Life in the stable

A stable keeps a horse dry, safe and easy to care for, but it also limits what horses naturally do. The BHS says long hours in a stable restrict moving, foraging and socialising, and can lead to boredom, stress and unwanted habits. The aim is to give a stabled horse as much of its friends, forage and freedom as you can.

Get out every day

The code of practice says every stabled horse, apart from one on box rest for veterinary reasons, benefits from being turned out every day to graze and socialise with other horses. Turnout may also reduce the risk of stereotypic behaviours such as windsucking, weaving, crib-biting, box walking and wood chewing. If turnout isn't possible, a stabled horse should be exercised every day, unless your vet advises otherwise. Bransby Horses agrees that daily turnout lets horses behave naturally and eases the physical and mental stress of being confined.

Wet winters can mean shorter turnout to protect the fields, but the BHS says it's still important for horses to get out every day. Time out of the stable can also be hand walking, lungeing, riding, driving, turnout in an enclosed arena or a horse walker. Turnout also gets your horse into fresh air, away from the dust of the stable.

The code also says stabled horses should be checked at least twice a day (see daily care).

Company

Horses need contact with other horses. The BHS suggests asking whether stabled horses can interact, or at least see one another, and its enrichment advice says more visual contact, especially with other horses, can reduce behaviours such as weaving and crib biting.

World Horse Welfare recommends social stabling where possible, to help horses settle and reduce stereotypic behaviours. Existing stables can be adapted by lowering the walls between them or adding large windows, so horses can touch and groom each other, or horses can be kept in pairs in large pens indoors.

For a horse on box rest, the BHS suggests keeping another horse in on a rota while the others are turned out, and, where it's safe, moving it to a different stable during the day for a change of view.

Forage

The BHS says horses evolved to graze for up to 18 hours a day, which keeps their minds busy and their gut working. The code of practice says that if a horse is stabled for long periods, forage should be given at regular intervals to mimic grazing.

• Feed low. Hay on the floor or low down helps the airways drain and is better for the muscles and joints, says World Horse Welfare. The BHS suggests feeding from the floor in several piles in different places, using large plastic tubs to cut waste.
• Several places and heights. World Horse Welfare says offering forage in several places and at different heights can make stabling less stressful.
• Make it last. Slow feeders, hay balls and small-holed haynets make forage last longer. Introduce small-holed nets gradually, and avoid them for horses with neck or back problems. Mixing in straw can keep a horse chewing for longer: the BHS says use it for no more than half the forage ration, and build up over at least 10–14 days to avoid colic.

For how much to feed, see forage first.

Enrichment

The BHS's ideas for keeping a stabled horse occupied:

• Treat balls and hanging toys that make the horse work for its food. Show it how by putting food next to the ball, then scattering food so it learns that moving the ball brings a reward.
• A stable mirror, which may reduce stereotypic behaviour and help horses that are anxious on their own. Use a safe material such as acrylic, introduce it outside the stable first, and let the horse choose whether to look. Don't cover a whole wall or put it by the feeding area. Some horses take a couple of weeks to accept one; take it away if your horse is constantly aggressive towards it.
• Grooming, which can lower a horse's heart rate and strengthen your bond, and lets you check for lumps and bumps.
• Quiet music, for short periods at low volume, keeping the stable peaceful and free of sudden loud noises.
• Fruit and vegetable kebabs, supervised, in moderation and only for horses with good teeth, and licks, watching the sugar for horses prone to laminitis.

Introduce any new food gradually over 10–14 days to reduce the risk of colic, supervise anything new, and remove it if you're worried. Every horse is different, so what works for one may not suit another. If you compete, check your governing body's clean sport rules first, as some foods and herbs are prohibited.

Changing routines

Routine changes at certain times of year can be stressful. World Horse Welfare notes that less movement, and switching from fresh grass to hay or haylage, can raise the risk of colic when horses come in for winter.

• Into the stable (autumn): the BHS says move from summer turnout to stabling gradually, over 10–14 days. World Horse Welfare suggests adding as little as 10 extra minutes a day for the first couple of weeks, and smaller steps for horses that find losing space, friends or forage stressful. Watch your horse's body language for signs of stress.
• Back out (spring): increase turnout just as gradually. Lush spring grass can be very high in sugar.
• On a shared yard, World Horse Welfare suggests owners plan together, so friends start the change at the same time and no horse is left in or out alone.

In hot weather, Bransby Horses suggests stabling through the hottest part of the day can be an option, as long as the stable stays cool and well ventilated, and changes are made gradually.

A horse's first time in a stable

Young horses, or horses that have only lived out, need time and patience to learn to be stabled. World Horse Welfare's approach, going at the horse's pace and watching for subtle signs of stress:

1. Let the horse explore the yard, walking it round or letting it explore loose, to build its confidence.
2. Prepare the yard: close the stable doors, clear any hazards, and leave the stables empty so there's no squabbling over doors.
3. Bring a calm friend that's used to being stabled.
4. Build a good association with hay nets or scattered treats, if there's room to avoid squabbles over food.
5. Build up gradually, for example by walking into the yard and calmly back out again, then going a little further each time.
6. Once the horse is relaxed in front of the stable, open the door and let it explore inside, with its friend nearby or in the next stable. Reward it with hay or treats.
7. Don't shut the door until the horse is comfortable spending long periods inside. Then close it for just a few seconds at first, and build up.

Every horse is different. One may just put its head in on the first day; another may walk in, turn round and walk out; some won't go near at all. Let the horse's reactions guide the next step.

Breathing

Stables can be dusty, and dust, mould and ammonia can harm a horse's airways. World Horse Welfare says the stable should be as dust-free as possible, with good ventilation and drainage. The BHS adds that turnout is one of the best ways to cut a horse's exposure to dust. See bedding and mucking out for keeping dust down, and stable design and safety for ventilation.

For stereotypic behaviours such as weaving and crib biting, and what causes them, see stress and stereotypies.