Examining the Human–Horse Bond From the Human Perspective

ABSTRACT

Relationships between people and horses are often described in terms reflecting attachment, understanding, and mutual bonding. How this bond is characterized from a human perspective can provide insight into the human–horse relationship and its impact on animal welfare. This mixed methods study sought to understand what people experience with their horse and how they experience it to discover reasons why people believe there is a human–horse bond. An online survey asked respondents about horse ownership, days per week of one-on-one contact, length of time interacting with the horse, and their primary reason (Western riding, companionship, etc) for spending time with the horse. Demographic data on gender, age, ethnicity, household income, and country of residence of the respondent was also collected. An open-ended question asked respondents to describe an instance where they thought a bond between a horse and a human had been demonstrated. Qualitative responses were coded using thematic analysis to examine human–horse interaction from a phenomenological perspective. Aspects that characterized a bond included the horse approaching and making physical contact with their person, vocalizing upon seeing their human, protecting their person from physical harm, and trying hard for their person. How the bond was experienced included a shared experience, often in dire situations, the horse trusting and relaxing in the presence of their person, the horse missing their person or remembering them after a long time apart, and anthropomorphic aspects of two-way communication and affection. Respondent age, income level, and whether they partook in riding were associated with some of the aspects describing the bond with the horse. The four pillars of attachment theory were evidenced in the survey responses, and anthropomorphism featured largely. These results form a foundation for understanding the human view of the human–horse bond which can improve horse welfare through directed research and communication of horse ethology and cognition.

KEYWORDS:

• Anthropomorphism
• communication
• human–animal interaction
• human contact
• phenomenology
• relationship

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.