Measuring heart rate variability, researchers found the smell of lavender produced physiological evidence of relaxation in horses. Water was used as a control and the study was repeated using chamomile essential oil for comparison.
Source: EQUUS, October 13, 2022. Link.
INSIGHTS: Horses have an acute sense of smell and use it to interpret their world. An accessory olfactory system known as the vomeronasal organ detects pheromones and volatile odors <Link>. Myriad references refer to lavender’s effect on horses.