Play behaviour in horses indicates positive welfare states and should be actively facilitated through appropriate management and social housing.
Horse play is more than entertainment - it is a welfare indicator and an active expression of positive psychological states. Horses that never play are horses that are not experiencing positive welfare. Providing conditions that facilitate play, including appropriate social companions and sufficient space, is a welfare investment. Management that restricts horses to individual stabling without turnout denies them the opportunity for positive welfare states that play represents.