—Rowan Grzeszkiewicz-O’Neill (Mentor: Sarah Rigg)
This study assessed stress response in horses during mane pulling, a practice that involves using a metal comb to tear out hairs in order to create an even and thin mane for horse showing. Seven horses from the UNH equine program were tested under three conditions: the experimental condition, during which they had their manes pulled; the baseline condition, in which they were not handled during testing; and the control condition, where the horse’s manes were brushed using a hairbrush. I collected data on heart rate, how frequently horses showed certain behaviors, and the temperature of a structure of the eye called the lacrimal caruncle. These are all methods used to identify potential stress or pain in horses. A statistical analysis found that there was a significant increase in heart rate and stress behaviors during the experimental condition as compared to the control and baseline. This indicates that mane pulling is a stressful procedure, suggesting that the use of this practice may be unethical due to its impact on the welfare of horses, and raising questions about the ethical boundaries within the care and use of animals for human purposes.
