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Although we shouldn’t anthropomorphize horses too much, thinking about their housing is somewhat like thinking about people’s living situations. Some feel most comfortable in a large house with a yard, others find a small apartment perfectly sufficient. The same applies to horses: one cannot say that an open-air stable is always the ideal. Many thrive in paddock stalls; some even prefer a traditional box stall with daily turnout. There are many reasons for these preferences. And for owners, not every housing system is practical, considerations like space and budget play a role. What’s essential for every horse are its basic needs: light, fresh air, cleanliness, movement, and social contact.
Box Housing with Daily Turnout – Still Common, but Is It Enough?
The traditional box stall remains a standard in horse husbandry. It offers many advantages, particularly for stable owners. In boarding facilities, box stalls allow horses to be cared for efficiently. Feeding can be automated, and the same applies to mucking out. However, social contact is often limited in this setup, so are the horse’s access to light, fresh air, and regular movement.
That’s why the principle remains: boxes are acceptable, but only with sufficient turnout, strict hygiene, and as much fresh air and daylight as possible. A stuffy, warm stable can be harmful to horses and may lead to allergies, respiratory illnesses, colic, or other issues.
More and more facilities now offer windowed stalls or paddock boxes, allowing horses to choose freely between indoors and outdoors. Paddock boxes are a significant improvement in individual housing. Horses can interact with neighbors on both sides and are more engaged with their surroundings. These stalls are also brighter and better ventilated. Most importantly, horses can move freely within the paddock throughout the day, not just during scheduled turnout. That said, a paddock box is not a substitute for open space and daily exercise.
Increasingly, box stalls are arranged in circular layouts so that horses can be optimally cared for and maintain visual contact with many others.
Avoiding Social Isolation: Creating Opportunities for Contact
Modern stable designs offer many innovative solutions. These include communal stalls or loose housing systems, as well as individual stalls that allow social interaction between horses. Four-time Olympic champion Jessica von Bredow-Werndl recently implemented such a concept at her training facility in Aubenhausen. She removed the bars between outdoor stalls, enabling constant social contact. “I can hardly believe it was ever different,” the dressage rider says. “When I watch my horses interacting, how happy they seem. It’s something I’d recommend to any horse owner who has the opportunity to try it.”
Even with limited resources, contact can be facilitated through paddock boxes. These can be expanded with gates that lead directly to turnout areas shared with other horses, encouraging movement and interaction.
Curved stall layouts also allow communication beyond the immediate neighbors, letting horses see and interact with a wider group.
Group Housing: Social and Active – But Not Ideal for Every Horse 2
“Horses are herd animals and need social contact for their well-being. This need should be restricted as little as possible. Visual, olfactory, and auditory contact are the bare minimum. Paddock boxes, windows, and bars instead of solid walls can make stall housing significantly more natural,” explains Dr. Sonja Weiß, assistant veterinarian at the Hanseklinik für Pferde in Sittensen. “Many horses thrive with such arrangements. Others require full group housing in open or active stables. It really depends on the individual horse.”
Groups for open or active stables must be thoughtfully composed to avoid issues, especially for low-ranking horses. These animals may need designated areas where they can retreat safely. It’s also crucial that even the most subordinate horses have constant access to food and water. When introducing a new horse to the group, owners should carefully observe how the animal communicates and adjusts. If conflict persists, it may indicate that group housing is more stressful than beneficial.
“In every horse group, a social structure with individual relationships and compatibility will form. As caretakers, we must respect that,” says Dr. Weiß. “There may be differences depending on breed, age, or sex, but there are no hard rules for what works. The key is to watch the herd and assess whether the group dynamic is stable and harmonious, or if changes are needed. Group composition should always be adjusted gradually and closely monitored. Ensuring every horse can meet its core needs is the greatest challenge in group housing.”
For many horses, open stabling is ideal. However, planning is critical: there must be enough rest areas, feeding and watering stations, and a proper weather-resistant base. Rubber mats or newer options like bio-forest flooring are recommended, especially for covered loose housing areas.
Open Stable or Active Stable – What’s the Difference?
An open stable typically includes a large area, often with a sand floor or other bedding combined with footing that’s gentle on the horse’s legs, like rubber mats or grid systems for drainage and hygiene. Key components of open stables include multiple shelters that provide enough space for lower-ranking horses, as well as several protected feeding and watering stations.
In contrast, active stables focus on movement. Here, horses are encouraged to stay physically active, particularly through their search for food. A feeding computer individually regulates how often each horse can access its small feed ration and even controls access to hay stations. A transponder identifies each horse and grants or denies entry based on its programmed feeding plan.
Comfort zones in active stables may include areas for grooming, rolling, or simply resting. Access to large pasture areas can also be managed via the computer system.
It’s important that every horse, even in open or active stabling, has its own space to retreat and relax undisturbed. Without this, especially lower-ranking animals may face chronic stress. Private areas, accessible via chip and restricted to the individual horse can provide this sense of security. A cost-effective alternative: feeding areas with wooden partitions that allow horses to eat in peace. However, active stables may overwhelm older or less agile horses, so it's crucial to observe each animal and adjust housing to meet its individual needs.
In recent years, the paddock trail has gained popularity as a housing concept. However, it requires a large amount of space and doesn’t suit every horse. Originating in the U.S. in the 1980s, the paddock trail system uses two parallel fences to create “tracks”, wandering paths for the horses. These may wind through fields, woods, or near water. The more variety, the better. Water troughs, feeding spots, rest areas, and salt licks are scattered throughout the track to keep horses moving along the path.
Combination Models: Balancing Comfort and Flexibility
Each type of horse housing has its pros and cons. In many cases, a combination of different systems works best. The paddock box is a prime example. It allows the horse to decide whether it prefers to be indoors or outdoors (weather permitting, of course). It also enables social contact through the paddock fencing.
Other stables focus on extended turnout and paddock time in fixed groups, sometimes even multiple times per day. Seasonal models are also common, where horses are kept in open stables during the summer and move to indoor stalls during the winter months.
Which Housing Type Fits My Horse – and Me?
Every horse owner should take an honest look in the mirror: Which housing option is realistic for me and my horse?
Do I want a stall where my horse is cared for 24/7 with all modern conveniences? Is it important to me that my horse lives outdoors year-round and becomes hardy in all weather? Am I fine with the fact that this might mean more grooming time? Do I prefer my horse not running wild on the pasture before important competitions where injury risk increases?
As mentioned: there is no perfect setup. We can only do our best to meet both our horse’s needs and our own. If our partnership suffers because the housing isn’t a good fit for us or the horse, no one benefits.
An older horse may need more rest and move more slowly. Would it be happier in a retirement group in an open stable? Or in a paddock box?
The same applies to horses with pre-existing conditions. What if your horse’s lungs are irritated from being kept indoors in poor air quality? What kind of turnout works best? Which pasture companions suit it? How many companions are ideal?
If your horse gains weight easily, is controlled feeding in a stall better than 24/7 turnout? Or can you manage that with a transponder feeding system?
Young horses have special needs. “Foals and young horses must not grow up in isolation. For healthy social development, they should be kept in groups, primarily with peers,” says Dr. Sonja Weiß. Including a few older horses in the group is also helpful, as they often provide important structure and guidance. Play with peers is just as crucial during this phase.
Stallions pose another challenge. “Like mares and geldings, stallions also need social contact,” emphasizes FN vet Dr. Henrike Lagershausen. “At minimum, they must have visual, olfactory, and auditory contact with others. Daily outdoor time on a paddock or pasture is essential.”
While housing stallions with other horses is often viewed as too difficult, it is possible with enough space and a thoughtful layout including separate areas for mares, geldings, and stallions.
“For proper stallion care, the entire management plan must be spot-on,” explains FN animal welfare officer Dr. Christiane Müller. “There shouldn’t be strange horses or mares nearby, not even on the way to and from the paddock.”
In some cases, it’s better to avoid stallion housing altogether than to isolate a horse in the farthest corner of the barn and subject it to constant stress. That kind of life makes horses sick over time. Some stallions do well next to geldings, and in rare cases even next to another stallion, if kept in individual housing. “Integrate, don’t isolate” is the motto. Stallion paddocks should have extra-high, fencing around 2.20 meters with solid, intimidating structure. The same applies to stall and paddock partitions. Side-by-side paddocks with safety distance between fences provide stallions with some social interaction without direct contact.
Conclusion: Horse Keeping with Heart and Common Sense
In the end, there is no one-size-fits-all solution for horse housing. But if you are honest with yourself and carefully observe your horse, you’ll gradually discover the housing setup that suits both your horse’s needs and your own possibilities best.
It may take some trial and error to get there. Expert advice from veterinarians or specialists in horse husbandry can be extremely helpful, just like the collective wisdom of other riders who have faced similar situations.
What do horses need? Freedom, movement, structure, light, fresh air, cleanliness, and social contact. How this is best achieved may vary from horse to horse, but one thing must always come first: the best possible health and a long, happy life for your horse.
The author
Born in 1983 in Mühldorf am Inn, I discovered my passion for writing, culture, horses, and travel early on. After graduating from high school and earning a B.A. in Cultural Studies, I began my journalism career in 2007. My article on Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum's European Championship victory received multiple awards. Since then, I have written for over 30 specialist magazines, contributed to book projects such as Selected Stallions of Germany, and managed PR campaigns. Additionally, I focus on travel journalism, including my series Tournament Hopping.
Alexandra Koch
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