'Big Brother' researchers to rein in horse obesity

Smith, Dave

Abstract

RESEARCHERS have adopted Big Brother tactics to tackle growing levels of obesity in Britain’s horse population.

One in three horses, and over 80% of ponies, are currently believed to be in danger of fat-related health risks such as laminitis – the equine equivalent of a human heart attack.

Now a pioneering scientific study is set to put different breeds under 24-hour surveillance to find out what makes some fillies fitties or fatties.

Tiny cameras, GPS devices and movement monitors will be attached to the animals in order to analyse every last aspect of their lifestyles.

A research team from Edinburgh Napier University and horse feed manufacturer Dodson & Horrell have teamed up to run the three-year project.

Citation

Smith, D. (2010). 'Big Brother' researchers to rein in horse obesity. Inspiring Futures,

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: 2010
• Deposit Date: May 25, 2015
• Publicly Available Date: May 25, 2015
• Peer Reviewed: Not Peer Reviewed
• Keywords: Horse obesity; laminitis; animal nutrition
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/id/eprint/8188
• Publisher URL: http://www.dodsonandhorrell.com/news/news-article/article/big-brother-researchers-to-rein-in-horse-obesity.html