Horse & Human Heart Rate Synchronization: What the Research tells us

Chronicles of a Stable Owner are real-life stories about caring for horses and their people
Written by Dr. Gwen Donohoe, Owner/Manager at Sagehill Stables

Research conducted by Dr. Ann Baldwin at the University of Arizona has confirmed what equestrians have always known and felt - that horses seem to have a way to connect with your soul. In fact, that feeling is your heart rate frequency synchronizing with your horse! Dr. Baldwin's research program focuses on finding ways that humans can resist stress and she has combined this research with her own experience and passion for horses.

Her team discovered that as humans interacted with horses, horse and human heart rate variability  became coherent in the majority of participants studied, meaning their heart rate frequencies matched that of the horse they were working with.  Normally, human and horse heart rates have different levels of frequency.  They found that this coherence between horse and human heart rate frequency happened with the human heart rate following that of the horse heart rate over time, suggesting that the human heart rate was trying to match or follow the horse heart rate frequency.  These matching frequencies in heart rate were shown to be strongest when humans were told to express positive feelings to the horse, but were also found when participants were just sitting quietly in the horse's presence.  One possible explanation for these matching frequencies was proposed to be that horses have a larger electromagnetic field than humans and that this can influence human heart rate frequency. 

So what does this mean?  This is part of the phenomenon we talk about when we spend time with horses;  that individuals are able to focus on the present and live in the moment.  When our...

When our heart rates are high from stress and worry, it is hard for us to focus our brain on anything except the problem that is causing our stress response in the first place.  Horses can manipulate our heart rate to sync with theirs, allowing our brains and body to release from this stressor and focus on the present, which is great for the horse because it means we are in fact focusing on them!  In fact research has also demonstrated that horses will often lower their heart rate in our presence, meaning that if our heart rate is high from stress, it will sync to a lower heart rate demonstrated by their horse companion.  Maybe it is selfish of horses to dominate our heart rate and have us focus on them, but in terms of mental health and wellbeing, this manipulation of our heart rate can trigger the healing process for our bodies and help individuals learn how to self regulate their own heart rate to achieve these more positive feelings and state of mind.

As humans have lived with, worked with and relied on horses for over 5000 years, this synchronization of heart rates was likely something that happened frequently, even daily, for many individuals who worked with horses one-on-one daily for generations.  Today the ability to interact with horses daily is limited for many individuals and could be one of the underlying reasons why many individuals have a hard time learning how to self-regulate their emotions and stress responses.

We see examples of horses helping humans with their mental health on a daily basis at the barn.  We've had multiple parents report that their child is suddenly better able to make friends at school and retain friendships after taking riding lessons, as an example. Our Equine Assisted Learning programs in particular use this knowledge to teach participants life skills such as confidence building, teamwork, communication skills, trust, boundaries and leadership skills, without having the participants ride.  What can we do as individuals and as a community to help increase the interaction between humans and horses, especially for those we know need help regulating their stress responses?

The research findings from Dr. Baldwin can be found in this great webinar where she is interviewed by the HeartMath Institute: https://www.heartmath.org/resources/downloads/heart-heart-communication-horses/