Most domesticated horses spend significant time in stables. Evidence-based stable management including forage provision, social contact, and exercise prevents stereotypic behavior and maintains behavioral health.
Stable management represents the most controllable aspect of horse welfare for domestic horse owners. The welfare problems of stable housing — frustrated foraging drive, social isolation, restricted movement — all have evidence-based solutions that can be implemented without fundamentally changing the horse-keeping model. Ad libitum forage provision is the single most impactful welfare improvement for stabled horses because it addresses the most powerful behavioral drive. Social management through paddock-sharing or at minimum visual and olfactory contact with other horses addresses the social needs of a species that evolved in herds. The barrier to implementing these improvements is often not cost but habit and tradition in horse management culture.