Role of Human Personalities in Horse Handling

Abstract

How do people with different personalities interact with horses? The researchers designed this study to determine if introverts have an easier time handling an unfamiliar horse when compared to extroverts. Volunteers with little to no horse experience completed the Myers Briggs Personality Type Indicator. The researcher assigned a horse at random to volunteers to lead over a 12-foot platform in an indoor arena. All horses were familiar with this obstacle. The researcher videotaped every participant. The dependent variables included the fluid motion of the horse, horse facial expressions, and horse body language along with horse-human interactions. The hypothesis is that introverts will experience an easier time when compared to extroverts in completing this task with the horse.