Pasture access is fundamental to equine behavioral welfare, but pasture management practices vary widely in quality and not all pasture access equally meets horse needs.
Pasture access is one of the most impactful welfare interventions available for horses, yet it is routinely limited by management practices that prioritize convenience or aesthetics over behavioral need. The welfare costs of stall confinement — stereotypic behaviors like weaving and crib-biting, gastric ulceration, and social isolation — are well-documented. Yet horses are commonly kept in stalls for the majority of the day in many competition and sport contexts. The counterargument — that pasture access creates laminitis risk, injury risk, and management complications — has legitimate elements, but does not justify the extreme restrictions on movement and social contact common in high-end equestrian facilities. Track systems that provide continuous movement opportunity without overgrazing represent a significant welfare advance that more facilities should adopt.