Products on the market are using tech to help horse and rider progression and performance
ARTIFICIAL intelligence (AI) may never replace judges – but products incorporating the technology may help them, and horses and riders.
Two creations on the market are aimed at improving equine training and performance; Ridesum’s AI Horse Analytics and the TeleRein C IT.
The former is designed to benefit performance and welfare, by acting as an objective measure of a horse’s head and neck position, with data fed to a smartphone app.
Karin Lindell, CEO and cofounder of Ridesum, said that by offering real-time feedback on the horse’s head position, “riders can make informed decisions that enhance both performance and welfare.”
Ms Lindell told H&H that by removing subjectivity, they are also “taking out the emotion and the uncertainty”.
“We’re not judging the rider,” she said. “This is a learning tool, designed to give riders simple, objective feedback, not to chastise or shout at anyone.
“We’re passionate riders; we’re aware there can be many reasons for a horse to be behind the vertical, it doesn’t necessarily imply cruelty.”
She added: “Horses who are building strength often drop behind, despite the best efforts of the rider. Similarly, it’s important for horses to work in a consistent contact with engagement, not poking the nose.
“In taking measurements at regular intervals, riders can measure a horse’s progression. Every combination is a work in progress; it can sometimes be hard to remember that when you feel stuck.”
She added that this is not about replacing feel; the goal is to give riders extra information. “You can think of the AI Horse Analytics like a hightech mirror that not only shows you an image of the horse, but gives insights and feedback into his way of going,” she said.
“Using it can help a rider to marry up the feeling they get from their horse to his objective way of going.”
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