Monitoring grazing horses in a Mediterranean inner area by GPS collars

The present study deals with GPS collar data related to season and time dependent locomotion and body temperature of grazing horses in the Apennine pasture of Capracotta (41°50′N, 14°16′E; Isernia province, Italy), located between 850 and 1500 m a.s.l. Twelve grazing Italian Heavy Draught Horses were monitored from August 2024 to November 2025 by GPS collars (Digitanimal®, Spain), recording geographic position and external body temperature every 30-minutes. Locomotion data, including distance, average speed and activity frequency, were calculated from consecutive GPS fixes. Data were processed by horse, season and day intervals (morning, afternoon, night). The effects of season, time and their interaction were assessed by linear mixed models using SPSS (Chicago USA, v. 25) and R (Core Team, v. 4.5.2). Spatial processing and visualization were performed by QGIS (D. Team, v. 3.34.6). Average daily distance (5.1-5.3 km) and speed (170-176 m/min) showed significant seasonal (p<0.05) and time (p<0.001) differences, with lowest values recorded in summer and afternoon. The average activity frequency differed among seasons (p<0.001), with higher values in summer (8.5 km/day) and autumn (7.1 km/day). The observed lower nocturnal activity frequency highlights scattered but faster movement events. Mean external body temperature showed seasonal and diurnal variations (p<0.001), indicating adaptive thermoregulation under extensive grazing conditions supporting animal welfare status. In mountain pastures, GPS tool promotes sustainable grazing management by preventing unbalanced grazing activity, contributing to land use preservation in Mediterranean inner areas. The study, approved by University of Molise Bioethics Committee, was supported by project PRIN 20224L4WSR, funded by Next Generation EU (CUP: H53D23005120).