Equine feeding behavior and its relation with forage use and animal welfare

Summary

# Editorial Summary: Equine Feeding Behaviour and Forage Utilisation Domesticated horses frequently experience suboptimal feeding management because handlers lack detailed understanding of natural grazing behaviour and decision-making processes. Dittrich and colleagues reviewed the relationship between horses' inherent feeding behaviour patterns and their practical use of available forage, with particular attention to welfare implications of management practices. Key findings emphasised that pasture environments represent complex systems substantially influencing grazing choices—factors including sward composition, spatial layout, and seasonal variation all shape what and how much horses consume. The research underscores that effective feeding management must account for horses' evolved grazing preferences rather than imposing arbitrary schedules, suggesting that welfare outcomes improve when management aligns with natural behavioural patterns. For practitioners across farriery, veterinary, and nutrition disciplines, this framework offers relevant context for understanding how inadequate forage access or poor pasture management can precipitate secondary problems ranging from stereotypies and gastric disease to lameness and dental wear.

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Key Findings

• •Domestication and management practices have disrupted natural equine feeding behavior
• •Pasture environments represent the appropriate feeding context for horses but involve complex decision-making during grazing
• •Inadequate knowledge of feeding behavior among handlers contributes to poor nutritional management

Conditions Studied