DIGITAL HORSEPOWER: How technology is transforming the equine world. (Alltech,2017)

Over the past few years technologies have changed dramatically and are changing the level of horse welfare.

Did you know that 3D printing will enable vets to create splints and casts for horses with broken legs and potentially create prosthetics in the future for horses.

How about robots? Robots are helping in equine medicine and the evolution of CT scans. Robots are able to lift horse stuck and lift those with broken limbs safely and effectively with minimal error or risk. Equimagine can scan a whole horse in just 90 seconds taking over 900 images and producing high quality, multi-planar 3D or even 4D images all while the horse is awake and standing!!

Drones are another technology used to monitor crop growth and disease. The future looks positive that drones may be able to help monitor the population and movement of wild horse herds without the use of trackers or noisy helicopter's.

Drones may even eventually help vets by delivering emergency medicines, vaccines OR help to monitor the movement of a trotting or cantering horse to detect lameness or other problems the human eye cannot see. How crazy!

Sensor technology is being used to analyse aspects of performance and health within horses. Seaver us a wearable girth with sensors on to monitor the horses heart rate and breathing.

CHIPS

Voltaire has developed the first 'Smart Saddle' which has a chip in it that connects to the holders smart phone. This chip collects information about each ride; stride length, the amount of time spent in one gain, time on left and right rein, number of fences jumped in that training session, quality of symmetry in the horse and much more..

AI ( Artificial Intelligence)

Equimetre is an AI- powered wearable offering an insight to trainers in the horse racing industry. It provides accurate analysis of the animal while collecting data on the track surface, temperature, humidity etc. All of this helps the trainer to understand the best possible conditions for each individual horse. In the future this will be used in the world of dressage, showjumping and even polo.

Virtual Reality can be used to help vets and trainees to perform rare or complicated surgeries minimising the risk. This saves the animal from enduring invasive procedures for the purpose of learning and training.

UNIT9 has developed a software which allows the reader with a polo playing experience.

And then lastly something that excites me and makes me feel very proud to be part of in this ever growing world of technology is AUGMENTED REALITY (AR)

Real time reality used from digital information interpreted from light frequencies which are not visible to the human eye.

Equine Thermography uses a camera that detects infrared waves on the horses backs, ligaments, tendons, muscles, bones and nerves often weeks before the animal exhibits any pain or injury. This technology looks into the future to allow the opportunity to preventatively treat the animal.

These 8 new technologies are taking over and old business models are being disrupted. The equine industry is very old fashioned, since the saddle and stirrup was invented we have not thought much further into new ideas and technologies and our future, It is hard to predict what the industry will look like in 5 years but it will not look like it has the past 5000 years!!