Area and Resource Utilization of Group-Housed Horses in an Active Stable.
Authors: Hildebrandt Frederik, Büttner Kathrin, Salau Jennifer, Krieter Joachim, Czycholl Irena
Journal: Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
Summary
# Editorial Summary Researchers tracked the spatial behaviour and resource preferences of 52 group-housed horses across 227 days in a commercial active stable system in Northern Germany, dividing the facility into a 3 × 3 metre grid and recording which zones horses visited hourly. On average, each horse utilised 53 different grid squares per hour, with significant variation between individual animals (ranging from −19.2 to 17.6 squares per hour relative to the group mean), whilst observation day and age emerged as statistically significant factors affecting movement patterns—notably, younger horses were more mobile than older cohorts. Resource-equipped areas, particularly feed stalls, were visited up to 0.14% more frequently than unmodified paddock zones, and horses demonstrated a marked preference for open lying halls with tarp coverings over metal structures, suggesting that shelter design materially influences space utilisation. These findings carry practical implications for facility design and management: architects and operators should prioritise open-sided shelter constructions, strategically position feed and water resources to encourage beneficial movement patterns, and recognise that individual variation in space use may indicate differences in welfare perception or social status that warrant closer monitoring. Understanding these utilisation patterns allows equine professionals to optimise stable layouts for enhanced welfare and activity levels, particularly relevant for facilities aiming to support natural movement and reduce the behavioural and musculoskeletal problems associated with restricted space.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Design group housing systems with consideration for individual variation in space usage—some horses range over large areas while others remain localized, requiring diverse stable configurations
- •Prioritize open-sided shelters with tarp coverings over enclosed metal structures, as these designs better match horse preferences for protection while maintaining openness
- •Strategically position resources (feed stalls, water) to encourage movement and distributed space utilization, preventing congregation in single areas and reducing competition-related injuries
Key Findings
- •Group-housed horses utilized an average of 53.2 ± 19 different grid squares per hour, with observation day and age significantly affecting area utilization (p < 0.001)
- •Individual horse differences were substantial, ranging from -19.2 to 17.6 squares visited per hour, indicating high variation in space usage preferences between animals
- •Horses preferentially used resource-rich areas such as feed stalls 0.14% more frequently than paddock areas without resources, and preferred open lying halls with tarp covering over metal halls
- •Sex and breed showed no significant effects on area utilization, though the study was limited to geldings only and had unequal breed distribution