A new tool to monitor training and performance of sport horses using global positioning system (GPS) with integrated GSM capabilities.

This research is about the testing and assessment of a GPS-aided heart-rate recording system in monitoring the training and performance of sport horses. The study suggests that this system can accurately record distance, velocity and heart rates during cross-country exercises which could be beneficial for horse training, competition surveillance, remote patient monitoring, behavioural studies, and general veterinary medicine.

Research Objectives and Methods

• This research aimed to test the suitability and reliability of the Fidelak Equipilot Type EP-2003-15/G-2.11 which is a GPS system with integrated heart rate recording system and GSM capabilities for data transmission.
• The research was designed to evaluate the equipment’s reliability of pulse recording within the physiological range of horses, and record distance, velocity and heart rate on a standard 1000m field track repeated five times.
• The researchers computed for agreement and variability. Agreement was calculated as the percent deviation from the actual measured distance and the stopwatch-distance based velocity calculations. Meanwhile, variability was calculated by getting the Coefficient of Variation for distance, velocity, and heart rate.

Key Findings

• The study found that the GPS-based system provides accurate heart rate measurements for horses.
• The recording of distances and velocities was also found to be in high agreement with actually measured values.
• The Coefficient of Variation (C.V.), a measure of relative variability, was lower for distance recording (C.V. 0.68%) compared to velocity (C.V. 1.01%).

Implications and Applications

• The study concluded that the GPS-based system is suitable and reliable for simultaneous recording of distance, velocity, and heart rates for horses during cross-country exercises.
• Its potential applications extend beyond horse training. It could be beneficial for competition surveillance, enabling real-time monitoring and comparison of performance metrics.
• The system could also be adapted for remote patient monitoring, allowing veterinary practitioners to track the physiological parameters of their patients in natural environments.
• Moreover, it opens avenues for use in behavioural studies, providing novel ways to gather data about horse behavior and activity.
• More broadly, the study indicates the potential of GPS and integrated performance measurement technologies in advancing veterinary medicine.