Extended box rest for injury recovery causes significant welfare harm in horses, and strategies to manage this period humanely are essential for good outcomes.
Box rest is often prescribed as a necessary component of injury management, but the welfare cost of extended confinement is substantial and often underestimated. Horses on strict box rest suffer from the combination of physical inactivity, social isolation, and behavioral restriction simultaneously. These stressors can themselves compromise recovery through stress-related physiological effects. Where medically possible, controlled exercise programs - even brief handwalking - should begin as early as recovery allows. When strict rest is necessary, environmental enrichment and social contact through stable walls can mitigate but not eliminate welfare harm.