Behavioral Problems with Confined Horses

  by Robert N. Oglesby DVM

Occasionally a horse will contract an illness or have to recover from surgery that requires complete stall rest or perhaps he needs to be put up to prevent obesity on lush pasture. Also requiring stalling or a paddock is if the pasture becomes over grazed, fertilized, limed, or has had some type of herbicide placed on it. Whatever the cause it is sure to cause consternation to the horse. In nature, the horse is a gregarious, roaming animal that grazes constantly. When stalled the horse is frequently confined, alone, and with a limited amount to eat. When you consider the changes in habits that we ask of the horse, it is amazing that he adapts at all. When pushed too far he will find ways to satisfy his physical and psychological needs. What is too far varies widely from individual to individual. This article addresses the behavioral and medical problems you can encounter from stall resting and ways to help minimize these problems. For more information on nutritional substitutes to grass see, Forage and Roughage, an Overview.

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