Why horsing around is good for you: Spending time around stables proven to reduce stress

Dailymail.co.uk - Full Article

By EMMA INNES
PUBLISHED: 10:51 EST, 25 April 2014

Horsing around can make teenagers less stressed out, new research has revealed.

A study found that children who spend time with horses or riding have lower levels of stress hormones, according to measurements taken from their saliva.

Researchers looked at 130 teenagers taking part in an after school horsemanship course that lasted 12 weeks.

They spent 90 minutes a week learning about horses: how to care for, groom, handle, and ride the animals.

Each teenager gave six samples of saliva over a two day period before and after the 12 week programme.

Researchers analysed the levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the samples.

The results, published in the American Psychological Association's Human-Animal Interaction Bulletin, revealed that children who spent time with horses had ‘significantly’ lower stress levels than a control group...

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2613211/Spending-time-horses-make-teenagers-stressed-study-reveals.html#ixzz3Jic32c1a