«Box rest is inevitably stressful for the horse and usually also the owner, yet we often underestimate both. Careful consideration should be given to how we can improve the horse’s welfare under these challenging conditions. Involving the owner in decision making, discussing a range of potential options and the feasibility of each option in their individual circumstances maximises the likelihood of success.»

«The aim of this study was to analyze the utilization of different stable areas of a total of 52 group-housed horses as well as their preferred stable parts and the use of resources. The study was situated in a “HIT Active Stable®” in Northern Germany for a period of 227 observation days.»

«Group housing provides horses with an environment where they are able to display natural behaviour and allows contact with con-specifics improving overall welfare. The behavioural and physiological findings during this study imply that the social housing designs were less aversive than the single housing design and provided an improved standard of equine welfare.”

“When horses were moved to individual boxes, cortisol concentrations increased to 1.8 [1] 0.2 ng/ ml within 30 minutes and did not return to baseline values within 6 hours (0.7 [1] 0.1 ng/ ml, P < .05 over time). On the following days, a diurnal rhythm was re-established but at a higher level than before the change of stable. Locomotion activity was higher when mares had access to a paddock than when kept in individual boxes. Heart rate increased for approximately 60 minutes when mares were separated from their group. In conclusion, separating young horses from their group and individual stabling are perceived as stressful.”

«In the present study, three treatments were investigated with regard to their effect on the behavior of six competition horses in the stable, behavior during training, and on their degree of stress: daily training without free exercise (no turnout [NT]), solitary turnout for 2 hours after training, and 2-hour turnout in groups of two after training (group turnout).[…] The willingness to perform was evaluated as being slightly better in the treatments with turnout than in the treatment without turnout.»

“Although the horse has been domesticated for more than 6000 years, there has been no selection for an equid who no longer requires an outlet for these natural behaviors. Using equine stereotypies as a welfare indicator, this researcher proposes that the psychological wellbeing of today’s performance horse is compromised.”

“The present study aimed at applying a scientifically valid welfare assessment protocol to group-housed outdoor horses in ‘parcours’, a particular management system used in the south of France. ‘Parcours’ are semi-natural areas, grazed by domestic herbivores located in lowland, mountain, or marsh.”