Researchers know that a horse’s personality traits can explain some of the differences we see in horses’ behavior and learning. Of these traits, fearfulness seems to be the most significant, and that, a French research team said, isn’t such a bad thing.

The team of equine behavior researchers recently discovered that while fearfulness might seem like a negative personality trait in a horse, it actually turns out to be quite beneficial. Léa Lansade, PhD, and fellow researchers, including Mathilde Valenchon, PhD, at the French institute for Horse and Riding and the French National Institute for Agricultural Research, in Tours-Nouzilly, have spent the last 10 years developing personality tests for horses.

“Being fearful is not always a disadvantage,” said research team member Marianne Vidament, DVM, at the 2014 International Society for Equitation Science conference, held August 6-9 in Bredsten, Denmark. “These horses often perform better when there is no stress or if the stress is linked to the task (they’re expected to perform). The fear dimension is always involved.”

When a horse with a high fearfulness level is learning a new task in a calm environment—and if the task itself is “frightful” (for example, using negative reinforcement)—he’ll probably learn that task better than a horse with a lower fearfulness factor, Vidament said