人与马之间的纽带背后的科学（下篇）

前言

在《人与马之间的纽带背后的科学（上篇）》中，我们探讨了：
人与马之间的纽带是如何产生的，为我们带来的积极影响：
心理学研究已经证实了与马的互动能帮助人更有适应能力。与适应能力有关的特征有：制定未来的计划，明确的目标，对自我的信仰，能力，实力，能开放的交流自己的感受，解决问题的能力，能有效适应激烈的情绪和行为。难怪如此多的父母鼓励自己的孩子去骑马，谁的父母会不渴求这样能让孩子成长为成功人士。

International Charity Relies on Horse-Human Bond
有关人与马纽带的国际慈善组织

The RDA (Riding for the Disabled Association) is an international organization of volunteers and horses and uses equine riding therapy to help disabled children.  RDA volunteers observe unusual interactions between horses and their disabled riders. “We get some children, with conditions like autism, who find it very difficult to communicate through speech, but who find that contact with the horses gives them confidence,”  the children begin to engage and talk when around horses.
RDA(残障者骑马协会)是一个国际性的志愿者组织，通过马和马术骑乘疗法帮助残障儿童。RDA志愿者观察到，马和他们的残障骑手之间有不同寻常的互动。“我们发现一些存在语言交流障碍的自闭症儿童通过和马接触产生自信，”那些儿童和马在一起时，开始互动和说话。

A British RDA centre ran a three-year study with children from the local school. They took misbehaving kids who needed help, children who would have been expelled. They matched the naughty kids with some naughty ponies ( well, ponies with a sense of humour !) and the children changed immediately; they were behaving exactly how they had to in order to get the horses to behave. The children stopped being naughty and so did the ponies!
英国的一个RDA中心开展了一项针对当地学校儿童的为期三年的研究。他们选择行为不当，甚至会被开除的需要帮助的孩子，让他们和调皮的Pony马配对（换个角度看，有幽默感的Pony马！）， 那些孩子立刻发生了改变；为了让马行为得体，孩子们不得不做出表率。孩子和马都停止了调皮的行为！

The human-horse bond is celebrated on the silver screen and Michael Morpurgo, the author of “War Horse” received international movie success when his book was discovered by Steven Speilberg.  The author also runs the charity “Farms for City Children”, and has a story about Billy, “a withdrawn child with a serious speech impediment, a stammer” who “had hardly spoken a word in two years”. He overheard Billy, who thought he was alone, talking quickly and fluently at night to a horse, Hebe.
人与马的纽带在银幕上大放光彩，迈克尔•莫波格的作品《战马》被斯皮尔伯格发掘后改编成电影，并在国际上大获成功。迈克尔•莫波格同时还经营一个名为“城市儿童的农场”慈善项目，他有一个关于Billy的故事，“一个存在严重语言障碍的孤僻孩子”那个孩子“两年里几乎没有开口说过话”。在一个夜晚，他无意中听到Billy——那孩子以为四下无人，迅速而流利的同一匹叫Hebe的马说话。

“The words flowed freely from him. There was no stutter. And Hebe stood there quietly taking it all in.”
“语句就这么自由的倾泻而出，毫不口吃。Hebe站在那里，安静的倾听。”

Researchers have noticed it, too: studies in the journal Anthrozo?s found that interaction with animals, including horses, led to improvement in behavioural problems, some medical conditions, depression and, in particular, autistic symptoms. The Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders suggests the “simple, repetitive non-verbal actions” of animals are more comprehensible and reassuring for autistic people who find the nuance of human emotion, interaction and speech difficult. But it’s not just how the riders interact with the horses. RDA volunteers have observed over 40 years of working with ponies and disabled riders that their ponies react differently to disabled riders than to able-bodied ones.
研究者也注意到了这个现象。期刊《Anthrozo?s》的研究发现，和包括马在内的动物互动，能改善不当行为，疾病，抑郁，尤其是自闭症的问题。《自闭症和发育障碍》杂志指出，对自闭症患者而言，应对人类微妙的情绪、互动、对话很困难，相较之下，与 动物的“简单、重复的非语言的行为”更易懂，且更令人安心宽慰。四十多年来，RDA自愿者通过观察Pony马和残障骑手，发现Pony马对残障骑手和健全人会有不同的反应。

The companionship of a pet can provide relief to those who are depressed or suffering from other emotional issues, including returning war veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder. These people can get very attached to dogs and do things they couldn’t do before. People are passionate about their companion animals: in the USA 70 percent of pet owners say they sometimes sleep with their small domestic pets; 65 percent buy Christmas gifts for their pets; 23 percent cook special meals for their pets; and 40 percent of married women with pets say they get more emotional support from their pets than from their husbands.
宠物的陪伴能让抑郁者以及遭受其他情感痛苦的人感到放松（如战后综合创伤后精神紧张性障碍症者）。这些人能与狗建立深厚联系，在狗的陪伴下做平时做不到的事情。人们热爱自己的宠物伙伴：在美国，70%的宠物主人表示自己有时候抱着自己的小宠物睡觉；65%的人表示会为自己的宠物买圣诞节礼物；23%的人会特地为宠物做饭；40%的已婚女性表示相较于丈夫，宠物能给自己更多情感支持。

Attitudes Are Changing  
观念正在转变

Unfortunately, sensitivity to the human - horse bond isn’t always taught in veterinary schools, nor is it taught to participants in many equestrian centres I have visited in China. I often see the ego of the owner in pursuit of “prestige” driving the business operation rather than a more enlightened attitude which addresses everyones benefit, including the horses. The most successful equestrian centres have both a strong business ethic with an overarching policy where through understanding the human-horse bond, the welfare of the horses comes first.
遗憾的是，我在拜访中国的过程中注意到，兽医学校没有关于人与马的纽带的教育，马术中心的工作人员也没受到过相关教育。我时常看到驱动商业运转的是马主对“高贵”的追寻，而不是开明的态度：关心包括马在内的每一位参与者的福利。最成功的马术中心不仅有强大的商业道德标准，还有贯彻其总体策略的，对人与马的纽带的了解，并且将马的福利排在第一。

The most rewarding moments I have enjoyed in China are when I meet a rider, a stable worker, a veterinary student, a fellow professor or horse owner who truly loves what she is doing and we share our thoughts about the emotional benefit we enjoy while working with these noble animals. It is a language that genuine “horse people” share that does not require words.
对我来说，拜访中国时最让我感到欣慰的时刻，是遇到一个真心热爱自己的事业，热爱马的骑手，马工，兽医学生，马业教授，马主。我们共享和马一起工作给我们带来的情感上的愉悦。爱马人的语言不需要文字。

How Much Is the Human Horse Bond Worth?
人和马的纽带价值多少？

I am sad to observe in some places there still exists the attitude, ‘It’s just a horse, don’t worry about it; if it dies, you can always get a new one.’” In years past, some veterinarians regarded the strong ties between clients and their horses and other pets as something abnormal, and they didn’t want to acknowledge it. It was the old “monetary-farming” attitude insisting it was not acceptable to spend money on an animal that was not going to make money. This attitude is becoming rarer and, because of the change in attitude, veterinarians can afford to purchase equipment and training and offer clients medical technology equivalent to that physicians offer human patients. There is also enough research in the literature to show that people go through the same emotional processes when their horse gets very ill as when a member of their human family is sick!
我很难过的看到，有的地方，仍然存在这样的想法：“只不过是马，不用太担心；反正这匹死掉了，你还可以买一匹新的”。过去，兽医认为客户和自己的马以及别的宠物之间强烈联系是不正常的，不愿意承认其存在。这是“货币农牧”态度的旧观念，这种观念强调，在不能赚钱的动物身上花钱是不可接受的。现在，持有这样观念的人越来越少，因为观念的转变，兽医能承担更好的医疗设备，接受更好的训练，提供等同于人类医疗级别的医疗技术。有充足的文献研究显示，自己的马生病时人们所经历的情感痛苦与自己的家人生病时是一样的。

Attitudes are changing. High-profile studies can help, one example being the collaboration between the American National Institutes of Health and The Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition. Together, they are encouraging research on human-animal interaction as it relates to child development, health and the therapeutic use of animals with children and adolescents. The more successful equine professionals, equestrian centres, trainers and veterinarians are those who recognize the importance of human-animal interaction. The way these people treat the rider and her horse makes a difference. It is in everybodies best interest to take complaints about behavior seriously and help the rider figure out how to fix problems and improve the horses behaviour. And, just as the example of Clever Hans and the RDA’s “naughty ponies” it is often a change in human behavior that elicits a response in the horse.
观念正在改变。高质量的研究能提供帮助。举例来说，美国国家健康研究所同宠物营养福利中心合作，支持有关动物和人互动的研究，因为这关系到儿童的发育、健康，在针对儿童和问题青少年治疗中运用动物。最成功的马业专家、马术中心、教练，都有一个共同点，他们认识到了人与动物互动的重要性。他们的与众不同在于其对待骑手与马的方式：严肃的对待有关行为问题的投诉，帮助骑手找到解决问题的方法，促进马的行为，这样才对大家都好。同时，正如数学天才Clever Hans，以及RDA的“调皮的Pony”的例子中展示的，往往是人类行为的改变，引发马的回应。


Validates what veterinarians do  
兽医能做的有效之事

Acknowledgement of the importance of the human-animal bond tends to help clients understand how complex the job is that veterinarians do. In the past, Chinese veterinary medicine was not well-developed and local vets took care of the villages cows and pigs. Horses were and still are in many rural regions -a tough little beast to pull a cart.
认识到人和动物纽带的重要性，有助于帮客户了解兽医工作的复杂性。过去，中国兽医医疗发展有限，本地兽医看护村里的牛、猪。马在过去，以及现在的很多偏远农村，都是生命力顽强的拉车工具。

In contrast, horses in the modern equestrian barn are considered a luxury. Today, more people accept that a life with horses and the positive interactions between horses and people, make us healthier as a community and as a nation. Well-trained specialist equne veterinarians are an important part of the community. In China this part of the equine community is often missing. At the same time, MRIs, scoping and colic surgery are treatments that are often not available in China and, if they are, are expensive.
相反，在现代马房中的马，被认为是奢侈动物。今天，越来越多的人认同人生中有马，和马积极互动，让我们这个团体和民族更健康。接受良好训练的马专家兽医是这个团体的重要组成部分。在中国，马术团体的这个部分时常是缺失的。同时，诸如核磁共振和腹部手术这样的治疗手段在中国时常无法提供，即便有，也非常昂贵。

Economics and under developed veterinary services can break the human-horse bond. That’s why it is so important for Chinese veterinarians keep improving their skills, products and facilities and seeking international collaboration with equine practitioners. In time, as the veterinary medical community develops we will balance the need for compassionate and high-quality care, with the economic constraints that our clients face.
经济因素和为发展不成熟的兽医服务会打破人与马的纽带。这就是为什么中国兽医们继续促进他们的技能、产品和设备，不断寻求国际马业专家的合作是意见是如此重要。同时，随着兽医团体的发展，我们最终能在“对同情心和高质量的护理的需求”与“客户所要面对的经济负担”之间实现平衡。

Veterinarians can also play a role in educating clients on how to sustain a strong bond with their horses. That might call for some straight talking. “In First World countries, we are loving our animals to death,” veterinary researchers have found. Dog, cat and horse obesity can lead to metabolic disorders and cardiac disease, orthopedic disease and other life-threatening or life-limiting conditions.  In emerging countries such as China I have found it is often the wrong kinds of food are fed to horses leading to metabolic disorders, colic, starvation and death. Equestrian centres are smart to seek advice from independent equine nutritionists, not the man who comes around selling horse feed!
兽医还能扮演培训客户的角色，让客户了解如何维持自己与马的纽带。在此，或需直话直说：兽医研究者发现“在发达国家，我们爱自己的动物就像爱生命”。狗、猫、马肥胖可导致代谢紊乱，心脏病，骨科疾病，以及其它危及、限制生命的情况。在发展中国家，如中国，我发现，导致马出现谢紊乱、绞痛、饥饿和死亡的，往往源自给马吃了错误的食物。马术中心很聪明，会去寻求独立马营养学专家的建议，而不是听从马饲料销售人员的建议！

The four most important components of a strong human/animal bond?
人与动物之间要建立紧密联系的纽带，有哪四个最重要的组成部分？


1. The horse must be easy to handle and ride. Behavior problems such as aggression, bucking, kicking or biting the owner – can erode the human-animal bond.
马必须要容易管理，容易骑。存在攻击性、乱叫、乱踢、咬人的行为问题，会削弱人和动物的纽带。

2. It is important to match the type of horse (breed, gender) with the personality, age and lifestyle of the owner. Little girls should not ride stallions.
针对马主的个性、年龄，生活方式来选择正确类型的马（血统、性别）非常重要。小女孩不应该骑种公马。

3. Behavior should be shaped by positive reinforcement and excellent daily training.
要让马“有礼貌”，应该通过“积极强化”和每天的良好训练。

4. The equestrian centre owner and rider must work together making important, informed decisions about the health and welfare of their horses, especially feeding, training and where the horse will live (stall or turnout)
马术中心的主人和骑手必须共同合作，在信息充足的情况下共同做出重要决定，这些决定包括：马的健康和福利，饲料计划、训练，以及马应圈养还是放养。

The greatest difficulties in bringing about – and then sustaining – a strong human-animal bond?
产生并维持人和动物强的紧密纽带过程中有哪些极其困难之处？

Failure to recognize that owning a horse is not for everyone, even if you can afford 10 horses if you do not have time to enjoy them why bother?!.
没意识：并是每个人都适合拥有马，即便你能负担10匹马，如果你没有时间和它们互动，何必呢？

Failure to recognize that the horses breed and gender can make a difference in human and horse welfare. Stallion ownership comes with a lot more problems than owning a nice, easy -going gelding.
没意识到马的品种和性别对人与马的福利影响很大。不同于善良，容易相处的骟马，拥有种公马则意味着更多的困难和问题。

Failure to address problem behaviors as soon as they arise…. If you let a horse nibble on your shirt do not be surprised if one day he bites the face off your child. Every moment you spend with a horse either you are training him, or he is training you.
没在萌芽阶段就识别出“问题行为”…如果你纵容马轻咬你的衬衣，那么就别震惊这匹马会在某天咬掉你孩子的脸。当你和马在一起的时候，要么你训练马，要么马训练你。

Failure to think about the long-term health and well-being of your horse. Where will he live when he is 20 years old and too old to ride or compete?
没意识要从长远角度考虑马的健康和福利。当你的马在二十岁时，当它们太老而不能被骑之时，会住在哪？


来源：关于马的一切——Dr.K的小课堂