The wearables industry is now making its way to the stables for equestrian sports. German startup HorseAnalytics recently introduced a product that will transform the way horse enthusiasts track and enhance the health and training of their companions. This innovative product uses detailed scientific analysis and data quantification to understand the physical and mental state of a horse in an unprecedented fashion.
The vision of HorseAnalytics is to create a connected experience between 24/7 monitoring of a horse while keeping the owner informed of its condition and activity. First, a specially developed sensor, called the Pacer, would be attached to the neck of a halter or a bridle. The Pacer would capture specific movements, which could then be transmitted to a corresponding app for measurement and analysis by the owner — even from afar. This app for iOS or Android displays charts and graphs to draw conclusions about the health of the horse based on its breed, age and fitness. Training performance, general activity, quality of sleep, and detection of illness and early-stage colics and lameness can all be monitored through the HorseAnalytics solution.
The system was scheduled last month to begin a beta test phase with nearly 200 horse owners and horsemen after which it the app would be initially made available for the German market. Products are also planned to be rolled out internationally, including the U.S. market.
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“During the daily riding training, we can analyze the movements of the horse objectively and in real time,” HorseAnalytics founder and longtime rider Enri C. Strobel said in a statement. “The algorithms specially developed for [horse riding] recognize gaits, movement amount and intensity as well as many other information.”
Data is collected and transmitted to the cloud. The algorithms that analyze the data are being jointly developed with horse experts, experienced riders, veterinarians, and experts in biomechanics and wearable sensor technology that improves human performance in sports.
Strobel and her company were recently honored as a finalist in the Sports Technology Category of the SXSW Accelerator Pitch Event last month in Austin. Although the product is still at its beginning stages, GPS and heart rate monitoring applications are expected to be added to the solution in the future, too.