Abstract: Background
Feral horses (Equus caballus) can cause significant environmental damage and losses to
rural industries. Although considered pests, feral horses are also a resource, providing
products such as pet meat for the domestic market and meat for human consumption
for the export market. Control methods include trapping, mustering exclusion fencing,
ground shooting and shooting from helicopters.
Feral horses are mustered by helicopter, motorbike or on horseback, sometimes with the
assistance of coacher horses. Once mustered into yards, net traps or fenced paddocks, the
horses are usually sold to abattoirs for slaughter which can offset the costs of capture and
handling. Less commonly, they are sold as riding horses or relocated to reserves or horse
sanctuaries. Where there is no market for them or where removal may be too costly or
impractical e.g. in conservation areas or remote areas without access to transportation,
horses are sometimes destroyed by shooting in the yards.
This standard operating procedure (SOP) is a guide only; it does not replace or
override the legislation that applies in the relevant State or Territory jurisdiction.
The SOP should only be used subject to the applicable legal requirements (including
OH&S) operating in the relevant jurisdiction.

Abstract: Summary Utilization of waterholes by wildlife was studied between April, 1973 and July, 1974 in Tsavo National Park (East), south of the Voi river. Seasonality was an important factor which influenced the various aspects of waterhole utilization. The numbers of the herbivores utilizing the waterholes increased during the dry season but fell during the rains. Some ungulates also moved near to the artificial waterholes in the dry season but moved away from them during the rains when they drank from natural water-holes formed in clay pans filled with rain water. A basic pattern of waterhole utilization dominated by small (adult-size) species during day-time 06.00–18.00 hours and larger species at night 18.00–06.00 hours is described. The separation in times of arrival and deparature peaks of waterhole utilization, and average coincidence of percentages of paired species populations are used to show that big-game attained a measure of time-spaced ecological separation at the waterholes. The water relations of some day-time and night-time drinkers are discussed. From the baseline study the management implications of the development of additional waterholes in the park are discussed.

Abstract: 1. Several aspects of the behavioral ecology of feral horses (Equus caballus) were studied in Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA. Most bands contained three to five horses that included one stallion and his harem. Males that did not obtain a harem remained solitary. Throughout the study bands remained stable in composition.
2. Home ranges for all bands decreased in size in successive warm months, probably due to increased ambient temperature and drought. This resulted in greater utilization of spring areas that led to increased interband confrontation and agonistic display.
3. Territoriality was not observed in individual horses or bands, but bands hierarchial in both inter- and intraband structures. Interband stallion dominance was reinforced through posturing and fighting. Intraband hierarchies, as determined by dominance coefficients, were independent of individual size in three of four bands.
4. Indexes of nervousness (NER), calculated while horses were drinking, showed that stallions were less nervous than mares. A low NER was correlated with individuals leading toward drinking areas, whereas a high NER existed in individuals initiating flight although no single horse acted consistently as a leader.
5. Diurnal activity patterns were correlated with ambient temperatures.