Freedom

Horses in Natural Settings

Over decades, we have been able to gather quite a bit of research on the natural conditions in which horses thrive. Animals adapt and evolve to survive and reproduce within their environment, which is a foundational principle in biology. In natural settings, horses do not have access to auto shipped supplements, farriers, or vets; if they cannot adapt, they just die. On the flip side, the animals that can adapt and evolve can thrive in the environment. The "mustang roll" is commonly discussed among horse owners and farriers when discussing the mustang's ability to survive without a 6-week farrier trim cycle. The answer is very simple: horses in natural settings can walk an average of nearly 20 miles per day in search of forage, water, and shelter (1). The ground they walk on can vary but is often hard and rocky, which naturally grinds down the feet. In natural settings, horses have the ability to paw as they wish for food or water, which can also aid in grinding down the toe.

The ability to stretch, groom, and play is also important for basic needs. As stated above, horses evolved to travel long distances throughout the day, rather than being stalled. In a time budget study, scientists found that horses spend roughly half of the feeding, which includes walking because of how horses graze (2, 3). They will eat a patch in front of them before moving to a new patch. In addition to this movement, horses will also run or play, with younger horses playing more than older horses. Regardless, play is an essential behavior to develop muscles and sharpen skills (5). Restricted access to this type of movement can cause the horse to feel frustrated, which causes it to "explode" as soon as it is turned out to a pasture, called the "rebound effect" (6). This tells us how important movement and freedom is to horses, that they are reacting to the point of injuring themselves for their limited access to turnout.

From a study looking into the hoof properties of Australian brumbies (2).

A graph pulled from a study into the way wild horses spend their time (3).

Stall Vs. Pasture Housing

In a domestic setting, it is very difficult to provide enough land for all horses to travel and forage almost 20 miles per day, especially considering there are about 7 million horses in the U.S. alone (7). Additionally, horses in natural settings do not elect to perform the tasks they are asked to do in show rings. Sports cause strain on the body, including the hooves, which increases the need for a regular farrier cycle. Keeping domestic horses on a regular farrier cycle solves the hoof problem, but what about the "rebound effect"? Clearly, the horse wants to move more, and the stall is restricting access to that movement. The best option is to simply turn out the horse more. Restricting the turnout time more or bringing the horse in when it is running will only make the horse more frustrated. Ideally, the horse should be out 24/7, mimicking life in natural settings. If this is not possible, maximize turnout time however possible, and keep the horse on a regular exercise routine (6).

Effects of Stall Housing on Welfare

"Rebound effect" and the risk of injury (6)
Increased handling issues, aggression towards people, and oral stereotypies (8)
Decreased cognitive capacity/ability to learn (9)
Increased risk of injury, colic. and respiratory issues (10)
Increased aggression towards other horses (11, 12)

Because of these issues popping up in stall housing, we must admit that horses simply are not meant to be stalled for extended periods of time. Truly, they should be outside as much as possible to give them the freedom to forage, move, stand, or sleep as they please. In cases when a horse must be stalled, ensure the horse has mental enrichment and a lot of forage to buffer the gut since stalling causes stress and increases the risk of colic and ulcers. Mental enrichment like food puzzles can help the horse occupy its mind and prevent too much boredom, which can lead to unwanted behaviors like cribbing and weaving. Otherwise, best practice is to let the horses run!

Sources:

Hampson, B. A., de Laat, M. A., Mills, P. C., & Pollitt, C. C. (2010). Distances travelled by feral horses in 'outback' Australia. Equine veterinary journal. Supplement, (38), 582–586. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2042-3306.2010.00203.x
Hampson, B., de Laat, M., Mills, P., & Pollitt, C. (2012). The feral horse foot. part A: Observational study of the effect of environment on the morphometrics of the feet of 100 australian feral horses. Australian Veterinary Journal, 91(1–2), 14–22. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-0813.2012.00995.x
Boyd, L. E., Carbonaro, D. A., & Houpt, K. A. (2003, October 2). The 24-hour time budget of Przewalski Horses. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0168159188900986
Duncan, P. (1980). Time-Budgets of Camargue Horses Ii. Time-Budgets of Adult Horses and Weaned Sub-Adults. Behaviour, 72(1-2), 26-48. https://doi.org/10.1163/156853980X00023
Heintz, M. R., Murray, C. M., Markham, A. C., Pusey, A. E., & Lonsdorf, E. V. (2017, December). The relationship between Social Play and developmental milestones in wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii). American journal of primatology. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5728447/
Freire, R., Buckley, P., & Cooper, J. J. (2009). Effects of different forms of exercise on post inhibitory rebound and unwanted behaviour in stabled horses. Equine veterinary journal, 41(5), 487–492. https://doi.org/10.2746/095777309x383883
Broadway, J. (2020, June 11). US horse population - statistics. American Horse Council. https://horsecouncil.org/press-releases/us-horse-population-statistics/
Hockenhull, J., & Creighton, E. (2014). Management practices associated with owner-reported stable-related and handling behaviour problems in UK leisure horses. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 155, 49–55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2014.02.014
Rivera, E., Benjamin, S., Nielsen, B., Shelle, J., & Zanella, A. J. (2002, August 12). Behavioral and physiological responses of horses to initial training: The comparison between pastured versus stalled horses. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168159102000916
Yngvesson, J., Rey Torres, J. C., Lindholm, J., Pättiniemi, A., Andersson, P., & Sassner, H. (2019). Health and Body Conditions of Riding School Horses Housed in Groups or Kept in Conventional Tie-Stall/Box Housing. Animals : an open access journal from MDPI, 9(3), 73. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani9030073
Christensen, J. W., Ladewig, J., Sandergaard, E., & Malmkvist, J. (2001, November 20). Effects of individual versus group stabling on social behaviour in domestic stallions. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168159101001964
Dierendonck, M. C. van. (2006, April 19). The importance of social relationships in horses. DSpace Home. https://dspace.library.uu.nl/handle/1874/8671

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