The Influence of Physiological Synchrony Between Therapy Horse and Riding Therapist on The Therapeutic Triad in Horse-Assisted Therapy

The Influence of Physiological Synchrony Between Therapy Horse and Riding Therapist on The Therapeutic Triad in Horse-Assisted Therapy | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article The Influence of Physiological Synchrony Between Therapy Horse and Riding Therapist on The Therapeutic Triad in Horse-Assisted Therapy Stella Wienhold, Larissa Bär, Zoe Ringleb, Victoria Zirpel, Annette Gomolla, and 5 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4724276/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract In any therapeutic setting, the outcome depends in part on the therapeutic alliance, characterized by mutual understanding, empathy and trust among the participants, which also manifests itself through physiological synchronization (PS) processes involving breathing, heart, and brain. This study examined the dynamics of heart rate variability (HRV) synchronization patterns during horse-assisted therapy. We explored the impact of horse preference of the therapist, and levels of early life adversity (ELA) on PS relationships across participants, riding therapists and therapy horses. Our sample of 43 participants engaged in standardized horse-assisted therapy sessions facilitated by three riding therapists and four therapy horses. PS was operationalized through cross-wavelet power analyses across the different dyads. The results showed that the riding therapist's preference for a particular therapy horse was associated with less HRV synchronization between this therapy horse and the respective riding therapist. Strong synchronization between horse and therapist was associated with strong synchronization between horse and participant and between therapist and participant. We found an association between ELA and HRV synchronization between participants and therapists, with HRV synchronization being lower in individuals with higher levels of ELA. This effect of ELA was not found for HRV synchronization between participants and horses. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the therapeutic mechanisms underlying horse-human interactions and have implications for optimizing therapeutic interventions in clinical settings. Biological sciences/Psychology Biological sciences/Psychology/Human behaviour Biological sciences/Neuroscience Biological sciences/Neuroscience/Social behaviour physiological synchrony autonomic nervous system cross-wavelet power inter-species synchronization horse-assisted therapy therapeutic alliance Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files PaperPSsupplements.pdf Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-4724276","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":335205425,"identity":"fd6048b9-3a56-4cbb-bb51-7bcf018c674e","order_by":0,"name":"Stella Wienhold","email":"data:image/png;base64,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","orcid":"","institution":"University of Konstanz","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Stella","middleName":"","lastName":"Wienhold","suffix":""},{"id":335205426,"identity":"58ad2134-6576-4caa-89b3-dbbbb3735bb3","order_by":1,"name":"Larissa Bär","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Konstanz","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Larissa","middleName":"","lastName":"Bär","suffix":""},{"id":335205427,"identity":"c810be58-5f86-4126-9810-d36829af3a33","order_by":2,"name":"Zoe Ringleb","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Konstanz","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Zoe","middleName":"","lastName":"Ringleb","suffix":""},{"id":335205428,"identity":"6f07d6e9-428f-4645-9408-62c22f5b2908","order_by":3,"name":"Victoria Zirpel","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"GREAT - German Research Center for Equine Associated Therapy","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Victoria","middleName":"","lastName":"Zirpel","suffix":""},{"id":335205429,"identity":"875aedb9-4b2b-4bdc-8b7d-0a9b172f07b5","order_by":4,"name":"Annette Gomolla","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"GREAT - German Research Center for Equine Associated Therapy","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Annette","middleName":"","lastName":"Gomolla","suffix":""},{"id":335205430,"identity":"437164c7-da41-45cc-b24e-32f1f9d22987","order_by":5,"name":"Bernadette F. Denk","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Konstanz","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Bernadette","middleName":"F.","lastName":"Denk","suffix":""},{"id":335205431,"identity":"5a97d712-8f5f-49a4-9ee6-7f88e9322f12","order_by":6,"name":"Nina Volkmer","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Konstanz","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Nina","middleName":"","lastName":"Volkmer","suffix":""},{"id":335205432,"identity":"5fce99fb-c071-43c0-a53c-87581bae732e","order_by":7,"name":"Raphaela J. Gaertner","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Konstanz","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Raphaela","middleName":"J.","lastName":"Gaertner","suffix":""},{"id":335205433,"identity":"59753285-8603-4912-a765-9098892aba8a","order_by":8,"name":"Elea S. C. Klink","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Konstanz","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Elea","middleName":"S. C.","lastName":"Klink","suffix":""},{"id":335205434,"identity":"452465a2-22f4-406e-8e95-388b2080bec3","order_by":9,"name":"Jens C. Pruessner","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Konstanz","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Jens","middleName":"C.","lastName":"Pruessner","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2024-07-11 12:56:04","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4724276/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4724276/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":66594866,"identity":"7230b3bd-cf85-454c-b2a4-a08816464e34","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-10-14 15:31:57","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1127122,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"PaperPSmanuscriptNTSR.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4724276/v1_covered_b70a5fb5-df2e-4010-874e-6acd7f1f885b.pdf"},{"id":61829892,"identity":"b08b6e1e-aed5-4402-b787-9a4b8f4511b4","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-08-06 04:18:49","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":283483,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"PaperPSsupplements.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4724276/v1/fb2508e2ecfa8ff2e3e032a7.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"The Influence of Physiological Synchrony Between Therapy Horse and Riding Therapist on The Therapeutic Triad in Horse-Assisted Therapy","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"physiological synchrony, autonomic nervous system, cross-wavelet power, inter-species synchronization, horse-assisted therapy, therapeutic alliance","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4724276/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4724276/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"In any therapeutic setting, the outcome depends in part on the therapeutic alliance, characterized by mutual understanding, empathy and trust among the participants, which also manifests itself through physiological synchronization (PS) processes involving breathing, heart, and brain. This study examined the dynamics of heart rate variability (HRV) synchronization patterns during horse-assisted therapy. We explored the impact of horse preference of the therapist, and levels of early life adversity (ELA) on PS relationships across participants, riding therapists and therapy horses. Our sample of 43 participants engaged in standardized horse-assisted therapy sessions facilitated by three riding therapists and four therapy horses. PS was operationalized through cross-wavelet power analyses across the different dyads. The results showed that the riding therapist's preference for a particular therapy horse was associated with less HRV synchronization between this therapy horse and the respective riding therapist. Strong synchronization between horse and therapist was associated with strong synchronization between horse and participant and between therapist and participant. We found an association between ELA and HRV synchronization between participants and therapists, with HRV synchronization being lower in individuals with higher levels of ELA. This effect of ELA was not found for HRV synchronization between participants and horses. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the therapeutic mechanisms underlying horse-human interactions and have implications for optimizing therapeutic interventions in clinical settings.","manuscriptTitle":"The Influence of Physiological Synchrony Between Therapy Horse and Riding Therapist on The Therapeutic Triad in Horse-Assisted Therapy","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2024-08-06 04:18:44","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4724276/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"4435d138-3301-44ac-8841-c4de8bebbe86","owner":[],"postedDate":"August 6th, 2024","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[{"id":35501722,"name":"Biological sciences/Psychology"},{"id":35501723,"name":"Biological sciences/Psychology/Human behaviour"},{"id":35501724,"name":"Biological sciences/Neuroscience"},{"id":35501725,"name":"Biological sciences/Neuroscience/Social behaviour"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2024-10-14T15:23:45+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2024-08-06 04:18:44","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-4724276","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-4724276","identity":"rs-4724276","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"qtupq5eGEP_6zYnWcrvyt","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}