Practice Makes Perfect in Polo: Personality, Perfectionism and Mental Health

(Illustrative Only)

You know the saying, “practice makes perfect.” To improve, you have to be conscientious and continually strive for a higher level of performance and development. The study below looks at the relationship between personality, perfectionism, and mental health. It found that riders who were more conscientious generally reported better mental health, and self-oriented perfectionism was associated with greater conscientiousness. Of course, taking perfectionism too far can cause someone to focus too narrowly or create unnecessary pressure, which could have negative effects. But overall, having high standards, working toward improvement, and being conscientious appear to be beneficial.

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Perfect Riders: Personality, Perfectionism, and Mental Health in Norwegian Competition Riders

• The study investigated the relationships between personality traits, perfectionism, and mental health among Norwegian competition riders.

• Self-oriented perfectionism—where riders set high standards for themselves—positively influenced mental health and partially mediated the relationship between personality traits and mental well-being.

• Higher levels of conscientiousness in riders were linked to self-oriented perfectionism, contributing to better mental health outcomes.

• Socially prescribed perfectionism—the perception that others hold unrealistic expectations for them—showed no significant correlation with the mental health of the riders.

• The findings suggest that self-oriented perfectionism can foster healthy competitive behavior, offering useful insights for equestrian coaches and mental health professionals.

APA Reference: Træen, B., Finstad, K. S., & Røysamb, E. (2019). Perfect riders: Personality, perfectionism, and mental health in Norwegian competition riders. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, 75, 82–89. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jevs.2019.01.016