Practical enrichment strategies for horses on box rest that reduce psychological welfare compromise during veterinary confinement.
Box rest welfare management is one of the most challenging aspects of equine care precisely because the animal's welfare needs and its medical requirements are in direct tension. Horses are movement-adapted animals with strong social and exploratory drives — everything that box rest prevents. Creative enrichment within medical constraints is essential for maintaining psychological wellbeing through what is inevitably a difficult period. The best box rest management combines maximum social provision (companion stable arrangements), sensory enrichment (varied tastes, smells, sounds), cognitive engagement (food puzzles, novel objects), and the earliest possible introduction of controlled movement. Doing this well requires preparation, resources, and genuine commitment to the horse's psychological as well as physical needs.