A little horseplay might be just what the doctor ordered for today’s teens.
uncertain
doctor → order → teens
A new study from the University of California, Davis found that spending just three minutes in the company of a miniature horse or donkey can lift adolescents’ spirits.
asserted
spending → find → spirits
Better yet: The feel-good effect appears to linger even after their four-legged friend trots away.
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friend → feel → ?
That small burst of joy could be exactly what young people need.
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people → need → what
Nationwide, 40% of high school students report feeling persistently sad or hopeless, while nearly 20% of youth ages 12 to 17 have experienced at least one major depressive episode in the past year.
And it’s not just an American problem.
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it → report → year
Research by the World Health Organization shows that teens are the loneliest demographic around the globe.
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teens → show → globe
In the study, researchers recruited 61 teens and analyzed their interactions with a small heard consisting of two miniature horses named Olivia and Randy and two miniature donkeys named Mary and Memphis.
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researchers → recruit → horses
Each teen spent three minutes with the furry crew.
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teen → spend → crew
Half were asked to gently stroke the animals’ backs, while the others were instructed to vigorously scratch their necks — a move that mimics the way equines groom one another.
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equines → ask → one
The teens were also taught how to spot two important signals: lip-wriggling, a sign of pleasure or enjoyment, and walking away, which means the animal wants a little space.
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animal → teach → space
After just three minutes, all of the teens reported feeling calmer and less nervous, sad, lonely and excited.
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all → report → teens
And the animals appeared to enjoy the interaction, too.
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animals → appear → interaction
They wriggled their lips during 75% of the neck-scratching sessions and 48% of the gentle-petting sessions.
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They → wriggle → sessions
Interestingly, the teens who noticed the animals’ lip-wriggling had bigger drops in loneliness — suggesting that paying attention to their cues may be part of what makes the interaction so rewarding.
“Our work raises this beautiful possibility that making the interaction better for the animal may be part of what makes it better for us,” Rebecca Calisi Rodríguez, an associate professor of neurobiology, physiology and behavior at UC Davis, said in a press release.
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Rodríguez → notice → release
But even these pint-sized pals weren’t looking for nonstop attention.
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pals → look → attention
Like a moody teenager, they sometimes needed a little me-time, too.
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they → need → time
The miniature horses and donkeys walked away during 89% of the petting interactions, compared with 42% of the neck-scratching sessions.
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horses → walk → sessions
In an unexpected twist, the teens who noticed their companion walking away showed the biggest reductions in sadness.
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companion → notice → sadness
The results suggest that when it comes to bonding with animals, quality may matter more than quantity.
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quality → suggest → quantity
“A meaningful interaction may not require an animal to engage with us continuously,” said Calisi Rodríguez, who also serves as director of the Green Care Lab at UC Davis.
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who → require → Davis
“Seeing an animal exercise choice — being free to approach you, stay with you or walk away — may make the interaction feel more authentic.”
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interaction → approach → you
The findings build on a growing body of anecdotal evidence and clinical research suggesting that interacting with horses can provide measurable physical and psychological benefits.
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interacting → build → benefits
Research has found that interacting with horses can help regulate heart rate and lower levels of cortisol, the body’s primary stress hormone, helping the nervous system shift into a more relaxed state.
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system → find → state
One study even found that simply being in the presence of a horse can have a soothing effect on people.
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being → find → people
Equine-assisted therapy has also been used to help manage trauma, anxiety and depression, while boosting confidence and mindfulness.
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therapy → assist → confidence
Now, the latest findings suggest there could be another piece to the puzzle when it comes to maximizing the benefits of spending time with horses: making sure they’re enjoying the ride, too.
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enjoying → suggest → ride
“This has the potential to change how we think about designing animal-assisted interventions, from hospitals and schools to therapeutic riding centers and beyond,” Calisi Rodríguez said.
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Rodríguez → have → centers
“Ultimately, what we want to know is whether we can predict the conditions under which an interaction is beneficial for both species,” she continued.
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she → want → species
“I would love to see animal-assisted programs become places where people don’t just receive care from animals but learn how to give care back.”
asserted
people → love → care
The Aporia
