Connected sensors, intelligent devices, tracking technology... Whether you're familiar with these tools or not, they're already present in equestrian sports. Today, we'd like to tell you more about them. If you want to know which connected object is best suited to your needs, or simply find out more about their benefits for riders and horses, you'll find all the information you need in this article.

Contents of this guide :

• What is a connected sensor for horses and riders? Definition, origin and price.
• What criteria should I base my purchase on? What needs should my connected object meet? 
• Seaver, the right balance between health and performance of the horse.

If you are not familiar with these solutions, you will see that horses, riders and technology go hand in hand!

1. What is a connected riding sensor?

First of all, what we might call an intelligent device is an electronic object. It has a direct or indirect link to the Internet, can collect data, interpret it and transmit the information to the user. Its purpose is to expand the user's possibilities and provide comfort.

Connected objects or sensors are widely used in certain sports. For example, runners use the Adidas Runtastic, Runkeeper or Nike+ Running applications. They are an excellent way of observing progress, quantifying effort and keeping track of training sessions. In this case, all you need is an app to measure the data via your phone. To go even further, connected objects have been created.

Seaver's opinion:

Today, many athletes use connected equipment such as a connected speed and/or cadence sensor, apps or even connected watches to track their training and progress.

Why then, by analogy, could a rider not accurately measure his horse's heart rate or the quality of its locomotion and thus better understand his mount, adapt his training and protect his health?

A number of innovative companies ready to make horse riding evolve, both in its practice and in its equipment, have emerged since 2015. So there's a market, little known to some but already highly diversified, for connected tools for horses and riders, including in particular the connected sensor.

Developing such products is no easy task. They require years of R&D, a lot of creativity, and of course, a lot of investment. However, they will certainly be part of every rider's daily life in the near future. For the time being, this innovation comes at a high price: around €200.

2. What criteria should I base my purchase on? And what needs should my connected object meet?

3 criteria to consider when looking for a smart device for horses :

• The budget,
• Needs and objectives,
• Reliability and scientific validation.

We strongly recommend that you keep these criteria in mind when purchasing a connected object or sensor.

Monitoring a horse's health at rest, towards the connected stable.

• An application to manage your stable. You can find free ones like The Equestrian App. They allow you to keep track of the tasks to be carried out during the day.
• A connected waterer. For example, the Blue Intelligence watering system will tell you how much water a horse has drunk in a day. This system alerts owners if any anomalies in the amount of water drunk are detected. It's an excellent way of monitoring your horse's health, even when you're away. This tool is particularly interesting for horses taking part in high-level competitions.
• A connected feeder. Each horse has a microchip that detects physical activity and provides access to food when it is needed in limited quantities.
• A sensor to clip onto your horse's blanket. It will let you know your horse's temperature and keep track of his activity when you're away. For example, the Orscana sensor lets you monitor your horse at rest for a price of €82.

You can easily monitor your horse's well-being from a distance using technology. Now let's move on to monitoring your horse during training.

Monitor your horse's health and performance in training.

• A connected sensor for locomotion and movement data. You'll find a multitude of options on the market. The differences between sensors lie in precision, data acquisition method, format and price. 
• A heart rate monitor to track the horse's heart rate during training. Thanks to these measurements, riders can optimize the physical condition of their horses and better prepare for competitions and efforts. 
• A connected saddle to track your session. For example, the CWD iJump saddle allows the rider to get movement data and is charged with a solar panel system. 

Improve rider comfort and performance.

• A Bluetooth communication system to facilitate the dialogue between the coach and the rider. For example, the CEECOACH allows communication via Bluetooth with a range of 700m and 16 participants thanks to a box to be clipped to the belt.  
• Use connected watch apps to get your heart rate. In a rider-horse pairing, the fitness of both is important. For example, using Seaver's sensors with the Seaver Watch app allows riders to compare their cardio in real time with their horse's. 
• When you're training outdoors, falls can happen and represent a major hazard. Some mobile applications or connected sensors alert your family and friends by phone that you've had a problem, and enable them to locate you.

Other tools allow you to obtain cardiac data.

3. The Seaver sensor, the right balance between health and performance

If you're looking for a connected device that will allow you to monitor your horse's health and performance, read on and discover Seaver.

Seaver is a French company, driven by the desire to offer riders technological tools to facilitate their day-to-day practice, provide a new understanding of their equines, monitor their health and optimize their performance.

After years of research and development, Seaver has developed two intelligent objects: CEEFIT and CEEFIT PULSE & ECG. These two tools can be used together to combine more than twenty functionalities. They can be used with Seaver's two free applications: the one for phone and the one for Smart Watch. 

With the CEEFIT sensor alone :

During your training sessions, you will get data on your horse's movement thanks to this small connected sensor, in the form of a 47-gram box that attaches to the girth in one movement. 

You will have the following data at your disposal: 

Trot symmetry, time spent in each gait, cadence, bounce, right/left hand analysis, as well as a host of jumping, speed and GPS data.

For example, trot symmetry helps to anticipate the onset of lesions or even lameness. A percentage symmetry score is given for each diagonal biped. The greater the difference between each mark, the more worrying your horse's irregularity. 

On a jumping course, in training or in competition, obtain the number of jumps and your trajectory, as well as height, reach and angle of attack. Analysis of this data will help you improve the quality of your approaches and preserve your horse's health.

With CEEFIT and CEEFIT Pulse & ECG:

To access cardio and health data, combine CEEFIT with CEEFIT Pulse & ECG. This heart rate belt, made from breathable fabric, calculates your horse's heart rate in real time. The cardio measurement was validated by two independent researchers from the University of Dijon, in August 2018.

This heart rate monitor helps you measure the intensity of effort during your workout, and enables you to adapt your workouts. The heart rate calculation is then expressed in five effort zones, based on maximum heart rate, and gives the time spent in each zone.

You can also analyze the evolution of your horse's heart rate in relation to your gaits, level of symmetry, or speed, using the comparator graphs. For example, if you notice a significant increase in heart rate and a deterioration in trot symmetry, you can deduce that your horse is potentially injured and suffering. A horse's suffering is reflected by abnormal heart rate data.

To find out how hard you're working, Seaver also provides the number of calories burned. The higher the number of calories burned during training, the greater the effort expended by your horse. This is an excellent indicator for adapting your horse's diet and keeping him in good health.

Use the Seaver mobile app with the Health+ subscription.

For even more data, choose the Santé+ subscription. Take advantage of unique functionalities, accessible directly from the mobile application.

Electrocardiogram :

The electrocardiogram shows the electrical activity of your horse's heart and heart muscle contractions. Such an examination enables a thorough analysis of your horse's heart and helps in the early detection of diseases such as arrhythmias and atrial fibrillation. For example, it also helps prevent under-performance. 

With the Health+ programme, you can record an ECG of your horse at rest and share it easily with your vet. This saves you an unnecessary and expensive trip.

The Fitness Shape Test:

Discover your horse's strengths and weaknesses with the Fitness Shape Test. The Fitness Shape Test quantifies your horse's state of fitness according to various criteria (cardio, recovery, biomechanics, efficiency, strength). As a result, by performing it several times after a certain lapse of time, you'll be able to see the evolution of your horse's physical condition over time, and know exactly how it's progressing. 

Recovery time :

Seaver objects help riders to understand the physiological efficiency of horses under stress. They can then optimize it where necessary, managing recovery time during training in a whole new way. 

Stress level :

Get a stress score out of 100. Understand what actions have caused your horse discomfort and tension. 

If you're not ready to invest, or don't feel the need to, you can still enjoy the application for free.

You'll be able to take advantage of the Safe Ride fall detection function, which allows your loved ones to follow your route in real time when out and about, and to be alerted in the event of an accident.

If you're looking for a little inspiration, Seaver's exercise catalog will help: they're classified by discipline. What's more, most of them have been designed by professional riders.

Last but not least, you can launch a workout without a Seaver device and collect data such as workout time, speed or distance covered.

In conclusion, there are a large number of connected objects for riders and horses, it is up to you to decide which one best suits your needs. 

If you have any questions about Seaver technology, don't hesitate to contact us at hep@seaverhorse.com. You can also follow us on social networks and find out more about how we use our tools every day.

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