UC Davis Study Finds Three-Minute Equine Interactions Ease Teen Distress

A UC Davis study found that spending just three minutes with miniature horses and donkeys improved adolescents’ mood, reducing reported sadness, loneliness and anxiety. Teens who recognized the animals’ body-language cues—such as lip movements indicating enjoyment or walking away when they wanted to stop—experienced greater benefits. The findings suggest animal-assisted interventions work partly through a two-way relationship in which animals actively respond and exercise choice, rather than serving as passive tools for human therapy. Researchers say designing interactions that also promote the animals’ welfare could improve programs in schools, hospitals and therapeutic riding centers.