Lavender to Calm an Anxious Horse
The researchers say lavender may be a better alternative to tranquilizers which have a long term effect.
Lavender is the secret to keeping a horse calm, a new study by scientists have found.
Horses are constantly put through stressful events such as being moved on trailers, bathing, clipping, vet visits, hoof trims, bridling, and saddling.
The University of Arizona has discovered that a quick sniff of lavender can lower heart rate and keep the animal calm.
The new study, which was published in the Journal of Equine Veterinary Science found significant signs of stress reduction in horses that inhaled lavender from a diffuser.
Some horses don't like to be shod. So, when the farrier comes and starts banging around with their hooves, lavender would be good for that.
"You don't need a diffuser, really. Just put a few drops of lavender essential oil on your hand and let your horse sniff."
The horses' heart rates increased in response to the air horn but returned to normal more quickly in those that inhaled lavender.
In a second study, Prof Baldwin enlisted nine dressage horses of varying breeds and ages. Each horse was led to a small paddock and held by a volunteer while a diffuser containing lavender essential oil was held near the horse's nose.
A monitor tracked heart rates and heart rate variability for 21 minutes total - seven minutes before the introduction of the diffuser, seven minutes with the diffuser in close proximity, and seven minutes after it was removed.
"The heart rate didn't change; what changed is what's called the parasympathetic component of heart rate variability," she said.
"One of the parameters of heart rate variability is RMSSD, which is the relaxation part of the autonomic nervous system. If RMSSD goes up, that indicates the horse is relaxed. We found that when the horses were sniffing the lavender, RMSSD significantly increased compared to baseline."
The data were supported by the horses' observed behavior, which often included relaxation signals such as neck lowering and licking and chewing while the lavender was being inhaled.
The experiment was repeated with water vapor and chamomile, neither of which produced a similar calming effect.
LAVENDER is available on my products page. Please use the referral link to get wholesale pricing. The AMEO brand essential oil is clinical grade (the highest quality) and safe to ingest.
Please exercise caution if purchasing essential oils from different online sources, as the quality varies.
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