Just Three Minutes with Miniature Horses and Donkeys Improved Teens’ Mood
Adolescents Who Read the Equines’ Body Language Were Less Sad and Lonely
Interacting with animals can make people feel calmer and less lonely and anxious. A new study from the University of California, Davis, shows that animals play an active role in shaping these interactions and their outcomes.
Spending just three minutes with miniature horses and donkeys improved the mood of adolescents. Teens who picked up on the equines’ body language cues showed bigger reductions in loneliness and sadness — even if those cues involved the animal walking away. The study’s results, published in Scientific Reports September 15, provide a new framework for improving animal-assisted interventions for both people and animals.
“Our work raises this beautiful possibility that making the interaction better for the animal may be part of what makes it better for us,” said Rebecca Calisi Rodríguez, associate professor of neurobiology, physiology and behavior and director of the Green Care Lab at UC Davis. “This has the potential to change how we think about designing animal-assisted interventions, from hospitals and schools to therapeutic riding centers and beyond.”