Better Understanding Horse Behaviour

Students at the University of Missouri (Mizzou) have developed sensors to understand horse behaviour and translate those findings to veterinarians, horse care professionals, and owners.

Jian Lin, associate professor of mechanical engineering, teamed up with doctoral student Morgan Miller to develop non-invasive sensors to monitor the vital signs of horses, including those in a herd. According to an article on the university website, the research duo worked on the study with Marci Crosby, the equine program director from the school’s equine teaching facility.

“This is a new type of technology that can open new opportunities for veterinarians to treat horses,” Lin told Mary Dillon, a reporter from Show Me Mizzou. “I believe we, at Mizzou, are the first to use this type of device to study horses’ behavior. It will be interesting to understand animals’ intentions based on their vital signs.”

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Two people attaching a sensor to a horse's tail.

Doctoral student Morgan Miller and Mikaela Adams, manager at the MU Equine Teaching Facility, position the sensor on a horse’s tail. (Photo by Nick Andrusisian, University of Missouri)

The group have been working on this type of research for a few years, and have published papers on the sensors, including those which tell when a broodmare is ready to foal. They also found that horses living around environmental stressors (air pollution, noise, dust, extreme temperatures, loud noises, etc.) not only show higher average heart rates but are also required to spend more time in these areas without choice. This study hopes to improve animal welfare by providing detailed insights into the effects of environmental factors on herd behaviour.

Part of the study involved equipping four or five horses with sensors placed around their tails as they graze in a pasture. The device gathers data throughout the day on the horse’s heart rate, GPS location, speed of movement and tail activity. Then the team would take the data and meet with experts from the equine program to understand why the horses acted certain ways. In one instance, for example, the small herd stayed in one area the entire day, which was unusual for them. The equine scientists explained to Miller and Jin that it was perhaps due to the chosen sheltered area blocking high winds.

“We can use this data to look at horses’ environments and make suggestions about how to make them the most comfortable and give them a better quality of life,” Miller adds. “We can also use the health data to monitor early disease onset and provide better care for the animals.”

Lin and Miller, who received a National Science Foundation grant, hope that one day their work will be expanded beyond horses to dogs and cats and even endangered species to increase animal welfare and give animals a happier and healthier life.