Responses of horses offered a choice between stables containing single or multiple forages.
Authors: Goodwin D, Davidson H P B, Harris P
Journal: The Veterinary record
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Forage Choice and Movement in Horses When offered a choice between two identical stables—one containing a single forage and one containing six different forages—horses demonstrated a clear preference for dietary variety, with the majority switching to the multi-forage stable even when the single-forage option was closer (Goodwin et al., 2007). In a methodical experimental design, researchers introduced 10–12 horses to each stable for five minutes to familiarise them with the space, then released them into an intervening gangway to choose freely for a further five minutes, repeating this across four separate trials. The horses spent significantly more time in the stable offering multiple forages in multiple locations, and readily moved between stables on multiple occasions throughout testing—a pattern that persisted even when forage of similar palatability was available in both locations. These findings suggest horses are motivated not only by forage choice itself, but by the opportunity to move between distinct foraging locations, which has important implications for stable design, enrichment strategies, and our understanding of equine behavioural needs beyond simple nutritional requirements. For practitioners involved in facility design, rehabilitation, and behaviour management, this research underscores the value of providing multiple forage stations and spatial variety to support natural foraging patterns and reduce stereotypic behaviour associated with confinement.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Providing multiple forage types in different locations within a stable increases horse preference and time spent foraging, which may improve welfare and reduce stereotypic behaviours
- •Proximity to resources influences initial choice, but horses will actively seek environments with greater foraging variety and complexity when available
- •Environmental enrichment through forage diversity and spatial separation of feed sources should be considered in stable management to align with natural horse preferences
Key Findings
- •Horses initially entered the closest stable upon release but transferred to the stable with multiple forages when the closest contained only single hay (P<0.001)
- •Horses spent significantly more time in stables containing multiple forages in multiple locations compared to single forage stables (P<0.001)
- •Eleven horses moved between stables one or more times during trials where hay or preferred forages were available in both stables, suggesting motivation to move between foraging locations independent of forage palatability