It’s all about the sex: preconceived ideas about horse temperament based on human gender and horse sex

Reported Behavioural Differences between Geldings and Mares Challenge Sex-Driven Stereotypes in Ridden Equine Behaviour

“…Sex-related stereotypes are common in equestrian contexts, where mares are sometimes perceived by riders and trainers as having inherent temperament traits that are undesirable [6,13]. This is evident throughout the equestrian literature as riders and trainers often report a preference to work with horses of one sex rather than the other [6,8,14]. As described earlier, this may be anecdotally explained by the various equine temperamental requirements of the diverse horse sports.…”

“…With the increased use of machinery in agriculture, a shift from work to sport, leisure and finally companionship has occurred [1,4,5]. Today, horses are bred and trained mainly for sport and recreational purposes, including competition riding and leisure riding [1,6,7]. As partnership styles within the human-horse dyad have evolved, the value of attributes such as social behaviour and temperament have become increasingly important as they influence horses' merit as riding partners and companions [8,9].…”

“…Limited research has been published on anthropomorphic application of stereotypes according to the sex of an animal. However, a recent report suggests that many riders and trainers approach the horse-human dyad with preconceived ideas about horse temperament, based solely on the sex of the horse [6]. Historically, sex-related stereotypes have influenced human interactions, and whilst gender equality has significantly improved in many countries, ingrained sex biases still persist in interpersonal relationships [10,11].…”

“…This legacy of human society historically devaluing women may be projected from humans onto animals [10,12]. Sex-related stereotypes are common in equestrian contexts, where mares are sometimes perceived by riders and trainers as having inherent temperament traits that are undesirable [6,13]. This is evident throughout the equestrian literature as riders and trainers often report a preference to work with horses of one sex rather than the other [6,8,14].…”

“…Practically, preconceived ideas of sex-related differences in horse behaviour may be detrimental to horses. Unfounded preconceptions can have welfare implications as they may lead to an increase in the use of punishment when mares are perceived as bossy or difficult [6]. Wastage of mares may also increase, with trainers and riders being less willing to work with mares than with geldings and stallions.…”