Frequency and nature of health issues among horses housed in an active open barn compared to single boxes-A field study.
Authors: Kjellberg Linda, Dahlborn Kristina, Roepstorff Lars, Morgan Karin
Journal: Equine veterinary journal
Summary
# Editorial Summary This Swedish field study compared health outcomes between horses in an active open barn (AOB) with continuous free movement versus traditional single-box housing with limited paddock access (2–4 hours daily), tracking 66 prospective and 69 retrospective cases over 9 months and 2 years respectively. Lameness and colic proved significantly less prevalent in the AOB group (18% vs 26% and 0% vs 5%, respectively; p<0.001), likely reflecting the benefits of unrestricted movement on musculoskeletal and gastrointestinal health; however, whilst more horses in AOB experienced some form of health event (83% vs 52%), this included a higher rate of minor wounds from social interactions rather than serious injuries. Importantly, training days lost were equivalent between systems (10±15 days AOB versus 15±34 days BOX; p=0.36), and the retrospective data showed no statistical difference in overall health event frequency per horse across the two-year period. For practitioners advising on housing modifications, these results suggest that AOB systems may reduce clinically significant lameness and colic without compromising training availability, though the initial perception of increased health problems reflects greater visibility of minor wounds rather than more serious or costly conditions.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Active open barn housing reduces lameness and colic incidence, likely due to continuous free movement and exercise, offering welfare benefits despite higher wound prevalence
- •While horses in open barns experience more wounds from social interactions, these injuries do not result in greater training loss, suggesting they are generally minor
- •Open barn housing may be a viable alternative to single box housing for reducing serious health conditions, though injury prevention protocols around feeding and water systems should be considered
Key Findings
- •Lameness prevalence was significantly lower in active open barns (18%) compared to single boxes (26%, p<0.001)
- •Colic prevalence was significantly lower in active open barns (0%) compared to single boxes (5%, p<0.001)
- •A larger proportion of horses in active open barns experienced health events (83%) versus single boxes (52%, p<0.01), primarily due to increased wounds from horse-to-horse interactions
- •Days lost from training did not differ significantly between housing systems (10±15 days AOB vs 15±34 days BOX, p=0.36)