Personality, abnormal behaviour, and health: An evaluation of the welfare of police horses.
Authors: Schork Ivana Gabriela, de Azevedo Cristiano Schetini, Young Robert John
Journal: PloS one
Summary
Welfare problems in stabled police horses have been linked to environmental restrictions and limited opportunities for natural behaviour expression, yet individual differences in personality may significantly influence which horses cope better with these constraints. Researchers assessed 46 police horses in Brazil using behavioural tests (frustration and novel object tests), personality questionnaires, and veterinary records to evaluate relationships between personality traits, abnormal behaviours, and health outcomes. Horses displaying passive, stubborn, and confident temperaments showed fewer behavioural problems and better health profiles, whilst anxious or reactive individuals were more prone to stereotypies—many linked to poor diet and social isolation rather than work demands alone. Personality-based selection could allow handlers to identify animals better suited to operational roles, potentially reducing both the development of problematic behaviours and associated health consequences in police horse populations. Given that semi-confinement is often unavoidable in operational settings, screening for temperament resilience alongside addressing environmental factors like forage provision and peer contact represents a practical approach to improving welfare outcomes.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Use personality testing during selection of horses for police or similar confined work roles—passive, stubborn, and confident temperaments are more resilient to stabling stress than reactive or anxious types.
- •Address dietary variety and social contact opportunities in stable management to reduce stereotypic behaviours; personality alone cannot compensate for poor environmental conditions.
- •Recognize that individual personality differences affect susceptibility to both behavioural and health problems; one management approach does not suit all horses equally.
Key Findings
- •Multiple abnormal behaviours were observed in police horses, primarily driven by dietary restrictions and lack of social contact opportunities.
- •Significant correlations exist between personality traits (passive, stubborn, confident) and both abnormal behaviour expression and health problems.
- •Passive, stubborn, and confident personality types showed better adaptation to police work conditions with fewer behavioural and health issues.
- •Personality assessment could be used as a selection tool to identify horses better suited to semi-confinement working environments.