Do active stables affect the response to novelty and attitude towards humans in horses? A pilot study

The demand for horse housing that allows social contact, free movement, and continuous access to forage is increasing. Active stables, equipped with automatic feeders, aim to meet these needs by offering conditions closer to natural living. It is not known whether 'active stable' influences horse fear and human-oriented behaviour. This study compared the behaviour of horses housed in active stable (N = 24) and traditional stable (N = 22) to assess responses to novelty, sudden stimuli, and interactions with humans. We also examined the effects of breed type, age, and weekly riding workload. Forty-six horses underwent fear and handling tests. Behavioural responses, latency to interact with novel stimuli, and Qualitative Behaviour Assessment (QBA) descriptors were analysed. The horses from the active stable group took less time to place a leg on the novel surface, to cross it, to touch the novel startling object, and to hide behind the handler compared to the traditional stable horses. All variables measured in the fear tests correlated with the intensity of the startle response. Older horses showed an increased latency to cross the surface, to touch the novel object both before and after the startle, and to exhibit hiding behaviour when exposed to the novel static object. Additionally, the more hours the horses worked weekly, the less willing they were to approach the static novel object. None of the horses avoided the approaching experimenter. In the QBA, four behavioural factors were identified: (1) 'Relaxed and friendly', (2) 'Curious and uneasy', (3) 'Fearful', and (4) 'Pushy'. Active stable horses scored higher on 'Relaxed and friendly' and 'Fearful' factors. Overall, housing conditions did not affect the horses' startle reaction, but active stable horses showed a greater willingness to follow a handler and interact with a novel object after movement. These results suggest that active stable systems may positively influence equine behaviour and welfare by encouraging the willingness to cooperate with humans and reducing avoidance, without increasing fearfulness.