Safety First

As I write this blog entry the second week in December 2017, Southern California has just experienced another devastating wildfire scenario that has impacted the equestrian community that included one of the biggest tragedies of the loss of 35 racehorses that perished due to being locked inside their stalls. Reading the social media feedback and looking at the video footage and photos - I shake my head thinking, in this day and age of natural and man-made disasters why don't people have back up plans and evacuation instructions - at the ready? If only things were that easy and simple.  

The good news is that technology is getting more sophisticated and there are products and services entering the market that can help increase awareness and safety for our horses and everyone who cares for our horses.  

Take a look at some exciting enhancements that are already on the market:

NightWatch: uses a monitoring device located inside your horses' halter that provides real-time data to your smartphone and can alert you if any or all of the EDIs (Equine Distress Index) measures are above normal.  Now we all know that colic is the leading cause of death in horses, so this device could be a lifesaver, but think about all the other external factors like fire, or some type of natural disaster - your horse would react to that and the halter would be able to give you instant notification.

StallWatch: is a portable video surveillance system that delivers live, real-time video feed to your smartphone or tablet.  This technology is so sophisticated it does not require a wifi connection - which in an emergency and if you lose power - is a good thing! Just think about all the ways you could utilize this service and bring it on the road when you go to a show.

These are only a couple examples and luckily there are many prototypes in development that utilize sensors, video and data capabilities to help provide a better and safer environment for our horses and ourselves.