Determinants of Undesirable Behaviors in American Quarter Horses Housed in Box Stalls.
Authors: Ribeiro Leonir Bueno, Matzkeit Tayná Vasconcelos, Nicolau Julia Teodoro de Souza, Castilha Leandro Dalcin, Oliveira Fábio Cortez Leite de, Bankuti Ferenc Istvan
Journal: Journal of equine veterinary science
Summary
# Undesirable Behaviours in Stabled Quarter Horses: A Management Issue American Quarter Horses confined to box stalls can spend considerable time engaged in stereotypic and undesirable behaviours—a 24-hour observational study of 105 animals revealed this ranged from just 25 minutes daily in well-managed horses to nearly 100 minutes in those with poor management. Researchers employed factor and cluster analysis to identify which management variables most strongly predicted these behaviours, examining nutritional status, feeding protocols, training frequency, stall conditions, handling practices, and animal characteristics across the cohort. Whilst sex, age, training routine, and physiological status showed no significant association with unwanted behaviours, feeding practices emerged as the critical factor: horses with inadequate dry matter intake relative to their requirements and elevated resting heart rates—both indicators of nutritional stress—spent significantly more time exhibiting stereotypies. The findings underscore that stall confinement alone does not necessarily drive problem behaviours; rather, nutritional insufficiency and associated metabolic stress appear to be the primary drivers. Practitioners should therefore prioritise evaluating total dry matter intake, forage quality and quantity, and overall nutritional adequacy when addressing stereotype and undesirable behaviours in stabled horses, as these factors appear more influential than training schedules or basic management variables.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Ensure adequate dry matter intake relative to individual horse requirements—inadequate nutrition is a primary driver of behavioral problems in stalled horses
- •Monitor resting heart rate as an indicator of nutritional stress; elevated resting HR may signal insufficient nutrient supply even when other clinical signs are absent
- •Review feeding schedules and nutrient composition for stalled Quarter Horses displaying stereotypic or undesirable behaviors before attributing problems to training or temperament
Key Findings
- •Two distinct groups identified: low-incidence undesirable behaviors (25±13 min/24h) and high-incidence group (97±52 min/24h) in 105 American Quarter Horses
- •Feeding behavior (P=0.0444) and low dry matter intake/requirement ratio (P=0.0470) were significant determinants of undesirable behaviors
- •High resting heart rate (P=0.0444) indicated inadequate nutrient supply as a determinant of increased undesirable behaviors
- •Nutritional status, physiological status, and training routine showed no significant effects on undesirable behaviors