In this video, Certified Horse Behavior Consultant Lindsy Murray promotes the concept of group living for equines. This is Lindsy’s herd of horses that have lived together for over 20 years. The majority of the horses and ponies were taken on as rescues in need of care and rehabilitation. Providing an environment where horses can form strong bonds and fulfill the ultimate equine priority of feeling safe has been a predominant factor in restoring their overall wellbeing.
Why promote group living?
Horses are prey animals, and group living has always been an effective strategy for survival. In the U.K., many horses are kept independently in separate paddocks and stabled or stalled for many hours a day. They can’t fulfill their essential needs—to be with companions, to move freely, and to forage and graze. Living a life that is devoid of these ethologically driven behaviours can lead to stress-related behaviour problems including hypervigilance, aggression, and conditioned suppression.
Group living allows for many of these essential needs to be met. From a welfare point of view, this means we can meet the requirements of Bramble’s Five Freedoms, which correspond to five aspects of animal welfare under human control.
The five freedoms as currently expressed are:
- Freedom from hunger or thirst by ready access to fresh water and a diet to maintainfull health and vigour.
- Freedom from discomfort by providing an appropriate environment including shelterand a comfortable resting area.
- Freedom from pain, injury or disease by prevention or rapid diagnosis and treatment
- Freedom to express (most) normal behaviour by providing sufficient space, properfacilities and company of the animal’s own kind.
- Freedom from fear and distress by ensuring conditions and treatment which avoidmental suffering.
Careful planning and management
Of course, changing to group living does take time. Horses that have been poorly socialised or have had fearful experiences may initially struggle to cope if they aren’t introduced slowly and into the right group. Planning, safety measures, and careful management are all essential. It is advisable to contact a qualified horse behaviour consultant for help and advice if you are concerned in any way about introducing your horse to a new herd.
Human interaction
Living freely within a herd doesn’t mean that horses become feral and difficult to handle. You will see from the video that the yard area is a central point that the horses and ponies orient towards for extra food, water, and shelter. All the horses are handled here regularly and have been taught through positive associations that short periods of time in a confined area or being handled for various procedures is not something to be anxious about. In fact, a stable enriched with a variety of succulent grasses, herbs, vegetables, or even hay in the winter months is quite a sought-after resource.
Making positive changes
A horse’s life can be improved, and behaviour problems can be greatly reduced, if not eliminated, by making positive changes to the horse’s 24-hour day. Stress-related problems can’t be solved by training alone: focusing on overall wellbeing is key. Small changes, for example, longer turnout periods, stable enrichment, and allowing horses to have companions, even for a limited time, can all help towards improving a horse’s welfare. Group living, however, should be a goal all horse owners work towards. It is what horses have evolved to do for millions of years. Should we be taking such an essential aspect of their life away from them?
Lindsy Murray is an IAABC certified horse and dog behaviour consultant, and an ABTC accredited horse and dog behaviourist. She is based in Cheshire, U.K.
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Mike is an emerging animal behaviorist sitting in Minnesota in the US. He carries an MSc in social science research methods (U. of Kentucky) and brings a passion for understanding how the methods we favor shape the knowledge we privilege. Coming from careers in teaching and non-profit program evaluation, he found companion animal behavior by accident helping anxious feline friends in a unique shelter in Ohio. It is a privilege and a joy to combine these and advance the journal in this exciting time of growth.
Alexandra is a certified dog behavior consultant and holds a PhD in neuroscience. She has spent over a decade in academic research and is author of numerous scientific articles on different aspects of brain development, including olfaction, neurogenesis, and memory formation. Her work as a behavior consultant focuses on creating trusting relationships between humans and their dogs through communication, respect, and science-based knowledge. Alexandra is very dedicated to promoting more science within the dog training world. She supports dog guardians and professionals to build a solid understanding of scientific principles and provides guidance on how to apply these to life with dogs. She runs Canine Mindscape in Alicante, Spain.
I’m an Argentinean-Italian dog trainer and CSAT who spent eight amazing years in Brazil learning and working with dogs. Now based in Europe, I volunteer with the IAABC as a translator and, in my free time, help rehomed dogs settle into their new families. I love bridging languages—and hearts—between people and their dogs.
I’m a translator, editor and journalist, as well as canine educator for children and families, specialized in canine body language. I am part of the IAABC Family since 2019, as Language Director at the IAABC and Translators Team Lead at the IAABC Foundation, at the moment. I volunteer at local shelters and promote bite prevention and animal welfare at schools and events all over my country, Uruguay.
I’m a Chilean veterinarian and certified dog trainer, based in Madrid and working at a veterinary clinic. I’ve been volunteering with the IAABC and the IAABC Foundation for over seven years. In my free time, I help dogs and their guardians strengthen their bond, and I love spending quality time with my own dogs.
Master’s Degree in Natural Sciences, with a strong interest in environmental sustainability and the protection of natural ecosystems. Passionate about writing and science communication, she collaborates with multidisciplinary teams on research projects, such as Equine International, and with non-profit initiatives in the environmental and cultural fields. She is writing for different magazines, including IAABC Foundation. Her major goal is to improve horse’s welfare through behaviour research and empirical practice.
Adrienne Hovey is the copy editor for the IAABC Foundation journal and the owner of 
I believe that knowledge from a wide range of disciplines fosters a more empathetic, curious, and engaging world. I am passionate about social, environmental, and minority rights issues (both human and non-human), and this has invariably led me down the road of multi-species anthropology. Perpetually curious about the world we live in, I hope to contribute towards making the world a kinder place for all of us earthlings to live on!
Beckie Wheldon is based in England, UK, and has been supporting the IAABC Foundation Journal team as a volunteer journal content editor since early 2025. She has a BSc (Hons) Animal Behaviour and Welfare, and has recently completed a MSc Clinical Animal Behaviour. With a passion for both practical and theory, Beckie is proud to be a part of the journal submission journey and support the process of applied animal behaviour information and research getting from our writers to the readers. As her full-time career, Beckie is currently part of the UK veterinary charity, PDSA, as a Learning and Development Business Partner for Veterinary, where she supports the professional development of people in their Veterinary Hospitals. Her last position was with the rescue charity, Dogs Trust, as a Canine Behavioural Welfare Manager, where she worked on embedding evidence-based behavioural welfare best practices throughout policy and practices, with both internal and external professional stakeholders, such as the police and military. With a varied background in kennels, caregiver education, and charity dog training classes, Beckie is also an accredited Animal Training Instructor (APDT UK) and an Associate Clinical Animal Behaviourist (APBC).
Erin Jones, PhD, IAABC-ADT, CDBC, CPDT-KA, CANZ-ATI, CANZ-ABC, is the Journal Director of the IAABC Foundation Journal. She holds a PhD in Human–Animal Studies, an MSc in Anthrozoology, a PG Dip in Animal Welfare, and a BSc (Hons) in Anthropology and Psychology. An international presenter, editor, writer and mentor, Erin’s writing bridges research and practice with a focus on the intersection of philosophy, ethics and dog-centered behaviour practice. She is the author of Constructing Canine Consent and co-editor of Topics in Non/Human Coexistence and numerous academic and trade journal publications.