Abstract
There have been reports on identifying stress induced by horse riding in non-handicapped people using salivary amylase levels as stress indicator; however, no such reports exist on children with moderate to severe disabilities. In this study, we investigated pleasure and stress associated with equine-assisted activities in disabled children. The participants included three children with physical disabilities and six children with intellectual disability. Salivary amylase levels and Visual Analog Scale enjoyment outcomes were measured when the children touched, rode, and fed the horse. It is possible that the sympathetic nervous system index increases when a subject with a physical disability rides a horse. In addition, there is a possibility that sympathetic nervous system indicators may increase when intellectual disability come into touch horses. These activities were found to be a state of fun and excitement, as both the sympathetic nervous system and enjoyment increased.
