensuring their welfare," says Isidora Dundjerovic. Pony riding The research yielded reassuring results for those involved in animal husbandry at the animal park in Gothenburg, and they are looking forward to the publication of forthcoming studies, as pony riding, among other things, has been examined in a similar way. "Animal welfare is extremely important, and we monitor the health and well-being of our animals in many different ways. We are delighted to be collaborating with the University of Gothenburg on in-depth analyses of animal welfare in this way to ensure that we do not overlook any hidden stress among the zoo's animals," says Linda Thelin, zoologist at the animal park. More information Isidora Dundjerovic et al, Heart Rate as an Indicator of Stress in Gotland's Russ Horses, Zoo Biology (2026). DOI: 10.1002/zoo.70052 Provided by University of Gothenburg