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How we manage and engage with our horses shapes their personality

09.09.2026

Press release

A new study reveals that horse personality is not only a matter of genetics, age, or breed but also systematically linked to how horses are housed, ridden, and cared for, and to the quality of the relationship they share with their owners. The findings underscore the importance of everyday management decisions for equine personality and welfare.

Horse personality has long been known to influence welfare, training outcomes, and the quality of human–horse interactions. While genetic and biological factors clearly play a role, far less has been known about how the human-shaped environment may contribute to building horse personality."Personality is not something that develops independently of its surroundings. Horses live in environments we create and relationships we build for them, and our results show that these matter," says lead author of the study, Postdoctoral Researcher Océane Liehrmann from the University of Turku, Finland, and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.The research group conducted an international online survey during 2023–2024, gathering responses from 2,257 horse owners of about 2,767 horses across Europe, North America, and beyond. Owners rated their horses' personalities using a 52-item questionnaire and provided detailed information about housing conditions, riding and groundwork frequency, quality time with their horses, headgear use, ownership history, and relationship duration.Four windows into horse personalityStatistical analyses of the data revealed four distinct personality dimensions:  Human Sociability: tendency to seek and enjoy interaction with peopleAttentiveness: capacity to focus on and cooperate with human cuesNeuroticism: emotional reactivity and sensitivity to stressHorse Sociability: tendency to engage in affiliative, non-aggressive interactions with other horses As expected, intrinsic factors such as age, sex, and breed were among the strongest drivers of personality scores. Warmbloods, for example, scored highest in Neuroticism, while draft horses scored lowest. Geldings consistently scored higher than mares in both Human Sociability and Attentiveness.Depth of the human–horse bond and riding frequency matterThe length and stability of the relationship were linked to Human Sociability: horses with the same owner for over ten years scored about 12 percent higher than those together less than a year, while horses that had passed through multiple owners scored lower than those bought directly from a breeder."These patterns suggest that familiarity and relational continuity contribute to how openly and comfortably horses engage with people. Frequent changes of owner or stable may leave a lasting mark on a horse's willingness to seek human contact," explains Liehrmann.Owners who often spent unstructured time with their horses, being present, offering scratches, and not demanding anything from them, had horses that scored higher on Human Sociability. Riding frequency, then again, was tied to calmness: horses ridden 4–7 times a week scored higher on Attentiveness and lower on Neuroticism, while rarely ridden horses scored higher on Neuroticism. This possibly reflects habituation from regular training, or that calmer horses are simply chosen for regular use.Solitary housing, fewer social skillsOne of the clearest findings concerned Horse Sociability: horses housed alone consistently scored lower than those living with other horses, regardless of whether they lived in pairs or full herds. This finding raises important welfare considerations. Horses housed alone may score lower because social isolation limits the expression of affiliative behaviour. It may also be that horses perceived as socially unfit are kept in isolation. In either case, the results point to social housing as an important consideration for both welfare and behavioural development.Implications for horse welfare and managementThe researchers emphasise that the study is cross-sectional and does not establish causation, and that the associations identified are modest. Longitudinal studies are needed to clarify whether management decisions shape personality, personality shapes management decisions, or both.However, the findings show that housing conditions, the frequency and quality of human interactions, and the stability of the ownership history are all associated with measurable differences in personality profiles."Understanding how management and relationship factors interact with personality has direct implications for horse welfare. If we design environments that allow horses to develop socially, maintain stable relationships, and enjoy positive interactions with humans, we may be doing more than making horses easier to handle, we may help them develop their personality in a more positive way," concludes Liehrmann.The study was published in the journal Royal Society Open Science.Photo: Star, the author's horse, scored very high in human sociability. Photographer: Océane Liehrmann

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Océane
Liehrmann

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

oceane.liehrmann@utu.fi

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Created 09.09.2026 | Updated 09.09.2026

Keywords

horses
human-animal relationship

Department of Biology

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A new international study conducted by researchers from the University of Turku, Finland, and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences investigated how the environment and management practices of horses systematically shape their personality, moving beyond solely genetic or biological determinants. The research posits that personality is not developed in isolation but is intricately linked to the human-shaped environment, the relationships fostered, and the daily care provided to the animals. The study involved an international online survey between 2023 and 2024, gathering data from 2,257 horse owners across Europe and North America regarding their horses and their ownership histories. Owners rated their horses using a 52-item questionnaire, providing detailed information on housing conditions, frequency of riding and groundwork, quality of time spent with the animals, headgear usage, and the duration of their ownership relationships.

Statistical analysis of this data revealed four distinct personality dimensions linked to these interactions: Human Sociability, Attentiveness, Neuroticism, and Horse Sociability. While intrinsic factors such as age, sex, and breed were identified as the strongest drivers of personality scores—for instance, Warmbloods scored highest in Neuroticism, and draft horses scored lowest—the environmental and relational factors demonstrated significant associative links to personality profiles. The stability and depth of the human-horse bond were found to influence Human Sociability; horses maintained by the same owner for more than ten years scored approximately twelve percent higher in this dimension compared to those with shorter tenure, and horses that changed owners frequently scored lower than those acquired directly from a breeder. Furthermore, the quality of interaction matters; owners who provided unstructured time, offering presence and gentle interaction without demanding behavior, resulted in horses exhibiting higher levels of Human Sociability.

Riding habits also correlated with temperament, as frequency directly impacted Attentiveness and Neuroticism. Horses ridden four to seven times per week demonstrated higher Attentiveness and lower levels of Neuroticism, suggesting a link between regular training and calmness, whereas rarely ridden horses tended to score higher on Neuroticism. A clear finding related to housing conditions emphasized the importance of social contact; horses housed in solitary environments consistently scored lower on Horse Sociability, regardless of whether they were alone or part of a group. This suggests that social isolation may impede the expression of affiliative behaviors, raising important welfare considerations regarding social housing.

The researchers caution that while associations were identified, the study was cross-sectional and did not establish direct causation; thus, longitudinal studies are necessary to clarify whether management decisions influence personality, personality shapes management, or both. Nevertheless, the collective findings underscore that housing conditions, the quality and frequency of human interactions, and the stability of the ownership history are all measurable determinants of a horse’s personality profile. The researchers conclude that by designing environments that promote social development, maintain stable relationships, and facilitate positive interactions with humans, practitioners can contribute to the development of a more positive personality and overall welfare for the horses.