Behavioural and physiological responses to an acute stressor in crib-biting and control horses (2003)

Bachmann, I., Bernasconi, P., Herrmann, R. et al.

Abstract

Power spectral analysis of the HRV revealed significant differences between crib-biters and controls at rest: crib-biters had a lower vagal tone (high frequency component, HF) and a higher sympathetic tone (low frequency component, LF) than controls. ..The results suggest that the crib-biting horses are more stress sensitive and physiologically and psychologically less flexible than the control horses.