Field Documentation and Monitoring

Kayla GramsKimberly FrankKayla GramsLiz McShane

www.sccpzp.org

Documentation: Why is it Important?

Determines Population

Identifies each individual horse in the population

Individually tracks treated and untreated mares

Tracks foal recruitment

Identifies successes using PZP and missed opportunities or windows based on breeding season.

Helps managers be accountable and to strategize for the future.

The more information we have the better we can make informed decisions, see our successes.

IMPORTANCE OF OBSERVATION

Knowledge of behavior is key to your success

How do we approach them to observe?

Familiarity of a herd in advance before contracepting will work to your advantage.

How do you figure out a Population?

Horse PatternsWhere do they live?

▪ Where do they go?

▪ What time of day do they go to water?

▪ What paths do they take to water?

▪ Patterns change seasonally depending on resources.

▪ Do they have summer and winter ranges?

▪ Do they stay near their water sources?

Large or Small Groups?

▪ Do you see them in single harems?

▪ Do they run in large herds with many harems?

▪ Are they scattered and spread out?

Ask these

questions -

How do the horses react when I approach?

Are they curious, wary?

Can you approach them on foot?

Will they only tolerate a vehicle?

Are they afraid of approaching by foot, vehicle, or both?

Bring a range finder – can you get within darting range?

At Least Four Kinds of HerdsTRACTABLE:

Easy to approach

Can get really close

Don’t seem to care

TRACTABLE AND WARY:

Some easy to approach,

Some apprehensive.

Approachable, but keep

their distance.

WARY:

Unable to approach on

foot

Suspicious of vehicles

HIGHLY ELUSIVE:

Hear or see you approach

from a vehicle miles away.

You only see their dust.

Hard to observe.

Run when they see you on

foot or in a vehicle.

FIELD DOCUMENTATION STRATEGIES

Movements and approaching on

foot

Observations at water sources

Wildlife Cameras

Bait Trapping

Natural and unnatural blinds

Strategies are limitless! Patience is Important!

Strategies are different in every herd

Approachable to Elusive

Field Strategies can mirror Darting Strategies

Never walk directly at the horses, use angles to approach

Keep the Stallion between you and the mare

Do not Chase – only allow so much pressure then relieve that pressure

Stalking

Wear camouflage or natural colors

Stay upwind

Be Still at Water sources

Stay at water sources sun up to sun down

Equipment

DSLR Camera and good lens

Binoculars

Wildlife or Trail Cameras

Spotting Scope and Tripod

GPS

Field Notebook

• Note day, month, and year

• Area working in

• Time of day horses at water

• Horse ID

• Group dynamics

Horse Identification

Document Individual horses based on:

▪ Color

▪ Face Markings

▪ Leg Markings

▪ Mane Side

▪ Unique Identifying Features

Horse Identification by Group

Document by Group Associations

▪ Stallion, Mares, Offspring

▪ Satellite Bachelors

▪ Dogging Bachelors

▪ Recognizing individuals of a group by their colors and group numbers.

FACE MARKINGS

starbald rt, spot in

star, strip, discnted snip

snip

bonnet

blaze

LEG MARKINGS

Coronet

2 front Pasterns

2 hind socks

Right front and right hind stocking

Mane Side

Parted Left

Alternating

Right

UNIQUE MARKINGS

Familiar Markings used as descriptors

Familiar Paint patterns as descriptors

You will have your own way of describing markings and colors

OTHER DESCRIPTIONS when it is not so obvious!

How do you figure out those nondescript

horses?

Small Details ScarsSolid horses

with no markings

Grey Horses

PenisMane and Tail Colors

Summer and Winter Coats

Summer and Winter Markings

Create a Horse List:

A constantly changing document used in the field to identify horses in their harems, and as individuals which helps track, survey and monitor the population.

Gender and Rank

Color MarkingsMane

and Tail

Year born (if known)

ID Location

STALLION # HORSE NAME SEX COLOR MARKINGS MANE/TAIL AGE ID# AREA

Wildcat Canyon, Rydalch, Cochran Spring

144 Aramis Stallion Buckskin Dk faint star, 2hp, light face, black T blaze 7280 BWR

Mare Dun Paint blaze, blk/wht forelock and tail 2002 7202 8M

Colt Foal Bay Paint star, strip, snip, giraffe head rt over rt eye 2015 1507 RY

Filly Ylring Buckskin Paint blaze 2014 1416 BWR

Mare Palomino star, strip, discnted snip, 2hs, rfs 2009 2914 WR

Mare Dun Paint blaze, mostly wht 2009 2907 8M

Filly Ylring Buckskin solid, dorsal 2014 14102 CO

Mare Dun Paint blaze, mostly wht, wht mane, blk tail, dorsal 2012 1284 CO

Colt Foal Dun Paint star, strip, snip,lf mostly white rt 2015 1508 RY

12 Argos Stallion Grey star, 1/2 tail wht, lf ear tip barely miss right/ 1995 9501 BWR/CO

Mare Bay Dk dot star 2008 2860 8M/RY/BS

Filly Foal Grey star 2015 1551 RY

Filly Yrling Grey star, strip, rhp, lhc, dorsal stripe 2014 1418 BWR

Mare Blue Roan star, strip, discnt snip, rhs 2009 2917 WR/RY/BS

Colt Yrling Bay Roan solid 2014 14106 RY

Filly Sorrel sm star 2010 1005 HA/RY/BS

28 Bandelier Stallion Palamino blaze, 2fstkings, lhc, dorsal, dappled, lf ear ripped left/ 1998 9803 RY/CO

Mare Bay Paint star, lf side fish, wht/blk mane left/ 1996 9603 8M

Mare Bay Paint high star, snip lf nostril, lf blue eye, legs white left/ 2004 2418 BWR/CO

Filly Foal Sorrel Paint blaze 2015 1552 RY

2015 CEDAR MOUNTAIN WILD HORSE SURVEY

Internal Use Only

DRAFT PREPARED BY HSUS--Kayla Grams

Cedar Mountains Utahupdate Dec 26, 2015

Bachelors

Shy Boy Bachelor Bay Paint thin blaze 2012 12101 CO

Navajo Bachelor Buckskin solid, dorsal 2012 1282 CO/MIL

Unknown Bachelor Buckskin lhp (in) right/ 2011 11113 BS

Equinox Bachelor Bay Dk diamond star, 2hs 2012 1226 BS

The

Importance

of a Horse

List

Harems listed by Hierarchy

Recognize Harem by Color

and size

Quick Information about the

harem

How many in a Harem. Anyone New or Missing?

Markings Reference

Tracks Locations

Were they observed this

year?

Tracks Treated and Untreated

mares

Is that Stallion now a Bachelor and vice versa

WHIMS

Wild Horse

Identification

Management

System

A Microsoft ACCESS Program created to identify and manage Wild horses.

▪ Markings

▪ Picture Catalog

▪ ID

▪ Fertility Management

▪ Body Condition

▪ Date of Birth/removal/mortality

▪ Behavior

▪ Filtering

▪ Genetics

Contact: Ron Osborn at:

wildwisesolutions@comcast.net or info@wildwisesolutions.com

Other Markings and Filtering

Vital Statistics

Photographic Identification and it’s benefits

Health of the Horse

Documents and tracks that you saw the horse in the

calendar year

Shows all the markings for that animal

Pictures will show any new indicator markings

Changes in color during winter and summer

Changes to mane and tail

Take many pictures

Take full body and head shots

Take pictures of every side of the horse

Photo Catalogue

or Picture Book

Darting

Incorporate:

➢ Strategies

➢ Proper Field ID

➢ Documentation

Be Responsible

Recordkeepers!

✓ Time

✓ Dose

✓ Adjuvant

✓ Delivery System

✓ Injection Site

✓ Vaccine Lot #

✓ Dart Functioned

✓ Reaction (if any)

✓ Reproductive

History

What else can we observe and record?

Population demographics/age

classesBody Condition Mortalities Group Associations Foals to Mares

Wait….

How can this even be

accomplished?

Accept the

Possible!

DEDICATED MANAGERS AND ADMINISTRATORS!

VOLUNTEERS DEDICATED AND PASSIONATE GROUPS

INTERNS FROM UNIVERSITIES

SEASONAL EMPLOYEES

CREATING FULL-TIME JOBS DEDICATED TO

DO THIS WORK