This is perhaps the most exciting phase of the Brumby research. The research team is tracking the movement of Brumbies with GPS tracking systems to determine the habitat and distance travelled by horses in an unrestricted environment.

Paddock size inhabited by the horses depends on the location but ranges from 10,000 acres to 2,000,000 acres. The country ranges from sandy desert to hard rocky footing. Horses are monitored every 5 seconds for 6 days, every 30 seconds for 3 months and every 5 minutes for 12 months.

Horses are darted with a tranquiliser from hidden positions and are collared and released within 3 minutes, totally unaware of the GPS collaring process.

It has taken 12 months to find ideal hide locations on natural water points to construct hides and trap yards and desensitise horses to the changed environment.

The above photograph shows a typical yard and hide design at the entrance to a natural spring. Horses walk through small yards every day beneath the raised hidden hides and are unaware of the presence of the research team at time of darting, tracking and filming.

GPS units consist of a single collar around the horses neck mounted with the GPS and battery unit. The collars appear to be accepted well by the horses and do not affect the behaviour of the horse or family band. The GPS unit used for wild horse tracking is slightly larger than the domestic horse tracking units as they require longer battery life. Pictured is a domestic horse with GPS unit during a paddock design trial. This unit will take the position of the horse at 5 second intervals for 1 week before requiring download and recharging. You can see in the adjacent picture the path of a domestic horse overlayed on a satellite photograph during a paddock trial using a zigzag laneway design to determine the effect on distance travelled.

THE USE OF GPS TECHNOLOGY TO TRACK THE MOVEMENTS OF HORSES.BRIAN HAMPSON and CHRIS POLLITT

OBJECTIVES: Our objective was to develop a GPS data logger specifically designed to accurately log horse movements in both the domestic and feral situation.

METHODS: The UQ Data Logger was developed to incorporate the latest technology in GPS antenna, micro memory and power sources to provide a lightweight data logger suitable to monitor the movement of horses over short to medium time periods. With an excess of 100,000 data point storage capacity, the unit can be custom programmed to monitor a horse’s position at 1 second intervals for 32 hours, 5 second intervals for 7 days or 10 second intervals for 14 days. As horses in the paddock and in the natural state rarely move in straight lines, at least 5 second interval fix rates are necessary to accurately measure movement. The 1 week tracking unit weighs 450 grams and if combined with a VHF relocation beacon weighs 700grams.

RESULTS:The accuracy of the unit was tested in a series of 12 hour static tests in open and heavily timbered positions and successfully logged 95% and 90% of data points respectively within a 5 metre radius.

Data was displayed using Google Earth Plus which integrates GPS data onto a satellite photograph of the subject area.

The logger provided data on total distance, speed, vertical and horizontal position for each second of logged time.

Data can also be combined with geographic information systems and include soil and vegetation type overlay.

When combined with a VHF beacon, the unit can be located in dense scrub and in very rough terrain, making tracking and locating feral horse activity possible.

Satellite photograph over Central Queensland with 3 day GPS plot of Brumby movement overlaid.
This 4 y/o colt moved 12km/day and did not drink for 3 days.

The same GPS track as Figure 3 displayed in 3D.
Google Earth plus gives the ability of the user to fly over the GPS path and assess the topography.

CONCLUSIONS & CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The UQ Data Logger has been used extensively in determining the movement and activity patterns of horses in various yard and paddock sizes and designs in order to create a data base of domestic horse activity. Larger paddock sizes correlate with greater horse movement. Our research team has commenced work tracking the activity of feral horses in remote locations in Queensland and Northern Territory. The UQ Tracker provides an accurate and reliable source of GPS data of horse movements. The unit software allows the researcher to view data both in digital and visual form and is easily manipulated for convenient access and presentation.

REASONS FOR PERFORMING STUDY: Documenting the grazing and activity patterns of adult and juvenile horses will supply novel data that will inform the development of better pasture and land management strategies and provide insight into the high frequency of musculo-skeletal and foot problems that beset domestic horses.

GPS technology has enabled the collection of the required data with a degree of accuracy not previously available (Tomkins N. and Filmer M. 2007).

HYPOTHESIS OR OBJECTIVES:

• To determine the effect of paddock size and foaling on the activity level of mares.
• Provide a data base for comparison between domestic and feral mare and foal activity.

METHODS: Four domestic mares due to foal within 2 weeks of each other were tracked for 1 week in each of 3 paddocks (0.8, 4, and 16 hectares) to determine movement patterns and activity levels using a global positioning system (GPS, modified Wintec G-Rays 2). The same mares and their foals were again tracked (4 hectare paddock) for 1 week from the third day after foaling and again for 1 week (4.2 hectare paddock) when foals were aged 3 to 5 weeks. GPS data gave daily distance traveled and integration with Google Earth Plus (Google) provided aerial photographs of the subject paddocks with GPS data overlay. Aerial photograph grazing patterns were analysed visually and preferred paths were located using a handheld GPS (Garmin Rhino520 handheld mapping GPS, Garmin, USA).

RESULTS: Dry mare’s activity increased by 30% moving from a 0.8 hectare to a 4 hectare paddock (Table 1) and again by 18% when moved from a 4 hectare to 16 hectare paddock.

Daily distances traveled by mares prior to foaling ranged between 4.2 and 7.6km (mean 6km).

Mare activity increased slightly following foaling but 3-10 day old foals on average traveled further than their mothers (7.3km compared to 7.2km for mares).

On average foal travel did not change between 3-10 days age and 3-5 weeks age.

Mares underutilize some pasture areas and tend to travel on set paths.

GPS tracks overlaid on Google Earth satellite photograph.

• Green track represents movement in 4 hectare paddock
• Pink track represents movement in a 16 hectare paddock.
  

CONCLUSIONS & CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Activity levels of mares vary with paddock size. Distance traveled by new born foals in the domestic situation is similar to that of the mare. Foals are capable of traveling over 7 km daily within the first 3 days of life.

This movement may be important to stimulate the growth and adaptation of musculo-skeletal structures including the foot in the new born foal. Mares tend to select favoured pasture and tracks between pasture rather than utilizing the full paddock. Strategies for changing grazing and movement patterns can be investigated once a data base of normal activity is established.

Comparative data on activity levels of feral horses is being collected to investigate the potential activity patterns of the new born foal in a free roaming situation and the effect of variable activity levels and terrain on foot structure.