Horses and Humans Research Foundation

06/19/2026

06/19/2026

🎤 Speaker Announcement

We are pleased to welcome Štěpán Zítek, PhD, from the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, to the HHRF • HETI • CZU International Symposium.

Štěpán Zítek is an academic staff member and research project manager at the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, where he teaches in the Bachelor's degree programme Animal-Assisted Services, with a particular focus on Equine Assisted Services (EAS).

In 2025, he completed his doctoral studies with a dissertation examining the effects of equine-assisted therapy on the physical and psychological condition of clients. His current research focuses on the efficacy of Equine Assisted Services, equine welfare, and the biomechanics of equine movement within EAS.

Alongside his academic and research work, Štěpán is an active recreational rider and regularly serves as an equine handler during EAS sessions, bringing valuable practical experience to his research and teaching.

Join us in Prague to hear the latest findings from one of the emerging researchers contributing to the future development of Equine Assisted Services.

📍 HHRF • HETI • CZU International Symposium
📅 19–20 September 2026
🌍 Prague & Online

06/19/2026

What does research look like behind the scenes?
In this video series, Dr. Corey Smith takes us behind the scenes of an HHRF-funded study conducted at Baylor University, explaining the specialized equipment used to collect data and better understand horse-human interactions.
Dr. Smith shares how researchers measure and monitor various physiological responses of the rider and horse leader during equine-assisted activities.
Research like this is critical to advancing our understanding of the horse-human connection. By combining scientific methods with real-world equine-assisted services, researchers can generate evidence that supports best practices and informs the future of the field. Follow along as Dr. Smith breaks down the technology, tools, and methods that make this innovative research possible. *Please note that the project is ongoing/still developing.*

06/18/2026

Save the date for HHRF's conference!

06/17/2026

HHRF's Grant is due next month, please see HHRF's web page for information.

06/16/2026

Interesting….

People sometimes point out that enrichment items like hay balls, treat balls, hanging toys, scratching posts, and anything colourful aren’t “natural.”

And they’re right.

A horse would never encounter a treat ball in the wild.

A scratching post isn’t a tree.

A hanging rope with carrots and celery is “unnatural” as it gets.

But the goal of enrichment isn’t to recreate nature perfectly.

The goal is to encourage species appropriate behaviour.

A scratching post may not be a tree, but it allows horses to scratch and groom themselves.

A hay ball may not be a patch of grass, but it encourages movement, foraging, and food-seeking behaviour.

A hanging toy may not be a bush or tree, but it encourages browsing, lip manipulation, exploration, and investigation.

The enrichment itself is artificial.
The behaviour it encourages is not.

When I create enrichment, I’m not usually asking:

“What object can I give my horse?”

I’m asking:

“What behaviour am I trying to encourage?”

Foraging.
Browsing.
Exploration.
Movement.
Social interaction.
CHOICE.

Because good enrichment isn’t just about keeping horses busy (though that’s sometimes a part of the equation)

It’s about creating opportunities for horses to do more horse things in environments that are often very different than natural ones.

So yes, some enrichment looks unnatural.

But let’s be honest, owning horses, our expectations and majority of the environments we keep them in aren’t “natural.”

What matters is whether we’re creating opportunities for horses to express species appropriate behaviours.

06/16/2026

Have you signed up for HHRF's Summer Refresh Series? Join us as we explore topics designed to support the wellbeing of volunteers, staff, horses, and programs.

06/15/2026

Dear horses everywhere, have you ever wondered how long humans actually live? I wonder if any horse out there knows the answer to that.

Just curious, Fergus

https://www.redbubble.com/i/mug/Fergus-the-Horse-Aging-Mounting-Block-Comic-Strip-by-JeanAbernethy/33912306/7yqg