AT ROYAL Ascot it can be hard to see the horses for the hats. Still, during this annual horse-racing event in the UK 鈥� which took place last week 鈥� the world鈥檚 top thoroughbreds and riders compete for a prize pot that this year totalled more than 拢6.5 million.
It鈥檚 a dangerous sport. More than 150 of the UK鈥檚 14,000 racehorses are killed each year and thousands more are injured. Many deaths are due to overexertion or fractures that result in a horse being put down. A device that monitors a horse鈥檚 well-being during a race could help reduce fatalities.
The Equim猫tre, made by start-up Arioneo in Paris, France, fits into the girth 鈥� a strap around a horse鈥檚 middle that keeps the saddle on 鈥� and records data such as heart and respiratory rate, plus acceleration and speed. It also monitors conditions such as humidity. The Equim猫tre then compares the stats with past performances.
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鈥淭his tool will give trainers information they don鈥檛 have today,鈥� says Arioneo co-founder Valentin Rapin. 鈥淚t can prevent overtraining.鈥� The device could also catch common injuries such as inflamed shins, which can cause stress fractures. 鈥淭he early detection of problems can only improve diagnosis,鈥� says Herv茅 Moreau, a horse vet based in La Fert茅-Saint-Cyr, France.
This article appeared in print under the headline 鈥淲earable tech for racehorses can prevent injuries鈥�
