Horse racing, the sport of kings, is an expensive business for owners, It’s also dangerous for the horses; some 500 horses die from racing-related injuries a year in the U.S. and another 150 die in the UK, including Guy Fawkes, a horse belonging to Queen Elizabeth.
The French have an answer to this, as they have to so many things. A Gallic startup, Arioneo, has developed an equine wearable called Equimètre. (The name roughly translates as “horse meter.”) Like fitness trackers for humans, Equimètre won’t prevent harm; however, by monitoring a horse’s wellbeing on and off the track, it can help forestall injuries that might curtail or finish a thoroughbred’s career.
The device fits on a saddle’s girth and will provide real-time biometric data, such as temperature, and heart and respiratory rates, as well as tracking speed and environmental conditions. Equimètre will send the data to a smartphone or tablet, allowing trainers to compare fitness levels among different horses and help spot overtraining risks.
The company expects Equimètre to be available in 2017. (What are the odds for that?) No word yet on price.
