GPS Tracking Collars Deemed Safe for Monitoring Wild Horses
10 Mar 2015American Researchers have determined that wild horses can now be monitored with GPS satellite or high very frequency (VHF) collars without harming them.
A study performed by scientists in the United States looked at what kind of harm or injury, if any, could potentially cause wild horses if tracked using GPS satellite collars. The scientists wanted to track the behavior and habits of horses that roam free, but did not want to cause them any bodily harm. Thanks to the PLoS ONE study, they now have reassurance that the horses will be perfectly fine even while being monitored.
Researchers from the PLoS ONE study include Craig Carr, Leon Pielstick, Steven Petersen and Gail Collins, all American researchers that work with GPS trackers. Their goal was to learn more about the behavior of free-roaming horses, as opposed to those that were not wild horses.
The researchers were interested in finding out how the free roaming horses get their food sources, where and how fast they roam, and how they use their natural habitat. They also hoped this would help make proper management decisions.
The type of device used during this study was a global positioning (GPS) device that was also a very high frequency radio collar. The collar was worn on adult horses during the study.
There is a breakaway device on the collar that was made of rubber tubing, which had a preprogrammed time release, so that the horse does not need to be tracked down again in order to remove the collar.
“GPS and VHF collars are a common tool used in wildlife management, but have rarely been used for free-roaming horse research and monitoring in the US,” the researchers said.
The scientists referenced other global studies that have already been conducted, including wild asses and zebras in Asia, Przewalski’s horses, and some wild horses in other parts of the world.
The problem was that collars were not allowed to be used based on a rule from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), because they feared collar-related injuries. The issues were usually due to collars that did not fit right, in addition to collars being too tight or made from the wrong materials.
A particularly issue involved the removal of such collars. That is why the researchers made time-released collars so they could avoid this problem.
The researchers tracked 28 horses, both feral and domestic, between 2009 and 2010 using the GPS and VHF collars with time-release breakaway functions. The wild horses were primarily in Southeast Oregon and Northwest Nevada, both free-roam areas.
Some modifications were done during the first study, as some horses did not have enough hair to protect their skin. In other cases, the horses’ skin adapted to the collar being worn, with foam padding that did not cause injury to them.
They also had some issues with the data collected, so made even further modifications to improve the effectiveness of the collars. Regardless, they found that no serious injuries were caused to the horses being tracked.
“This study showed that free-roaming horses can be safely marked with GPS and/or VHF collars with minimal risk of injury, and that these collars can be a useful tool for monitoring horses without creating a risk to horse health and wellness,” the researchers concluded.
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