Blindfolding horses removes visual stimuli ostensibly to make a frightened animal more reliant on the handler in emergencies, such as leading from a burning barn. An earlier study showed horses actually took longer to lead and displayed more avoidance and resistance behaviours when blindfolded. However, a large variation in individual response was noted, which could be due to temperament.

In a presentation at the 19th International Society for Equitation Science (ISES) Conference in New Zealand, University of Guelph researchers Hayley Badner, Caleigh Copelin, Bryn Hayman, Renée Bergeron and Katrina Merkies shared their findings when they sought to discover whether horses categorized by their riders as ‘reactive’ would display more avoidance and resistance behaviours when blindfolded compared to horses who are categorized as ‘non-reactive.’ Riders selected personality traits from a list of 10 paired words describing their horse as reactive or non-reactive (e.g. active or easy-going). A personality score (Pscore) was calculated for each horse by subtracting the sum of reactive traits from non-reactive traits (i.e. a higher score indicated a less reactive personality).

Thirty-three horses in the study were led both blindfolded and unblindfolded from their stall and through an obstacle course consisting of weaving through cones, backing through a channel, walking over a tarp and walking through a narrow gate. Time taken to complete the tests was recorded along with lead rope pressure and behaviour and the influence of Pscore on horse responses was assessed. The study found:

  • In the unblindfolded test, horses with higher Pscores required less lead rope pressure to lead from the stall and to cross the tarp, but took more time to weave through cones than horses with lower Pscores.
  • When blindfolded, horses with higher Pscores required more lead rope pressure to lead out of stall, but were less actively avoidant than horses with lower Pscores.

These preliminary results may seem counterintuitive, but do highlight the interplay between equine personality and coping style. Earlier results showed horses took more time to lead with more avoidance behaviours when blindfolded, and here it is shown that temperament also appears to play a role in individual responses.

Compared to more reactive horses, less reactive horses showed more resistance while being led from their stall blindfolded, but took more time to weave through cones while unblindfolded, even though they were less resistant to leaving their stall or crossing the tarp. Knowing how personality influences horse behaviour and accounting for individual personality can assist in choosing handling techniques that ensure the best, safest outcomes with the least stress.

~ with files from International Society for Equitation Science