Horses evolved as wide-ranging social grazers, making conventional stable management that confines them for much of the day a significant source of welfare compromise.
Confinement in individual stalls prevents horses from expressing their most fundamental behavioral needs: continuous movement, social bonding, and forage selection. The development of stereotypic behaviors in a significant proportion of stabled horses is evidence that standard management practices cause chronic psychological suffering. These behaviors provide coping relief but also indicate a level of frustration in housing that falls short of meeting equine needs. Increased turnout, ad lib forage, and social contact with compatible horses improve welfare substantially.