Horses kept in individual stalls for most of their time develop stereotypic behaviors and suffer from social isolation; turnout with compatible companions dramatically improves welfare.
Horse confinement in individual stalls represents a management system fundamentally at odds with equine social and movement needs. Horses are highly social ungulates whose psychological wellbeing depends on stable group membership and freedom to move. Individual stabling isolates horses from conspecifics and restricts movement to a small area, creating the conditions for chronic stress and stereotypy development. Stereotypies once established become permanent behavioral features even after conditions improve, making prevention through appropriate management far more important than remediation after the fact.