TELEMETRIC MONITORING OF BODY-TEMPERATURE IN THE HORSE MARE

The objective of this study was to develop a radiotelemetric system capable of frequent monitoring of mare body temperature. A radio transmitter was implanted in the flank of each of four mares. Telemetered data were received by a pair of antennae placed at right angles in a 3.3 x 6.6-m stall and stored on a computer hard disk. The data were recorded every 5 minutes except when mares were out of the stall for a 1- to 2- hour exercise period. No effect of environmental temperature, ranging from 5-degrees-C to 30-degrees-C, on mare body temperature was apparent. The radiotelemetric system used in this study was effective for frequent measurement of mare body temperature.