A common behavioural problem in racehorses is box walking.

Box Walkers are horses repetitively pacing around their stables. The horse’s locomotor stereotypies reflect frustration, as they want to move and exercise more. It can be treated by allowing the horse time out in the open.

Would you consider buying a box walking racehorse?

In this guide, you will learn everything you need to know about horse box walking in their stable.

What is Box Walking?

Box walking is a repetitive movement that a horse may make around its stable.

The horse’s habit of pacing around the confines of a box is a behavioural problem.

Stable box walkers are a horse’s response to stress caused by confinement.

Why Do Horses Box Walk?

A limited stable environment is the core reason horses box-walk.

Locomotory stereotypic behaviours involve abnormal pacing or walking, reflecting aspects of the horse’s natural behaviour that are being prevented by limited space.

Studies have shown that low forage or limited opportunities for social contact can cause box walking.

Box walking is seen more frequently in racehorses because they have a strong desire to exercise at a high performance.

Some horses box walk because they find the stable environment stressful.

What Problems Can Box Walkers Cause?

Box walking can cause the following problems:

Horse disturbs its bedding (creating characteristic pathways where it is pacing)
Expends considerable energy
Weight retention problems
Damage to themselves on the sides of the stable doors
Develop asymmetrical musculature if they always walk in the same direction
Injuries for identical repeat movements
Rise to problems in performance under the saddle
Being extremely stressed can cause sweating and trembling
Difficult to manage the horse from within the stable, as they find it difficult to stop weaving
Causes excessive wear of shoes or hooves

How to Prevent a Horse From Box Walking?

The behaviour will differ between horses, as some are chronic box walkers.

Here are some treatment options to prevent horses from box walking:

Focus on increasing turnout
Increase visual and physical contact with other horses
Reducing stable time to a minimum
Try to place them in companion stables so that they can interact fully at a social level
More openings in the stable so that the horse has a broader view of the outside environment
Stable mirrors have been known to reduce weaving significantly
Increase Hay Intake
Stable up with another horse to prevent loneliness
Provide feeding enrichment
Extending feeding time as a distraction at key times for the behaviour

Can Box Walkers Be High-Quality Racehorses?

There is no objective evidence that box walking reduces performance in most cases.

Whilst this locomotor stereotypy is relatively harmless, constant weaving can place extra strain on the racehorse’s joints and affect the number of times the horse can race.

It can be challenging to maintain the weight of a box-walker, who also suffers the further risk of damage to ligaments and tendons, and changes to management are highly advisable.

Box walkers can become a black-type racehorse, but if the horse is a chronic box walker, this can certainly halt the progression of the racehorse due to weight problems.

Summary of Box Walking in Racehorses

Box walking is a stereotype that’s exacerbated in horses by excitement, frustration, pleasure, pain and not enough time spent eating.

Horses that weave sway their heads and necks rhythmically from side to side.

Regular and prolonged turnout will also help to minimise periods of stress.

Placing forage at intervals around the stable has the potential of slowing the horse if he decides to eat as he walks around, and this will bear a closer resemblance to the act of grazing.