What makes the horse world tick? Horses, yes, but people do, too. Are certain types of people attracted to horses? Do we all have personality traits in common?

A team of scientists in Great Britain have launched a short online survey to try and understand what type of people are attracted to riding, work in the horse industry or watch equestrian sports. The team is lead by equine sports science consultant David Marlin PhD, sports psychology expert Dr Inga Wolframm, who has been studying personality in riders for a number of years, and Dr Jane Williams, an epidemiologist.

They are looking for people involved directly in any way with horses or the horse industry (e.g. riding horses, working in the industry, etc.), people who have no involvement with horses but have friends who are, and people who have nothing to do with horses at all to complete the short online survey.

Dr Wolframm said “We suspect that certain types of people are drawn towards the horse industry, whether for business or pleasure. For example, people who like to take risks might be more attracted to sports perceived as being more dangerous, such as eventing.”

Dr Williams is excited by the potential for improving horse-rider performance. “Once we know what motivates riders, we can help them make the most out of the partnership with their horse,” she said.

Dr Marlin added, “Understanding more about personality can have important implications for how equestrian sports are marketed, talent selection and how riders are coached.”

The online survey takes around five minutes and can be completed entirely anonymously. Participants do not even need to give their names. Anyone wishing to receive a summary of the results can choose to leave an email address.

For more information, email Dr. Marlin.

The survey can be found here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/sport_and_equestrian_survey.

Thanks for helping equestrian sport research.