New Study Reveals What’s Stopping UK Horse Owners from Exercising Their Horses
A new study has revealed that while horse owners overwhelmingly agree on the welfare benefits of exercise, most are blocked from putting that knowledge into practice, often through no fault of their own.
Published in Animal Welfare by researchers Cynthia Joanne Naydani and Tamsin Coombs, the study explored over 800 UK horse owners’ experiences and perceptions of equine exercise, obesity, and welfare. It’s one of the most comprehensive investigations to date linking horse management with owner psychology and opportunity.
The big issue? Obesity and how we tackle it
Obesity remains one of the most pressing equine welfare concerns in the UK. Yet standard weight-management advice tends to focus on restricting grazing or stabling horses for long periods, limiting turnout and natural behaviour. While this may reduce calorie intake, it can create its own set of welfare issues, such as boredom, social isolation, and stress.
This new study examined whether increasing movement, through human-led exercise such as riding, or by enabling more self-directed exercise (SDE) in turnout, could offer a more effective approach to welfare.
Key takeaways:
- 40% of horses were reported by their owners to be overweight or obese.
- Ridden horses were significantly less likely to suffer from laminitis and Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS).
- Nearly 90% of owners reported wanting to provide more exercise but were hindered by external barriers, such as weather, time, or yard restrictions.
- Owners at livery yards reported far less ability to make meaningful changes, especially to turnout or grazing setups, compared to those with horses on private property.
- Most owners believed that track-style turnout systems (which promote natural movement while limiting grass intake) would be the most effective and welfare-friendly weight-management solution, but few had the opportunity to implement them.
Horse owners understand the importance of exercise, but knowledge alone isn’t enough. Yard rules, limited facilities, and the structure of horse-keeping in the UK all restrict how much horses can move and how owners can respond to welfare concerns.
The study calls for a broader look at how we manage horses, particularly in livery environments, and suggests that promoting movement in more naturalistic ways could offer better welfare outcomes than the current focus on feed restriction alone.
Read the full study online (Open Access): Exercise as a welfare strategy? Insights from horse owners in the UK
