Descriptive analysis of horse movement networks during the 2015 equestrian season in Ontario, Canada.

ABSTRACT: Horses are a highly mobile population, with many travelling locally, nationally, and internationally to participate in shows and sporting events. However, the nature and extent of these movements, as well as the potential impact they may have on disease introduction and spread, is not well documented. The objective of this study was to characterise the movement network of a sample of horses in Ontario, Canada, over a 7-month equestrian season. Horse owners (n = 141) documented their travel patterns with their horse(s) (n = 330) by completing monthly online questionnaires between May and November 2015. Directed networks were constructed to represent horse movements in 1-month time periods. A total of 1754 horse movements met the inclusion criteria for analysis. A variety of location types w

SUBMITTER: Spence KL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6622551 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature