Horses evolved as continuous grazers spending 16-18 hours daily foraging, and stable management practices that deviate from this pattern create significant welfare problems including gastric ulcers and stereotypic behaviors.
The disconnect between natural horse feeding behavior and common stable management practices is one of the most significant sources of preventable welfare problems in domestic horses. Managing horses in ways that allow continuous or near-continuous access to forage — through slow feeders, ad-lib hay, or pasture — addresses gastric ulcer risk, reduces stereotypic behaviors, and meets fundamental behavioral needs simultaneously. The perception that restricted feeding is necessary for weight management can usually be addressed through hay quality selection rather than quantity restriction.