Ledarskap, dominans och motivationsfaktorer i relationen mellan häst och människa

Abstract: The aim of this study was to define the concepts of leadership and dominance in the human-animal interaction between the human and the horse, as well as examine what other motivational factors there are for the horse to cooperate with the human. This study was based on 24 articles and reviews from other authors. The articles was found using databases like Google Scholar, Primo and Science Direct, where the keywords leadership, dominance and motivation were used in different configurations. The literature has been chosen by examining its relevance and connection with the purpose of this study. Articles used in this review shows that there is probably no natural leader in the horse herd. Despite this, we use the leadership concept in the relation to the horse. There is also no concrete evidence of a dominance hierarchy, which the human founded his idea of dominating the horse. In the horse herd, it's rather about different kinds of avoidance between individuals. There are different kinds of motivational factors in the human - horse relationship. It can include feed, physical contact (grooming) and a sense of security, among other things. The conclusion of this study is that the concept of leadership and dominance can have several meanings in the relation between horse and human. From the human perspective, the concepts are available in the relationship. From the horse´s perspective, a number of questions remain regarding the relevance of the concepts related to the relationship with the human. The motivational factors are basically about disposal where man gives the horse feed, water and shelter. In addition to being taken care of, the horse must feel safe in the company of humans. However, it should be emphasized that more research is required in the field to further strengthen the results.