Horse Power Assessments

Innovative assessments that make EQ tangible

Traditional assessments focus mainly on competencies and cognitive skills. But organisations that want to grow sustainably need more: employees who act with emotional intelligence (EQ), resilience, communication, and impact.

The Horsepower® assessment by Horse Act is an innovative methodology that makes these crucial skills visible. Horses don’t respond to words, CVs, or job descriptions — they respond to what is truly present: energy, intention, and authenticity. Their feedback is honest, non-judgmental, and razor-sharp in revealing leadership style, communication, and interpersonal dynamics.

Each participant will interact with a horse in a safe and respectful way – under the guidance of a recognized horse coach – in a live way. The insights from these encounters are incorporated into a scientifically substantiated assessment report, based on the Horse Power classification model. Thanks to our R&D component, in which AI algorithms are used, we make new connections between the feedback of the horse, horse coach and participant and the archetypal profiles. This gives HR and assessment agencies not only intuitive, but also data-driven insights.

Concretely, you receive:

Individual profile – For each participant, an overview is created showing how they move within the four domains:
• Resilience & Endurance
• Verbal & Non-Verbal Communication
• Efficiency & Effectiveness
• Leadership & Impact
Archetypal mapping – Based on the four Horsepowers and 16 profile descriptions, it becomes clear which behavioral, communication, and leadership profile a person displays, and how this translates into workplace practice. Dominant and less-developed energies are highlighted in a positive and empowering way. The assessment also reveals which specific role the participant can take on within the bigger picture of the future team — the herd. Where do existing styles complement the participant? What is the potential for strengthening the team?
Conclusions & recommendations - The assessment report links these insights back the recruit's growth potential: leadership development, talent management, team adhesion and impact readiness.

How it works

The individual sessions take place in a low-stimulus outdoor environment, where each candidate — during a personal, live interaction with a horse — is confronted with their own communication, posture, and leadership style. This happens in a safe and respectful way, under the guidance of a certified equine coach.

The participant follows an individual three-step process:

Online preparation (± 30 minutes) – reflection on expectations and learning goals.
Live session with the horse (± 2 hours) – visible interactions and mirroring in the areas of contact, trust, setting boundaries, and taking leadership.
Individual debrief & final report – translated into the Horsepower® archetype model, offering clear insights into strengths, growth opportunities and potential pitfalls.

For whom?

Companies that focus on more than cognitive skills in recruitment and selection: sustainable leadership qualities and EQ.
HR departments that need innovative assessment tools and objective insights.
Assessment and consultancy firms that want to expand their range of instruments with an EQ-focused and scientifically based model.

The Horsepower® assessment model

The results from the scan(s) are compiled into a structured report. The assessment model translates personal feedback and archetypes into a business context, enabling managers and HR to work with them directly.

Individual profile: how someone operates within the four domains (resilience & endurance, communication, effectiveness, leadership & impact).
Archetypal mapping: each profile is linked to the four horsepowers.
Matrix of 16 profiles: the four archetypes are plotted horizontally (primary type) and vertically (secondary type). Each cell in this 4×4 matrix represents a unique profile with qualities, pitfalls, and preferred styles.
Team strengthening: a simulated overall picture of the (future) team shows where styles will reinforce each other or potentially clash.
Conclusions & recommendations: tailored to the client’s context (e.g. leadership style, EQ profile, team cohesion).

With the support of AI analysis, patterns and connections between human, horse and archetype become increasingly clear, enhancing the reliability and predictive value of the assessment.

The added value of horses

Why work with horses? Because they are the ultimate partners for an EQ assessment:

Unfiltered: horses respond directly to intention and energy, not to words or status.
Congruence made visible: any difference between what someone says and what they project is instantly mirrored.
Safe and respectful: feedback from horses is not experienced as judgment, but as an invitation to greater awareness.
Deeper insight: while questionnaires often remain limited to cognitive self-reporting, horses provide an experiential mirror that participants cannot deny.

Combined with the structured assessment report, you receive not only rich, intuitive feedback but also a concrete translation into usable data and strategic insights.

Why this works for assessments

✔ EQ as a success factor – shows how candidates deal with pressure, collaboration, and leadership.
✔ Concrete & actionable – translated into clear reports with recommendations for both individual and team.
✔ SMART – KPIs such as congruence and consistency make results measurable and comparable.
✔ Innovative – horses as assessment partners are unique and provide insights that traditional tools miss.
✔ Scientific & data-driven – supported by our R&D program with AI analysis.

Would you like to experience how horses reveal the EQ, communication, and leadership style of your candidates — and how the B2B scaling model translates this into objective data and recommendations? Get in touch for a no-obligation introduction and discover how we can tailor this program to your needs.

Book a no-obligation introduction

Horsepower® assessments