What makes a horse a good partner — in sport, recreation or interaction? Not only conformation and movement, but above all character plays a decisive role in the cooperation between humans and horses. Yet in practice, character traits are still rarely worked with in a structured way, partly because assessing them is often complex and time-consuming.

With the two-year research project Character as a Compass: the horse in sport, training and cooperation, Aeres University of Applied Sciences Dronten and Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences, together with a broad consortium of companies, industry organisations and studbooks, want to change this.

The aim is to develop a scientifically based but practically applicable method for reliably mapping the character traits of horses. This will make it easier for sport and recreational riders, breeders, trainers and entrepreneurs to take character into account when making choices in selection, training and use.

In addition, the project is investigating how character traits are related to learning processes and sporting performance, and how the personality of the rider or driver influences the partnership. In doing so, it contributes to a better understanding of which horses perform best under which circumstances, and how humans and horses can better understand each other. This provides insight into which combinations of horse and human lead to a sustainable, enjoyable and safe relationship.

Collaboration with the sector

The research is led by Dr. Ir. Kathalijne Visser (lecturer in Human-Animal Interactions) from Aeres University of Applied Sciences in Dronten, in collaboration with Inga Wolframm (lecturer in Sustainable Horse Husbandry and Equestrian Sports) from Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences and a broad consortium of SMEs, sports organisations and studbooks. HorseTelex is also a partner in this research. They are making their knowledge, horses, facilities and databases available and are assisting in testing and implementing the instruments developed. Together, they are ensuring that the results are directly applied in practice. Students from both universities of applied sciences are also actively participating in the research.

Start and duration

The Character as Compass project will start in November 2025 and run until the end of 2027. This research is co-funded by the SIA, part of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) and the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature (LVVN).

For more information about this press release, please contact: Kathalijne Visser (k.visser@aeres.nl)