Selective use of forest habitat by Biłgoraj horses

Abstract

Primitive horses are quite often kept in nature reserves with access to the forest, which they sometimes penetrate to use the vegetation. Horses, as grazers, use specific foraging and anti-predator strategies that differ from typical browsers. The aim of the study was to assess the factors influencing the pattern of forest use by Bilgoraj horses. We hypothesized that the essential factors influencing their pattern of foraging are: browse abundance, distance to pasture, and openness of the habitat. Data were collected at the Biłgoraj Horse-Breeding Centre near Janów Lubelski, Poland. The horses browsed significantly more on woody vegetation in parts of the forest more exposed to sunlight and more abundant in browse material (especially containing preferred species). Distance to the main pasture had a significant effect upon browsing intensity only when an interaction with the abundance of preferred browse was considered.