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Animal welfare (South Mimms, England)2026; 35; e48; doi: 10.1017/awf.2026.10107

Choice for the horse is paramount: Owners’ experiences in facilitating friends, forage, and freedom in their management practices.

Abstract: Owned horses rely on people for their behavioural needs, such as access to conspecifics, constant access to low nutrient density, fibrous forage and freedom of movement; otherwise known as friends, forage and freedom (3Fs). Restricting the 3Fs prevents horses from achieving optimal welfare. We carried out 14 semi-structured interviews in the UK and Ireland to examine horse owners' experiences, attitudes and beliefs around the provision of the 3Fs. Most participants were female, aged from 25 to 65 years, resident in the UK and kept their horse at a livery facility. A reflexive thematic analysis identified five core themes in their responses. Themes identified were 'Choice for the horse is paramount', 'Friends, forage, freedom and fear of injury', 'When livery yard rules compromise horse welfare' (sub-themes 'Control of forage and freedom of movement'), 'Horse management through the (anthropomorphic) human lens' and 'The livery yard - balancing both horse and human needs'. Participants appeared to have a good understanding of the horse's behavioural needs and were keen to communicate that these needs should be a primary consideration in their management practices. Owners who kept their horses at home stated that their horses should have access to freedom of movement and shelter in their environment. Livery yard practices, a concern for injury in group turn-out, anthropocentric, anthropomorphic and motivational beliefs all appeared to play a role in owners' decisions for providing the 3Fs. These findings highlight the difficulties horse owners experience when wishing to implement best practice management and provide a better understanding of how such welfare challenges can be addressed.
© The Author(s) 2026.
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Publication Date: 2026-08-10 PubMed ID: 42591801PubMed Central: PMC13462703DOI: 10.1017/awf.2026.10107Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

Overview

  • This study explores horse owners’ experiences and perspectives on providing essential welfare needs—friends (companionship), forage (appropriate diet), and freedom (movement)—collectively called the 3Fs.
  • It highlights the challenges owners face in meeting these needs, particularly in managed environments like livery yards, and emphasizes the importance of prioritizing horse welfare through choice.

Background and Importance of the 3Fs

  • Horses have basic behavioural needs crucial for their welfare: social interaction with other horses (friends), constant access to low nutrient, fibrous food sources (forage), and freedom to move freely (freedom).
  • The 3Fs are essential for horses to maintain natural behaviours, physical health, and psychological well-being.
  • Restriction of any of these needs can negatively impact horse welfare, leading to stress, behavioural issues, or physical health problems.

Research Methodology

  • Fourteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with horse owners in the UK and Ireland.
  • Participants were mostly female, aged between 25 and 65 years, and primarily housed their horses in livery facilities rather than at home.
  • A reflexive thematic analysis was performed on the interview data to identify key themes relating to owners’ attitudes, beliefs, and experiences about providing the 3Fs.

Key Themes Identified

  • Choice for the horse is paramount: Owners emphasized that horses should be given options in their environment to express natural behaviours and make choices relevant to their welfare.
  • Friends, forage, freedom and fear of injury: While owners valued the 3Fs, worries about injuries during group turn-out sometimes limited their willingness to allow full freedom or social contact.
  • When livery yard rules compromise welfare:
    • Control of forage: Some yards had strict feeding regimes that limited owners’ ability to provide constant access to appropriate forage.
    • Control of freedom of movement: Yard policies or safety concerns could restrict horses’ turnout or free movement.
  • Horse management through the (anthropomorphic) human lens: Owners often perceived horse needs and behaviours through human emotions and motivations, which influenced their management decisions.
  • The livery yard – balancing horse and human needs: Owners recognized the challenge of managing horses in shared facilities where both horse welfare and human convenience or safety must be balanced.

Findings on Owner Attitudes and Beliefs

  • Most owners showed a good understanding of the behavioural needs of horses and were motivated to prioritize these needs in management practices.
  • Owners who kept horses at home had more control and tended to support providing freedom of movement and shelter in the horses’ environment.
  • In livery yards, welfare could be compromised by existing rules or concerns over injuries during social turnout.
  • Owners’ decisions were influenced by:
    • Fear of injury to horses during group interactions.
    • Motivational beliefs about what is best or safest for the horse.
    • Anthropomorphic interpretations of horse behaviour, projecting human emotions or social needs onto horses.

Implications and Challenges

  • The study highlights the complexities horse owners face when trying to implement best practice welfare related to the 3Fs.
  • Livery yard management policies can both support and restrict welfare provisions, requiring negotiation and balance between horse needs and human concerns.
  • Owners’ anthropomorphic perspectives can influence management choices either positively (empathy) or negatively (misinterpretation of behaviour).
  • Understanding these challenges can help improve education and guidelines to better support horse welfare in varied management settings.

Conclusions

  • Providing choice to horses in terms of companionship, forage, and freedom is essential for optimal welfare.
  • Horse owners are largely aware of these needs but face practical and social challenges, especially in livery yards, that complicate meeting them fully.
  • This research brings valuable insight into the motivations and barriers horse owners experience, pointing towards ways to better support welfare improvements in horse management practices.

Cite This Article

APA
Watson WL, Jessiman LJ, Dwyer C. (2026). Choice for the horse is paramount: Owners’ experiences in facilitating friends, forage, and freedom in their management practices. Anim Welf, 35, e48. https://doi.org/10.1017/awf.2026.10107

Publication

Animal welfare (South Mimms, England)
ISSN: 2054-1538
NlmUniqueID: 9214272
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 35
Pages: e48
PII: e48

Researcher Affiliations

Watson, Wendy Leah
  • Royal Dick School of Veterinary Studies/Roslin Institue, The University of Edinburgh Royal Dick School of Veterinary Studies, United Kingdom.
Jessiman, Lesley Jane
  • SRUC, Animal Behaviour and Welfare School of Veterinary Medicine and Biosciences King's Buildings West Mains Road Edinburgh, UK EH9 3JG, Scotland's Rural College, United Kingdom.
Dwyer, Cathy
  • SRUC, Animal Behaviour and Welfare School of Veterinary Medicine and Biosciences King's Buildings West Mains Road Edinburgh, UK EH9 3JG, Scotland's Rural College, United Kingdom.

Conflict of Interest Statement

None.

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