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Scientific reports2022; 12(1); 12618; doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-16627-z

Relationship between anatomical characteristics and personality traits in Lipizzan horses.

Abstract: We tested 35 Lipizzan horses older than 5 years, ridden and healthy in three behavioural tests (handling, fear-reaction, and target training test). Physiological (heart rate and heart rate variability) and anatomical measurements (120 head and body distances and angles) were collected to validate parameters that reliably inform on handling/cooperation, fear/exploration and trainability in horses. Utilizing a standard clustering methodology on the behavioural data, we identified four general types of responses and categorised an individual as intermediate, low fearful, horses with low cooperation or low trainability. We additionally analysed the head morphology following Tellington-Jones and Taylor recommendations and correlated the measurements with data from a horse personality questionnaire. Although allocation to a particular personality group was not associated with these two methods, these groups differed in six anatomical characteristics of head and body. Regardless of the group, our results indicated that shorter horses (10.5 cm) are trustworthy, less fearful and easier to handle and train. We also demonstrated that horses with stronger legs and a wider base of the head have a lower heart rate when exposed to the second trial of the handling test.
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Publication Date: 2022-07-23 PubMed ID: 35871229PubMed Central: PMC9308772DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-16627-zGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

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This study evaluated the relationship between the anatomical features of 35 Lipizzan horses and their personality traits by conducting behavioural and physical tests. The researchers found that certain physical features, specifically a shorter height and wider muzzle, were indicative of traits like trustworthiness and ease of handling.

Study Methodology

  • The research was performed on 35 healthy Lipizzan horses over the age of five which were involved in some sort of physical activity (ridden).
  • Each horse was subjected to three behavioural tests that were designed to gauge their responses to handling, fear reactions, and target training.
  • Alongside the behavioural tests, physiological and anatomical data were also collected, including heart rate, heart rate variability, and measurements of 120 different body and head distances and angles.
  • The purpose of these measurements was to identify reliable indicators of a horse’s cooperativeness, propensity for fear/exploration, and trainability.

Findings

  • Using a standard clustering methodology on the behavioural data gathered from the horses during the tests, the researchers were able to identify four general types of responses, subsequently classifying the horses into groups based on their observance of such responses.
  • These groups were classified as intermediate, low fearful, low cooperation and low trainability.
  • Further analysis was conducted on the horse’s head morphology using the Tellington-Jones and Taylor recommendations, and the data was correlated with that from a horse personality questionnaire. However, the allocation to any given personality group was not directly associated with these two methods.
  • Despite the lack of link between personality groups and the indicated methods, the groups differed in six distinct anatomical characteristics related to the head and body of the horses.
  • The study found that, regardless of the group a horse belonged to, those that were shorter (under 75.9 cm) and had a wider muzzle (more than 10.5 cm), were less fearful, more trusting, and easier to handle and train.
  • The study also revealed that horses with stronger legs and a wider base head exhibited lower heart rates when exposed to the second trial of the handling test, implying they might be more adaptable or less anxious in challenging situations.

Implications

  • The findings suggest that certain physical features in horses, such as their height and muzzle width, could potentially serve as indicators of their behaviour characteristics, which could significantly aid horse trainers in understanding and managing their horses more effectively.
  • In addition, the study points out the connection between a horse’s physical characteristics and its heart rate responses to potentially stressful situations, providing further insights into how a horse’s physical characteristics can be reflective of its emotional responses.

Cite This Article

APA
Debeljak N, Košmerlj A, Altimiras J, Šemrov MZ. (2022). Relationship between anatomical characteristics and personality traits in Lipizzan horses. Sci Rep, 12(1), 12618. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-16627-z

Publication

Scientific reports
ISSN: 2045-2322
NlmUniqueID: 101563288
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 12
Issue: 1
Pages: 12618
PII: 12618

Researcher Affiliations

Debeljak, Nataša
  • Department of Animal Science, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Groblje 3, 1230, Domžale, Slovenia.
Košmerlj, Aljaž
  • Jozef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Altimiras, Jordi
  • Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
Šemrov, Manja Zupan
  • Department of Animal Science, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Groblje 3, 1230, Domžale, Slovenia. manja.zupansemrov@bf.uni-lj.si.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Cluster Analysis
  • Fear
  • Heart Rate / physiology
  • Horses / psychology
  • Personality

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

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Citations

This article has been cited 2 times.
  1. Gobbo E, Topal O, Novalija I, Mladenić D, Zupan Šemrov M. An iterative approach to identify key predictive features of fear reactivity and fearfulness in horses (Equus caballus). Sci Rep 2025 Jul 9;15(1):24590.
    doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-10725-4pubmed: 40628935google scholar: lookup
  2. Zupan Šemrov M, Přibylová L, Gobbo E. Task-specific morphological and kinematic differences in Lipizzan horses. Front Vet Sci 2025;12:1569067.
    doi: 10.3389/fvets.2025.1569067pubmed: 40599329google scholar: lookup
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