Can this simple trick soothe lone equine travelers?

If your horse is not a loner, it's okay. Researchers at Nottingham Trent University in the UK have done experiments to find out how to soothe a horse forced to trailer solo. The team measured horse's vital signs as well as exhibitions of discomfort such as pawing, crying out, head tossing, and ignoring food. The answer that soothed nervous horses leading to a reduction all the expressions of a horse's discomfort was simple - a mirror. The mirrors calmed the nervous horses enough for them to spend less time fussing and fidgeting and more time eating or riding calmly in the trailer. The physiological signs did not show as much a decrease as the expressions of discomfort, but the horses did travel more calmly. Read the full article here: https://www.horsesciencenews.com/horse-care/trailering/simple-trick-soothes-horses.php#.UglaXuJvL-4.facebook