Stereotypic behaviours in horses including crib-biting, weaving, and box-walking are welfare indicators of insufficient social contact and movement restriction.
Horse stereotypies are behavioural signatures of welfare environments that fail to meet basic equine needs. Horses evolved as wide-ranging social animals that spend most of their waking hours moving and grazing in groups. Modern stabling practices — individual boxes, restricted turnout, high concentrate diets, and limited social contact — create conditions that prevent these fundamental behaviours. The stereotypic behaviours that develop are not mere quirks but persistent welfare indicators that the horse environmental needs are chronically unmet. Management interventions that suppress behaviour without addressing causes — collars, grilles, surgery — are welfare-negative. Genuine welfare improvement requires addressing the root causes: providing adequate turnout, social contact, forage, and movement opportunities that allow horses to fulfil their natural behavioural repertoire.