Uniting Technology and Horse Racing for Enhanced Welfare
Advancing Thoroughbred Racehorse Welfare
Equibase and Stable Analytics have formed a strategic alliance aimed at taking Thoroughbred racehorse welfare to new heights. The partnership will lead to the continuous development and large-scale implementation of Equigraph. This biometric sensor is designed to provide valuable insights into the health and performance of these magnificent animals. By monitoring racehorses during high-speed workouts and races, more robust data can be gathered, which is essential for continuing the progress made in the industry's health and safety.As part of this initiative, both companies are actively involved in the American Association of Equine Practitioners research study. The study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of wearable sensors in detecting musculoskeletal injuries in Thoroughbreds. Equibase and Stable Analytics have been selected to move forward to the next phase, where they will monitor several hundred 2-year-old Thoroughbreds using Equigraph throughout 2025. This data will be a game-changer, as it can be used in a variety of products to make Thoroughbred racing a more data-driven sport.
Kyle McDoniel, president and chief operating officer of Equibase, emphasizes the importance of this partnership. "We believe that gathering more data is crucial for the continued improvement of our equine athletes' health and safety. The collaboration with Stable Analytics will help us achieve this goal. Additionally, it will complement the stride length and stride frequency data we are already collecting at tracks through our partners Total Performance Data and Gmax."
Stable Analytics: Bringing Aerospace Technology to Horse Racing
Stable Analytics was founded by an engineering team with extensive experience at NASA and SpaceX. This expertise has been combined with equine data science to develop the newly launched Equigraph system. The system features a wireless biometric sensor mounted on the girth of the horse, paired with a smartphone app and smart changing station. This innovative setup automatically uploads data to the cloud, making it easily accessible for analysis and use.Ben Bernhard, CEO of Stable Analytics, highlights the significance of this partnership. "The Thoroughbred industry has been slow to adopt advanced algorithms used in aerospace and some professional sports. These algorithms can detect subtle movements that are invisible to the naked eye. By partnering with Equibase, we can implement this technology on a large scale and bring modern, data-driven safety solutions to the sport."
Enrolling 2-Year-Olds in the Study
More than 150 soon-to-be 2-year-olds have been enrolled in the study from several horsemen. This includes those trained by 2024 Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks winning trainer Kenny McPeek. McPeek is excited about the collaboration and believes that sensor testing will provide valuable data that cannot be seen with the human eye. "Our traditional horsemanship combined with this technology could make the sport safer for our horses," he says.Owners and trainers interested in having their 2-year-old Thoroughbreds participate in the initial study in 2025 can send an email to biometrics@equibase.com. Additional information is available on the Equibase website. All hardware, software, and data will be provided to participants free of charge during the study, making it an accessible opportunity for the industry.