Horse racing is as popular as ever with huge races like the Cheltenham Gold Cup and Aintree Grand National drawing viewers from all over the world, as some simply enjoy the racing and others wager on which jockey/horse combo will romp home in first place.
Here we take a look at just some of the gadgets that are commonly acquired by horse racing stables in an effort to look after their prized long-nosed beasts.
Horsey Wearables Are All the Rage
For humans who like to stay fit there are a whole range of wearable devices out there that can track things like heart rate, breathing patterns, calories and more, and now horses have their very own wearables too.
These have been instrumental in improving both horse care and performance in professional racing stables.
This is shown by the glowing testimonials left by top trainers for products like Equinity and Nightwatch, which allow trainers to track the vital signs of each and every horse they care for, no matter where they are, meaning they usually know long before the sportsbooks do if the odds for a certain race are correct or not.
This means a trainer can be back at the stables and still know if a betting favourite at Aintree is dehydrated or if they need calming after a turbulent road journey to the racecourse.
For this reason there are many betting tipsters and racing columnists who try to maintain strong relationships with trainers, because the data they have at their disposal from such wearable devices can be invaluable for those bettors pondering which horse to back with their oddschecker Grand National Free Bet or similar sports bonus.
Apps Help with Equine Logistics
Horse apps are every horse owner’s gadget of choice these days, with apps available for everything from finding the nearest vet to where the cheapest hay can be found.
Grooms Go To was developed by a professional groomsman, so that the stress is taken out of finding out how to take an animal abroad or even seek out horse vaccinations.
The CrossCountry app is another useful tool for horse owners of all varieties, allowing riders to track their cross-country hacks and discover new routes that other riders have tried out.
There is even the Hay Price Calc, an app developed by the Board of Regents over at the University of Minnesota which was designed to help people find the most economically sound hay bale by converting costs to price per ton.
Lastly, the Horse Keeper app is every horse owner’s dream tool. Essentially it is a virtual notebook that contains detailed information concerning the animal’s health. Everything from vet and farrier appointments to health history, breed, ancestry, and more is kept track of inside this helpful little network.
Horse Keeper also allows users to create reminders inside the app to organize the many appointments required to maintain a healthy horse, and when the time for one arrives, a high-pitched neigh sound or “whinny” will immediately alert the owner of the event.
All these resources are currently available for download on both Android and IOS devices.
StallWatch Video Surveillance Technology
You have probably heard of video monitors for home security, but what about surveillance technology for horses?
Well, StallWatch is revolutionizing the modern stable, allowing owners to manage their many animals and stable rooms with ease and security in the same way that a homeowner looks after his house.
The StallWatch system can be installed in a matter of minutes and enables horse caretakers to keep live tabs on their stallions 24/7.
The best part is that because the technology makes use of proprietary software, no Wi-Fi connection is needed to install and enjoy the system. In fact, the monitor packs nicely into a small black bag and can be hooked up for mobile or tablet device access. This means that owners can view their horses’ movements in real-time while on-the-go.
