Consistency of emotional reactivity assessment results obtained in different behavioural tests

Emotional reactivity may be a very broad concept comprising many components of temperament traits. The aim of the study was to verify the consistency of assessment of the horse's reactivity level evaluated with different behavioural tests and to answer the question whether emotional reactivity is indeed such a broad concept that assessment thereof with only one specific test is not possible. The research material included 31 different-aged małopolski horses (3-17 years) from equestrian recreational centres. All horses were subjected to a series of behavioural tests divided into 3 groups: group I - handling tests, group II - human-horse interaction tests, and group III - novelty tests. The analysis of the horses' behaviour was based on assessment of the emotional arousal degree reflected by changes in the heart rate HR, scores (1-5), and measured time (s). Additionally, rank correlations between the tests were estimated. The research results suggest that emotional reactivity is a trait consisting of many variables rather than a single indicator of the horse's temperament. Reactivity should therefore be analysed at various levels, which classify the animal in different ways, as shown in the present study. Only handling tests are sufficiently consistent in the assessment of horses' reactivity; hence, the bridling test can reflect the degree of animal's arousal in other situations related to daily handling activities. The other groups of tests, or even the individual tests in these groups, define other elements of the animal's temperament, only apparently evaluating one trait, i.e. the emotional reactivity of horses. It is therefore a mistake to classify an individual unambiguously as an animal with low or high emotional reactivity, as this trait depends on the type of the test applied.