Welfare considerations for management of horses on prolonged periods of box rest

Peeters et al. (2024) describe the presentation, diagnosis and successful management of an unusual fracture, of the femoral greater trochanter, in an 8-year-old Warmblood mare. Internal fixation was not considered feasible due to the high likelihood of implant failure at this location and financial constraints. However, based on successful outcomes with similar proximal limb bony protuberances, conservative management was undertaken with an excellent out-come—the horse returned to its previous level of exercise. The authors should be commended in this case report for considering the welfare implications of horses on prolonged box rest and reflecting on what further steps could have been taken to improve this mare's welfare. This clinical commentary will discuss the welfare implications of confinement in horses before expanding on further options for optimising the management of horses undergoing box rest.