Technology is advancing and revolutionizing our daily lives, giving us more information about our health, finances, and the world around us while making it easier to accomplish tasks that may have seemed impossible a few years ago.
These technological advancements also profoundly affect show jumping — and the equine world. What are these advancements, and how are they improving the health of horses and the relationship between horse and rider? We’ve compiled some of our favorite innovations here:
1. Wearable Technology for Jumpers
- Heart Rate & Activity Monitors: Equine monitors like the Horsepal HRM G2 track data such as a horse’s heart rate, pace, and overall activity during training and competitions. From your smartphone or smartwatch, you’re able to track and record speed, distance, heart rate, duration, ambient temperature, and humidity, and analyze it all at your convenience. Likewise, with the Horsepal Comfort Sensor, you can track your horse’s activity, rest patterns, rug temperature, and humidity levels to monitor their comfort when not training or competing.
- GPS Tracking for Course Analysis: Trackers like the EQUIMO help monitor how a horse navigates a show jumping course or training run, including speed, distance, elevation, angle, and specific turns. It will also identify time spent in each gait to help find the ideal pace for the circuit. Additionally, you can compare sessions to see trends and show progress.
2. Biomechanics & Gait Analysis
- Equine Gait Analysis Systems: Technologies like the wearable StrideSAFE use motion capture to evaluate a horse’s movement, a tool useful in lameness and pre-purchase exams, as well as general monitoring. Objectively detecting potential issues such as uneven strides, lameness, asymmetry, or inefficiencies in gait supports subjective review by equine vets. Likewise, this tech can be used to identify hidden injuries. A horse will move in ways to minimize discomfort, so naturally, if they feel pain, they’ll choose a different way to move. The StrideSAFE analyzes 2–3,000 readings per second and will pick up on even the slightest tweaks to a horse’s movement, helping to uncover potential injury before the rider might even feel a change.
- Conformation Analysis: 3D imaging tools can analyze a horse’s conformation, identifying areas where improved muscling or movement could benefit their jumping technique. Also useful in the overall evaluation of a foal as it grows, 3D imaging can measure for correct proportions of head size, neck length, shoulder and pastern angles, and body symmetry, then report those findings to a dashboard app for easy access by trainers, stable managers, and owners.
3. Precision Medicine for Injury Prevention
- Laser & PRP Therapy: Show jumpers are prone to injuries in the legs, particularly in tendons and joints. Increasingly, technologies like laser and PRP (platelet-rich plasma) therapy are being used to treat and prevent these injuries, speeding up recovery times after strenuous training or competition. Laser therapy is noninvasive and stimulates circulation and metabolic activity with intense, targeted light. PRP is an injection treatment that promotes healing by delivering a concentrated dose of platelet-rich plasma to an injured area.
- Stem Cell Therapy: Stem cell therapy using allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells is shown to help tendons and ligaments heal; however, it sometimes causes an immune response in the horse, destroying the added stem cells. The addition of a growth factor called TGF=ß2 has successfully blocked that immune-system response, according to research by North Carolina State University, with treated stem cell survival rates 50% higher than untreated cultures. Early implications show this therapy may someday translate to human applications for similar injuries.
4. Saddle & Tack Analysis
- Saddle Pressure Mats: Sensors, such as those made by Estride, can be fitted beneath a saddle to measure pressure points on a horse’s back during riding and jumping. This allows riders to ensure their saddles are well-fitted, reducing discomfort and improving performance, especially during high-impact activities like show jumping. Data from the mat’s 900 pressure-point sensors can be shared with multiple parties for in-depth analysis.
- Monitoring Tack Pressure: Heat-sensing thermography monitors pain points from tack and saddles. This tech shows where equipment may not be fitted well or applies too much weight and/or pressure, which affects a horse’s nervous system and leads to increased blood flow and higher body temperatures in the affected area(s). This information then helps analysts advise where to adjust the equipment so it’s more comfortable for the horse.
5. Drones & Aerial Monitoring for Training
- Drone-Assisted Course Monitoring: Drones are invaluable in capturing footage of show jumping courses, offering insights into a rider’s approach, takeoff, and landing from various angles and allowing for detailed analysis of a horse’s stride patterns, jump form, and general performance. Drones may also be used to film a course to help riders memorize turns and gates for a more confident run.
6. 3D Imaging & Video Analysis
- Motion Capture: 3D motion capture (mocap) systems are being used to assess horse biomechanics during jumping, identifying inefficiencies, areas of stress, and risk factors for injury. Multiple high-speed cameras are deployed around the arena to track the movement of reflectors attached to the horse. The data collected gives detailed info about joint angles, limb movement, and overall symmetry. Mocap is considered the most accurate measurement of gait analysis, but is expensive, complicated to set up, and requires specialized personnel, putting it out of reach of many veterinary practices.
- IMU Sensors: More cost-effective than mocap, inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensors are small wireless devices that measure acceleration, orientation, and more. The data also measures movement of the head, withers, and pelvis, with some systems also giving information about joint angles.
- Smartphone Video: Making gait analysis available on a smartphone removes the need for expensive equipment and elaborate setups. The Sleip app uses video of a horse in motion to track the movement of specific body points. Vets can then evaluate the data remotely, establishing effective communication between owner, trainer, and doctor.
7. Stable Management Systems
- Monitored Waterers: Hydration is critical for a horse’s routine, so monitoring their water intake is essential. In the past, monitors were inserted into the waterer itself or had other submerged mechanisms to track water levels. Now, contactless ultrasonic sensors — like those in the Cascada Automatic Waterer — monitor hydration using algorithms based on data collected over time, with the info available via smartphone from anywhere in the world. The Cascada device attaches to a stable wall, holds a five-gallon bucket, and can be set to heat the flow of water to prevent freezing in outdoor applications.
- Digital Stable Management: Manual recordkeeping, whiteboards, stable books, and thumbtacked notes are fading into the past as stable-management software becomes more prevalent. Processes can be automated, including team coordination and facility reservations, and horses’ health and vaccine records can be accessed with just the touch of a button. Real-time data is available to track horses’ schedules; plus, financial reporting can be kept and easily referenced from a smartphone. Equicty and EquineM are just two examples of digital platforms streamlining stable management.
8. Virtual Reality (VR)
- Course Simulations: Virtual reality technology, whether as headsets or as video monitors that surround the rider, is an emerging technology for show jumping training. VR can simulate courses, allowing riders to practice their navigation and decision-making without the risk of injury. Specialized mounts react to the rider’s legs, rein pressure, and head, neck, and body movements.
- Rider Training: VR systems can provide riders with a simulated view of what it’s like to approach a jump or navigate a course, helping them to judge distances and refine their techniques in a controlled environment.
9. Equine Nutrition Technology
- Tailored Nutrition for Performance & Recovery: Just as human athletes fuel their bodies with supplements before events, and take recovery nutrition after, equine athletes benefit from supplements to aid in muscle performance and healing. Amino acid supplements work to help repair tissue, build muscle, and provide an energy boost. Supplements with magnesium and lysine have also been shown to help manage muscle discomfort. Ask your veterinarian for their recommendations.
- Natural & Functional Ingredients: Oxidative stress is an imbalance of the oxidant-to-antioxidant ratio, which in the short term causes chronic inflammation; in the long term, it can damage cell membranes, structural proteins, and DNA. As reported by The Horse, a variety of antioxidants, including vitamin E and others, and an enzyme called glutathione are being studied and used in reducing oxidative stress in performance horses. Omega-3 fatty acids, sourced from fish oil, are also used to manage inflammation and support cardiovascular health.
- Gastrointestinal & Digestive Support: Gut health plays a large part in your jumper’s overall well-being. Addressing issues like acidosis and gastric ulcers by stabilizing pH and improving nutrient absorption are crucial steps in maintaining optimum performance. Prebiotics and postbiotics are beneficial for normal digestion and immune system support.
New Technology for a Timeless Tradition
Novel approaches to equine training certainly aren’t new. But today, advances in data analysis, medicine, and nutrition are expanding what’s possible to keep horses in top shape. With so many app-based solutions, owners are now able to easily monitor their horses from anywhere in the world, at any time; vets are better able to diagnose injuries and even spot them before they become problematic; and trainers have more information to assist them in improving the horses under their care.
Though the bond between horse and rider involves trust in the horse’s athletic ability and their shared intuition, technologies are continuing to emerge to improve performance and well-being and further strengthen that connection.