Rowan Grzeszkiewicz-O'Neill, from Los Altos, CA, is majoring in equine science with minors in zoology and business administration. Rowan presented their research on horse mane pulling and stress response at UNH's Undergraduate Research Conference (URC), and it was also featured in Inquiry Journal.
Please summarize your research as simply as possible.
Rowan Grzeszkiewicz-O'Neill: Mane pulling is a technique that, in the "traditional method", involves using a metal comb to rip out the hair of a horse's mane at the root. It is done to make the mane look "show ready" for competition. I used three common methods to assess stress in horses — a heart rate monitor, thermal imaging of the horse's eye, and an ethogram with stress behaviors —during mane pulling and two control conditions to assess the impact of the practice.
What is the challenge/problem your research is looking to solve?
Rowan: This practice is largely still in use, but controversial because there is debate over whether or not it is painful or otherwise stressful. The welfare impact of mane pulling has not been studied. With this research, I aimed to make preliminary evidence on stress levels during mane pulling available for the first time.
What was the most interesting finding (or findings) you made during your research?
Rowan: I found that all horses had an increased heart rate and number of stress behaviors during mane pulling, despite some of them initially appearing calm.
How has participating in the URC benefited you?
Rowan: I am currently applying to DVM/PhD programs, and I consider my experience participating in the URC to be very valuable in strengthening my application, immersing myself further into the scientific community and preparing myself for the further research conferences and presentations that I will be doing as a grad student.
