Horses kept as companions face welfare challenges from management systems that restrict movement, social contact, and grazing — all fundamental equine needs.
Many companion horses experience welfare compromise not from neglect but from management systems that prioritise human convenience or aesthetic preferences over equine biology. Stabling for extended periods prevents grazing behaviour that horses are physiologically adapted for, contributing to gastric ulceration and behavioural frustration. Individual turnout in small paddocks without equine company fails to meet social needs. High-calorie diets fed to inactive horses cause metabolic diseases including laminitis. The irony is that horses kept in the most expensive facilities — individual stabling, regular grooming, careful feeding — often have poorer welfare than pasture-kept horses with companions and access to natural grazing. Good horse welfare requires prioritising the horse's biological needs over management convenience.