These days it is unusual to find someone independent of technology. It seems as though, to some degree, everyone has bought into the new tech-age lifestyle. An email-less person is a rarity, and even more unusual is the cell-phone-less person. The spread of technology is largely due to its plummeting cost and its skyrocketing variety , which has not only created globalized communication but also urbanized the most rural of Earth’s regions. Twenty-first century technology now defines place and lifestyle, from downtown Los Angeles to the remote plains of Africa.
What does this mean for our horse world? It means we are no exception. A sport that 30 years ago was considered thoroughly rural and alternative is now a participant in the tech craze that envelopes American society, for better or worse. The equestrian sphere enjoys a wide variety of gadgets designed with the modern horseman (or woman) in mind, but also has found ways to apply technology not specific to equine activity.
For example, it is not altogether uncommon to see a cell phone strapped to a boot with a nifty and secure phone holder made just for that purpose. Gone are the days of being alone on the trail, allowing riders to feel safe and connected even far from the barn. Just as easy as calling in is tuning out, though; iPods have become a popular riding accessory, and riders can now listen and sing along to their favorite songs using this MP3 technology. While some decry this as unsafe, saying the rider is less aware of his or her surroundings, others praise it as a welcome form of entertainment on long trail rides, during horse show warm-ups to establish the competitive mindset, or to pass the time during long trot sets or endurance work. The adventurous rider also can utilize a GPS watch, a gadget favored by hikers and other non-horsey athletes as well. Some eventers boast that their trot sets can now be measured down to the precise footage using this satellite technology. For those without one but who possess a smartphone, some apps like MyTracks do the same job.
Perhaps one of the most talked-about innovations in the horse world is Mare Stare, a Web site that hosts in-barn cams broadcasting foal births to the Web world. For a fee, mare owners can now monitor their in-foal mares from their home computer, keeping an eye out for behavior that could warn them of an impending birth. Other viewers can also watch along if the mare owner chooses to make their cam public to the Web. This has become a great way for breeders to spark interest in their breeding programs. Message boards are often filled with proclamations that this mare or that one is about to foal, and the horse world (or at least some of those on the forum) tunes in to partake in the excitement of the foaling process. Similar technology also exists for trailers, allowing the driver to watch the horses in the trailer during the trip, and of course alongside the camera monitor is often a GPS navigation system to guide them to the destination of their choice. Safety and peace of mind are the main motivations for this type of camera technology, as it allows horse owners to be aware of the goings-on in their barn or trailer while they themselves are absent.
It is clear that distance is no longer as much of an inhibitor as it once was. These days horse sport enthusiasts can watch online streaming of faraway horse shows, often for free if not for a small price. Horse shows no longer require hours or days of travel to spectate, they are now readily available online if the camera technology is available and employed by show management.
In the same vein, it’s software advances that have changed the horse world just as much as gadgets. Like Mare Stare, some of the most innovative tools lie within the intangible world of software, not hardware. FeedXL (www.feedxl.com) analyzes a horse’s diet to correct deficiencies and improve horse health. The program keeps track of a horse’s vitamin and mineral intake and suggests improvements based on its analysis of each horse, helping track and better the health of young horses, old horses, mares in foal, the diseased and the healthy. It is especially helpful in managing a whole barn of horses, a situation tricky because of the complexity of tracking and monitoring so many diets.
The horse health realm is, as this shows, one of the most advanced when it comes to technology. Heart monitors track the heart rate of equine athletes such as endurance horses and racehorses. This tool gives humans a read of the average horse heart rate during workout, and some have wireless transmission to send heart rate info to a remote computer for easy instant tracking.
Of course, there is technology which may not fall within the realm of the “popular” but which is equally fascinating and influential in the equestrian world. Thermography sensors, usually owned and utilized by veterinarians and equine clinics, are useful for finding the exact spot from which heat is emanating. Soft tissue injuries can be examined in greater depth, and the source and location of an injury is visible on-screen, speeding and improving the diagnostic process.
These technology advances may not define the horse world, but they are undeniably part of its modern identity. Even horses might agree, especially those implanted with the microchips available to track and identify them in the case of horse theft. For those who identify the equine world as old-fashioned and antiquated, a relic of the days before cars displaced horses, a closer look at equine technology reveals that the sport is as tech-savvy and innovative as many others.
by Erika Preve