HABRI Central

This study addresses the relationship between competition riders’ personality traits and the perception of their horse’s personality, and it assesses whether a match in personality is associated with aspects of the riders’ self-esteem, general self-efficacy, satisfaction with life, anxiety and depression. An invitation to participate in the study and a link to an online questionnaire were distributed via e-mail to members of the Norwegian Equestrian Federation (NEF). In total, 662 riders (95.5% female) accessed the survey site and completed the questionnaire. Most riders perceived of themselves as planned and systematic, extraverted and sociable, open to new experiences and non-neurotic. They tended to perceive of their favourite horse in a similar manner. Based on the riders’ perceptions, three dimensions of personality in the horses were identified: ‘neuroticism’, ‘agreeableness’ and ‘extraversion’. To study the match and discrepancy in human and horse personality, new variables were constructed to measure the differences between human personality and horse personality. Positive self-esteem and higher subjective well-being in the rider correlated with a match in both agreeableness and extraversion. On the other hand, riders who had a discrepancy with their horse in agreeableness and extraversion reported more depression. Riders who experienced a match in extraversion with their horse had higher self-efficacy. Lastly, riders who had a discrepancy with their horse in neuroticism and extraversion reported more anxiety.

Researchers should cite this work as follows:

1. Animal roles
2. Competition
3. Horses
4. Human-animal interactions
5. Mammals
6. open access
7. Personality