A belt cover for attaching to a horse The belt cover including at least (1) an electrode for detecting a bioelectric signal by contacting with the surface of a body of the horse, (2) an electric wiring, and (3) a connector for connecting with the electric wiring through a part for connecting with the connector and the electric wiring. Each of the electrode and the electric wiring includes a stretchable conductor having a conductive particle including a silver particle and a binder resin. The stretchable conductor of the electrode and the electric wiring has a sheet resistance of 0.1Ω.sub.□ or less, an insulating layer is laminated on the electric wiring, and the electrode and the electric wiring are integrally formed without joints.

A method for detecting an injury of a quadruped includes: receiving measured data that is based on a gait of the quadruped and includes acceleration in a top-bottom direction and acceleration in a front-back direction; determining timings of putting legs of the quadruped on the ground based on the acceleration in the top-bottom direction, included in the received measured data, and determining whether or not each of the legs is injured based on values, corresponding to the determined timing of putting the legs on the ground, of the acceleration in the front-back direction.

A treadmill may include two separate left and right belts rotating around two sets of rollers, four legs having an adjustable height via air suspension to customize an inclination of the treadmill, a thermoelectric assembly, a fragrance assembly having a rotating fragrance cartridge to emit various smells toward a user of the treadmill, a display on which exercise programs are played, and an attachment module having a dispensing tray on which treats are dispensed. A handle of the treadmill may have a sensor to sense a height and front-rear position, and a belt divider provided between the left and right belts may have position or proximity sensors to sense a left-right position. An inclination of the treadmill may be automatically adjusted according to positions detected by the sensors, and the fragrance assembly, attachment module, and inclination may be automatically operated in accordance with an exercise program played on the display.

Modern broilers are selected for fast growth and a large proportion of breast tissue, contributing to a top-heavy phenotype, leg disorders, and inactivity as birds reach market weight. Therefore, the objective was to motivate broilers to move through environmental enrichment. Twelve hundred Ross 308 broilers were housed in pens of 30 for 6 wk; 600 birds were exposed to a novel laser enrichment device (LASER) and 600 were control. Each device projected 2 randomly moving red laser dots onto the floor 4 times/day for 4-min “laser periods”. Seven LASER and 7 control pens, with 5 focal birds/pen (n=70), were randomly selected to be video-recorded d0-8 and once weekly for the remainder of the trial. Videos were analyzed to measure broiler time-budget and behaviors such latency to feed and distance walked during laser periods. Focal birds were gait scored weekly on-farm. A test of the Human-Approach Paradigm was carried out on wk 1 and 6 on all pens. LASER birds were more active on d0, 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, and 8, moving 254% more on d7 (P≤0.05). Time spent active was increased in LASER treatment by 114% on wk 2; 157% on wk 3; 90% on wk 4; and 82% on wk 5. LASER birds spent more time at the feeder on d0, 1, 2, 5, 8, and on wk 1 and 5, with 84% more time at feeder than control on d5 (P≤0.05). LASER birds walked further during laser periods on d0-8, reaching 646.5 cm greater (d1), and on wk 2, 3, 4, and 5, with an increase of 367.5 cm on wk 2 (P≤0.05). Over wk 1-6, 60.54±7.4% of focal birds in the laser treatment were at the feeder during or within 5 mins following laser periods. The laser enrichment device was successful in stimulating broiler physical activity and feeding and did not negatively impact walking ability. Key words: broiler, environmental enrichment, well-being, lameness, behavior

Inflatable balance equipment for training dogs that includes an inflatable pad in the general shape of a right rectangular prism with rounded edges and with an indentation in each of two opposite sides with each indentation spanning a height of the side it is in, and two handles unitarily using the same material as the inflatable pad with one handle positioned in each of the indentations. The inflatable pad can also include markings along either or both of the longitudinal or horizontal axis of the pad that can be used by a trainer to position the dog on the pad. A connecting device can be used to connect multiple pads together at the handles to create an array of pads.

Systems of the inventive subject matter are directed to manual treadmills for animals like dogs. Systems include a platform frame that is formed as a rectangular piece having an interior space. A rear roller is coupled with a back portion of that interior space, and a front roller is coupled with adjustment blocks disposed within a front portion of the frame. The adjustment blocks can be moved by rotating knobs to adjust tension of a belt that couples with the rear roller and front roller. A belt platform is also disposed between the front roller and the rear roller. Front legs of the system can be used to adjust angle of the platform frame relative to horizontal, and the leash frame height can similarly be adjusted.

An animal treadwheel includes a plurality of platforms, each having a curved surface opposite a bottom side, a first end opposite a second end and a left side opposite a right side. The curved surface is delimited by the first end, left side, second end and right side. A platform extension is disposed at the first end and a platform recess is disposed at the second end. A left curved roller surface is disposed at the left side and a right curved roller surface is disposed at the right side. The platform extension of one platform attaches to the platform recess of an adjacent platform in a repeatable manner. Accordingly, a singular and continuous cylindrical inner surface is formed from the plurality of curved surfaces and a singular and continuous cylindrical left and right outer surface is formed from the plurality of left and right curved roller surfaces.

The present invention relates to a virtual reality simulator (10) for small laboratory animals (100), in particular rodents, which comprises a head clamping mechanism (20) for securing the laboratory animal (100) and virtual reality glasses (40) with two wings (30), each of the wings (30) having a display (34) and a lens system (36) spaced therefrom and connected together by a light barrier cover (32), and the virtual reality glasses (40) are configured to allow the two wings (30) to align with each of the eyes (101) of the laboratory animal (100), respectively. The invention further relates to a method applying such a simulator (10).

Automated systems and methods are presented for determining the physiological response of human or suitable animal subjects to physical exertion. The methods and systems can include monitoring sensors that capture the motion of the subject along with corresponding physiological data, and can track such motion for the duration of a period of physical exertion. The system is able to acquire an initial stream of physiological data from the subject during a range of physical exertion activities that are representative of the events intended to be monitored with the proposed method and system, enabling a corresponding dynamic physiological response model to be created. The motion tracking system and physiological response model can then be used to predict the physiological response to physical exertion events under a prescribed framework, including applications during real-time event monitoring.

Automated systems and methods are presented for determining the physiological response of human or suitable animal subjects to physical exertion. The methods and systems can include monitoring sensors that capture the motion of the subject along with corresponding physiological data, and can track such motion for the duration of a period of physical exertion. The system is able to acquire an initial stream of physiological data from the subject during a range of physical exertion activities that are representative of the events intended to be monitored with the proposed method and system, enabling a corresponding dynamic physiological response model to be created. The motion tracking system and physiological response model can then be used to predict the physiological response to physical exertion events under a prescribed framework, including applications during real-time event monitoring.