Combined Antenna-Channel Modeling for the Harsh Horse Hoof Environment

This paper describes the exploration of the combined antenna-channel model for a horse hoof. An antenna of 25 mm × 40 mm is designed in the ISM 868 MHz band. During the characterization and design of the antenna, the dynamic and harsh environment of the horse hoof is taken into account throughout every step of the procedure because it is impossible to de-embed the antenna from its environment. The antenna and channel model are verified extensively by measurements in phantom and ex vivo. The antenna is verified to be robust against changes in the morphology of the horse's hoof up to 50%. The dynamic environment was captured by considering different soil types and air, and the design was verified to be resilient against changes herein. The antenna performs well within the targeted band, with a fractional bandwidth of 8% and a gain of -2 dBi. Furthermore, a path loss model was constructed for a typical barn environment, and the antenna reaches a range of 250 m in the studied environment based on the LoRa technology. This research is important for monitoring horse health.