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Table 1 Different behaviours that were observed during the interactions with the animals

From: Animal-assisted therapy with farm animals for persons with psychiatric disorders: effects on self-efficacy, coping ability and quality of life, a randomized controlled trial

Behaviour

Explanation

1. Physical contact with the animals

Patting, brushing, washing, looking after=?, nursing, or saddling or riding horses.

2. Communication

Verbalization, visual contact.

3. Moving the animals

Behaviours that include moving animals between different places in the cowshed, and between different pastures.

4. Feeding

Feeding adult animals with concentrate or forage, or milk feeding the small animals.

5. Go/stand/run or sit down

The participants moved around in the cowshed to bring tools and straw to clean the boxes, or remained inactive.

6. Cleaning

Cleaning the cowshed or washing buckets and bottles.

7. Milking

All routines connected to the milking procedure.

8. Receiving instructions

Receiving instructions from the farmer.

9. Various

Behaviours that occur rarely, like filming the animals or taking pictures of the animals.

10. Threatening behaviour directed from the animals.

Receiving threatening or aggressive behaviour or signals from the animals.