Box rest - confinement to a stable for veterinary reasons - is one of the most challenging welfare situations horses face, causing psychological distress alongside physical recovery.
Box rest presents a genuine welfare dilemma: the physical recovery imperative requires restriction, but prolonged restriction causes psychological harm that is also a welfare concern. Managing this tension requires active attention to the behavioral needs of confined horses, not just the physical injury. Strategies including ad libitum hay provision (occupies time and buffers stress), visual and auditory contact with other horses, appropriate analgesic management, careful hand-walking where permitted by the veterinary protocol, and environmental enrichment can substantially reduce the welfare cost of necessary box rest. Veterinary advice on the minimum necessary restriction is important - excessive caution that prolongs confinement unnecessarily is itself a welfare harm.