Appropriate exercise matched to individual horse capability is fundamental to equine welfare, with both over and under-exercise causing welfare problems.
Exercise welfare in horses requires understanding individual capacity and needs rather than applying generic protocols. Horses kept in stables with insufficient turnout experience chronic frustration and stereotypic behaviour from movement deprivation. Horses worked beyond their capability develop injuries that cause chronic pain. Young horses worked at high intensity before epiphyseal plate closure develop joint damage affecting lifetime welfare. Regular veterinary fitness assessment, gradual conditioning programmes and adequate daily turnout create exercise regimes that benefit welfare through appropriate physical and psychological stimulation without causing injury.