Avaliação do comportamento de cavalos (Equus caballus, Linnaeus 1758) (Mammalia, Perissodactyla) nas atividades de equoterapia e equitação

Abstract

The use of horse as a therapeutic resource is mentioned from the old age. Equine therapy is a therapeutic and educational practice that uses the horse within an interdisciplinary approach in the areas of health, education and riding. This study aimed to analyze if this practice can help to combat the "stress" and boredom caused in animals due to confinement in stalls. The boredom caused by confinement can lead to inappropriate behaviors that may be detrimental to the horse's health. The importance of this work is to know if the therapy can somehow reduce or avoid the appearance of this type of behavior. The daily routine of eight animals was observed, and the sequential sampling method was used to verify accurately if any changes occurred in their behavior. The observations showed that only one of the animals presented a vice of stallion, which is usually related to the boredom caused by the confinement of these animals in a stall system, or by some nutritional deficiency.