Enrichments Aren’t Enough to Make Box Stalls Better
French researchers found that horses stalled with enrichments, such as forage, windows, and toys, still exhibited signs of stress and depression associated with confinement. | Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt/The Horse

Give them a toy, you say. A mirror, a hanging ball, a bell. A window, more feed, straw bedding. They’ll be happier, you say.

Nice try, a research team says.

According to a new study, horses show behavioral signs of poor welfare while housed in box stalls, regardless of their “enrichment” status. And the longer they’re confined, the more extreme those signs get

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