The Horses and Humans Research Foundation (HHRF) has awarded its first $10,000 Innovation Research Grant to a team from the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada.

The team’s project is titled “Can Horses Distinguish Between Neurotypical and Mentally Traumatized Humans?” and will be led by Katrina Merkies, PhD, associate professor and equine program coordinator at the University of Guelph.

“The metaphor of the horse as a ‘mirror’ to humans is often an assumption of those that work with horses, yet there is little or no research which explores this idea from the horse’s perspective,” said HHRF President Paul Haefner. “We are excited to support this groundbreaking research that seeks to answer fundamental questions about horse-human interactions.

“This type of fundamental research has the potential to inform the work of anyone engaged in the equine-assisted activities (EAA) field,” he continued. “The knowledge gained from innovative studies like this will go a long way toward helping us understand the true role of the horse in therapeutic EAA and serves as a base for designing effective interventions and establishing best practices in the field. We are eager to see where the study leads