• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.65 no.5
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• pp.1094-1104
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• 2023

Aggression in horses may cause serious accidents during riding and non-riding activities. Hence, predicting the temperament of horses is essential for selecting suitable horses and ensuring safety during the activity. In certain animals, such as hamsters, plasma melatonin concentrations have been correlated with aggressive behavior. However, whether this relationship applies to horses remains unclear. To address this research gap, this study aimed to evaluate differences in the plasma melatonin concentrations among horses of different breeds, ages, and sexes and examine the correlation between plasma melatonin concentrations and the temperament of the horses, including docility, affinity, dominance, and trainability. Blood samples from 32 horses were collected from the Horse Industry Complex Center of Jeonju Kijeon College. The docility, affinity, dominance, and trainability of the horses were assessed by three professional trainers who were well-acquainted with the horses. Plasma melatonin concentrations were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The consequent values were compared between the horses of different breeds, ages, and sexes using a three-way analysis of variance and least significant difference post hoc test. Linear regression analysis was employed to identify the relationship between plasma melatonin concentrations and docility, affinity, dominance, and trainability. The results showed that the plasma melatonin concentrations significantly differed with breeds in Thoroughbred and cold-blooded horses. However, there were no differences in the plasma melatonin concentrations between the horse ages and sexes. Furthermore, plasma melatonin concentrations did not exhibit a significant correlation with the ranking of docility, affinity, dominance, and trainability.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.119-130
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• 2017

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to determine, by conducting a 10 week hippotherapy, the effects on the physical, cognitive and psychological factors of children with intellectual disabilities. METHODS: As an intervention method, intervention was based on a program from the American Hippotherapy Association and was modified and enhanced. 16 children with intellectual disabilities was conducted horse riding intervention program and Intervention was conducted once a week for a total of 10 weeks with each session lasting 30 minutes. A doctor of rehabilitation medical treatment of D rehabilitation center, physical therapist and occupational therapist evaluated the upper limbs test, balance, gait function, Korea-mini mental state examination (MMSE) before and after hippotherapy intervention. Self-esteem scale and aggression scale was evaluated by Psychology Counseling of C psychological clinic before and after hippotherapy intervention. RESULTS: The results of this study reveal that first, there was a positive effect. Second, statistically significant differences were found in BBS, TUG, K-MMSE, 10m walking test, 6 min walking test, self-esteem scale and aggression scale (p<.05). However no statistically significant differences were found in upper limbs function and good balance analysis before and after intervention. CONCLUSION: The hippotherapy is effective way to improve the physical, cognitive and psychological factors of children with intellectual disability.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.63-70
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• 2010

Purpose: In this study, children with cerebral palsy were treated for 8 weeks using horse riding trunk proprioception, stability and posture to investigate the effect of hippotherapy in the field of physical therapy. Methods: A total of 18 subjects were divided into an experimental group treated by horseback riding and a control group. Both groups were evaluated pre- and post-treatment. Trunk proprioception was measured three times in the sitting position with their eyes and ears closed to reach the target position the angle error of the mean was calculated. Trunk stability was measured using a forceplate and the data were used to calculate the postural sway path & postural sway velocity. Posture was evaluated using the Posture Assessment Scale (PAS). Results: After hippotherapy, the experimental group showed a significant improvement in trunk proprioception, stability and posture (p<0.05), but the control group improved in posture only (p<0.05). Trunk proprioception, stability and posture was significantly different between the two groups (p<0.05). Conclusion: Eight weeks of hippotherapy is effective in improving trunk proprioception, stability, and posture. Research using this therapy should be studied further as a possible new therapeutic approach in the field of physical therapy.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.63 no.2
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• pp.453-460
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• 2021

Oxytocin (OXT) and serotonin (5-HT) are essential neurotransmitters associated with the behavior of animals. Recently, we found that the plasma concentration of OXT is positively correlated with horse docility and friendliness toward humans. However, the relationships between the neurotransmitters and other temperaments such as fearfulness, dominance, and trainability are unknown. This study aimed to identify whether the plasma concentration of OXT or 5-HT is correlated with fearfulness, dominance, and trainability of horses. Blood samples of 34 horses were collected at the Horse Industry Complex Center of Jeonju Kijeon College. The concentration of OXT and 5-HT was measured in the plasma samples using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The fearfulness, dominance, and trainability of horses were scored by three professors who were very familiar with the horses. One-way analysis of variance with the least significant difference post-hoc analysis was used to compare the scores for fearfulness and dominance among groups. The trainability of horses was compared using the student t-test. The 5-HT was negatively correlated with dominance, but it had no relation with fearfulness. The OXT appeared to be negatively correlated with fearfulness and dominance in horses. Furthermore, OXT was positively correlated with the trainability of horses. Additionally, 5-HT appeared to enhance trainability. In conclusion, the concentration of OXT or 5-HT in horse blood plasma can be used as a biomarker to monitor the fearfulness, dominance, or trainability of horses.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.31 no.8
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• pp.1098-1102
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• 2018

Objective: Temperament can be defined as a type of behavioral tendency that appears in a relatively stable manner in responses to various external stimuli over time. The aim of this study was to estimate genetic parameters for the records of temperament testing that are used to improve the temperament of Jeju crossbred (Jeju${\times}$Thoroughbred) horses. Methods: This study was conducted using 205 horses (101 females and 104 males) produced between 2010 and 2015. The experimental animals were imprinted and tamed according to the Manual for Horse Taming and Evaluation for Therapeutic Riding Horses and evaluated according to the categories for temperament testing (gentleness, patience, aggressiveness, sensitivity, and friendliness) between 15 months and 18 months of age. Each category was scored on a five-point linear scale. Genetic parameters for the test categories were analyzed using a multi-trait mixed model with repeated records. The ASReml program was used to analyze the data. Results: The heritability of gentleness, patience, aggressiveness, sensitivity and friendliness ranged from 0.08 to 0.53. The standard errors of estimated heritability ranged from 0.13 to 0.17. The test categories showed high genetic correlations with each other, ranging from 0.96 to 0.99 and high repeatability, ranging from 0.70 to 0.73. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the test categories had moderate heritability and high genetic correlations, but additional studies may be necessary to use the results for the improvement programs of the temperament of Jeju crossbred horses.

• Journal of Haehwa Medicine
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.245-257
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• 2000

A clinical study was done 40 patients of chronic prostatitis who was treated in Dept. of Internal Medicine, Oriental Medicine Hospital, Taejon University, from 1 Mar. 1999 to 31 Oct. 1999. The results were as follows. 1. In distribution of age, 30's and 40's were 57.5% the most, 20's and 60's were 35.0%, 50's was 7.5%. 2. In distribution of past history, the urethritis(45.0%) was the most. 3. In distribution of ocupation, a white-collar worker was 35.0%, a business man was 22.5%, a public servant was 12.5%, etc. 4. Sitting the mean time of day were distributed 5~7 hours, above 7 hours, 3~5 hours, under 3 hours, etc. 5. The resting interval of a long distance drive were distributed 2 hours(35.0%), 3 hours(32.5%), etc. 6. The habit of enduring ejaculation during sexual intercourse was showed 45.0%. 7. The habit of enduring urination was showed 20.0%. 8. Influency of mental stress was showed 90.0%. 9. Ten cases(25.0%) were showed riding horse or riding bicycle. 10. Four cases(10.0%) were showed wearing tight trousers. 11. The habit of put a wallet his hip pocket was showed 57.5%. 12. The most common symptom was distributed the others symp-tom(66.8%) and the voiding symptom(63.3%) more than pain-neuro-logical symptom(37.5%) and symptom related with sexual function (26.6%). 13. In distribution of palpation, lower abdominal pain, lumbar pain, perineal or parascrotal pain were mostly showed right side. Moreover diagnosis of pulsation was weakly showed chi pulse of right. 14. Duration of disease were distributed above 1 year(82.5%), under 1 year(17.5%). Degree of prostatitis was severe showed adove 1 year. 15. The distribution of WBC count of the prostatic secretion, com-paring with before therapy and after therapy, were showed from 5 cases to 0 case in very many/HPF, from 23 cases to 13 cases in many/HPF, from 12 cases to 13 cases in 10~30/HPF, from 0 case to 13 cases in under 10/HPF. 16. Therapeutic improvement of symptom were distributed pain-neurological symptom(94.8%), the others symptom(90.8%), the void-ing symptom(89.6%) and symptom related with sexual function(67.5%). 17. Differentiation of symptoms and signs were distributed dificiency of spleen-lung vital energy, wetness-heat of lower warmer, dificiency of spleen-kidney yang, dificiency of kidney yin, wetness-phlegm, dificiency of vital energy and blood. The prescriptions were Bojungikgitang(44.6%), Yukmijihwangtang(20.7%), Palmijihwangtang(12.0%), etc.