Horse Behavior at Feeding Time: Welfare and Management

Feeding time behavior reflects horses' strong feeding motivation and the competition for resources that can cause welfare problems in group settings.

Key Facts

Horses have evolved to forage continuously and the restriction of feeding to twice daily creates strong competition at mealtimes
Food aggression between horses during concentrated feeding events causes injuries and welfare harm to subordinate animals
Individual feeding stalls eliminate food competition but may increase social isolation welfare concerns
Ad libitum hay access reduces competition and allows horses to eat at a natural pace and frequency
Research shows horses on ad libitum hay maintain healthier gut microbiomes and lower gastric ulcer rates
Water should always be available before and after feeding to support proper digestion

Welfare Considerations

Feeding management is a significant welfare determinant in horses kept in group settings. Concentrated feeding events where horses compete for limited resources create daily welfare harms: subordinate horses may be unable to access sufficient feed, dominant horses may engage in aggressive behavior that causes injuries, and all horses experience the arousal and stress of competitive feeding. The welfare-positive approach minimizes competitive feeding through either individual feeding management or ad libitum forage access that eliminates scarcity-driven competition. The behavioral welfare of horses is significantly better when feeding matches their evolved pattern of frequent, distributed grazing rather than concentrated twice-daily meals.

What You Can Do

Provide ad libitum hay access for horses to eliminate scarcity-driven competition and support natural feeding patterns
If group feeding is necessary, provide more feeding stations than horses to allow subordinate animals to access feed
Monitor body condition scores of all horses in group settings to identify individuals not receiving adequate nutrition
Separate horses with incompatible competitive relationships during concentrated feeding events
Consider slow feeders or hay nets that extend eating time and reduce the speed of competitive access
Monitor feeding areas for aggressive interactions and modify management accordingly