Category: Wild Equine Research

Sarah King publishes two new papers on feral horses and donkeys

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Sarah King, research scientist with the Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory in the Warner College of Natural Resources (Colorado State University), recently published two papers on wild horses and donkeys in Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology and in Animal Behaviour.  One paper examines how evolutionary history and habitat influence their behaviors. The other paper looks at factors that affect reproductive success in wild horse populations in Utah, in particular male behavioural patterns. To view the article and access the source papers, click on the link below. Continue reading

Feral desert donkeys are digging wells, giving water to parched wildlife

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Research by Lundgren, Wallach and Ramp suggests that wild equids are filling the void of extinct megafauna and are contributing to biodiversity. In particular, they have been found to find water in desert areas which are used by many species. There is also evidence that wild horses are doing this in Australia. “…research didn’t evaluate the impact of donkey-dug wells in arid Australia. But Australia is home to most of the world’s feral donkeys, and it’s likely their wells support wildlife in similar ways. Across the Kimberley in Western Australia, helicopter pilots regularly saw strings of wells in dry streambeds…. Continue reading

Reintroduced Przewalski’s horses have a different diet

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Researchers have now found through tail hair analysis that before their extinction in the wild Przewalski’s horses had been on a different diet than today. Thanks to improved societal attitude, the horses have now access to richer pastures. In former times, the wild horses were hunted and chased away.    ….More Continue reading

Pioneer of PZP in Wild Horses Dies at 75

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PZP has been used in fertility control programs in the United States since 1989.  Through the years, advances in PZP and other fertility control vaccines have improved delivery and efficacy making them a more viable alternative to lethal control methods. Jay Kirkpatrick was arguably the most influential person in the development of this humane method of controlling over abundant species. For the full article… Pioneer of PZP birth control in wild horses dies at 75 Continue reading

The Secret Lives of Horses (from Scientific American)

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  Scientists have long studied the best ways to train and treat domesticated horses, but they largely ignored the behavior of free-ranging horses. Recent research has begun to fill that gap.  Observations from long-term studies of wild horses show that the conventional, male-centric view of their power dynamics is wrong.  In fact, females often call the shots, employing tactics such as cooperation and persistence to get their way.  more…   Continue reading