Environmental impacts and daily voluntary movement of horses housed in pasture tracks as compared to conventional pasture housing.

The study investigates how horses’ movement patterns and the environmental impact differ between pasture tracks and conventional pastures. The research indicates that horses travelled the same distances in both environments, but pasture tracks had a more negative environmental impact.

Research Methodology

The researchers conducted two experiments:

• Experiment 1: In this test, eight horses were divided into pairs and moved between three different locations – a track, a small pasture enclosed within the track, and a larger, off-site pasture. The horses were monitored via GPS to track their movement in all the environments for a ten-week period. Also, the researchers observed the impact of these environments on vegetative biomass and soil relocation.
• Experiment 2: The same eight horses were used again, but this time, movement data were recorded with only one pair of horses at a time in either the track or small pasture. This was done to eliminate potential effects of social influences on the horses’ movement patterns.

Research Findings

The study reveales:

• The distances travelled by the horses in both the track and the small and large pastures were similar. This indicates that there wasn’t any significant difference in the voluntary movement of horses in the track or pastures.
• However, pasture tracks were found to have a greater negative environmental impact, including reduced vegetative biomass and higher sediment deposition from runoff. This suggests that the use of pasture tracks may lead to environmental degradation due to accelerated erosion.

Research Implications

• This study suggests that while horses’ movement levels remain constant across different types of environments, the choice of housing has a profound impact on the environment. Although pasture tracks are a popular housing trend, they may be detrimental to the environment and cause erosion.
• Therefore, it is necessary to further explore potential environmental impacts of equine housing and develop best management practices, such as perhaps altering housing design or maintenance practices, to lessen the environmental impact.