Stereotypic behaviors in horses including crib-biting, weaving, and box-walking indicate poor welfare and are largely preventable through appropriate management.
Stereotypies in horses are behavioral indicators of inadequate environments that cause chronic frustration and psychological suffering. They develop in young horses deprived of normal social interaction, continuous forage access, and movement — conditions common in conventional stable management. The persistence of stereotypies even after management improvement reflects permanent neurological changes, making prevention far more important than treatment. Management systems that allow natural social contact, continuous forage, and daily turnout have dramatically lower stereotypy prevalence.