Descriptive analysis of horse movement networks during the 2015 equestrian season in Ontario, Canada.
Authors: Spence Kelsey L, O'Sullivan Terri L, Poljak Zvonimir, Greer Amy L
Journal: PloS one
Summary
# Movement Networks and Disease Risk: Mapping Ontario's Equestrian Travel Patterns Ontario's equestrian population is considerably more mobile than previously documented, with 141 horse owners tracking movements of 330 horses across 1,754 recorded trips during the 2015 competition season. Rather than following predictable circuits, horses travelled to highly variable destinations each month—including not just formal competition venues but also parks, trails, and private farms—with only 34.3% of competitions falling under official equestrian organisation regulation. The fluid nature of these networks, where the most connected locations shifted between consecutive months, presents a significant challenge for disease surveillance and biosecurity planning, as traditional models based on regulated facilities alone fail to capture the true scope of equine contact and exposure risk. For practitioners advising clients on herd management and infection control, this research underscores the importance of understanding that disease introduction pathways extend far beyond recognised competition circuits, encompassing informal gathering spaces where epidemiological oversight is minimal. Whilst this Ontario cohort may not represent the broader equestrian population, the findings highlight a critical gap in our ability to predict and manage disease spread across regional horse networks—information that should inform both individual biosecurity protocols and any future disease response strategies at organisational or governmental level.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Disease risk management must account for horses travelling to unregulated venues and non-facility locations (parks, trails, private properties) — not just official competitions
- •Biosecurity planning should anticipate variable movement patterns rather than assuming horses visit the same venues repeatedly each season
- •Horse owners and facility managers should recognize that movement networks are diverse and dynamic, requiring adaptive disease surveillance and prevention strategies
Key Findings
- •330 horses from 141 owners generated 1,754 documented movements over a 7-month period in Ontario
- •Only 34.3% of competitions attended were regulated by official equestrian organisations
- •Movement networks included diverse location types (facilities, parks, trails, private farms) with no consistent month-to-month travel patterns
- •Most connected locations varied significantly between consecutive months, indicating dynamic and unpredictable movement networks