Development of the Human-Equine Attachment Scale

Human-horse relationships encompass diverse roles, from companion to competition partner. The impact of such bonds informs owner decision-making regarding horse management and veterinary care, yet standardised instruments to measure these unique bonds are limited.

To develop the Human-Equine Attachment Scale (HEAS), a novel instrument to measure the multi-faceted dimensions of human-horse attachment.

Cross-sectional design using a self-administered psychometric instrument.

Initial items were developed through a systematic review of human and animal attachment research, with adaptations made to reflect human-equine relationships. The preliminary scale contained 25 items across five hypothesised factors: Companionship, Wellbeing, Dependence, Status and Growth. Data were collected via an online survey (March-April 2022), recruiting participants through equestrian social media and professional networks using non-random convenience and snowball sampling.

The final sample comprised 3611 predominantly female (92.9%) respondents. Principal components analysis (PCA) investigated the underlying structure of the scale. The final PCA revealed a six-factor solution explaining 60% of total variance: Companionship (19%), Personal Wellbeing (9.8%), Dependence (8.9%), Status (8.5%), Growth (7.5%) and Sacrifice (6.3%). The final 22-item scale demonstrated good internal reliability (Cronbach's α = 0.77).

The self-report instrument represents UK-only participants.

The emergence of Sacrifice as a distinct factor highlights unique aspects of horse ownership, particularly regarding financial and personal investment. The HEAS shows promise as a reliable tool for measuring human-horse attachment, with numerous potential applications. It could help bridge the gap in knowledge regarding owner motivation and human-horse relationships, supporting research into how attachment influences welfare, management, and veterinary care decisions. While the scale demonstrates good psychometric properties, further validation across cultural contexts and equestrian populations is recommended. The development of the HEAS represents an important step towards understanding the complex nature of human-horse bonds and their implications for owner decision-making and practice.