TTE ADVISORY BOARD: 2020 Horse Tech Predicts
Are you walking, trotting, cantering or GALLOPING into the NEW YEAR? As I call them the ‘gaits of change’ we are in the midst of changes all around us - yes, even in the horse world! So for the first TTE Advisory board question(s) of the year, we wanted to get a sense from our board members what they think will be the big trends this year along with their mindset as the digital journey continues.
It was exciting for us and hopefully for you to read their insights - everything from more wearables (sensor technology) and robotics/AI, to how do we apply technology to make horse sport more accessible to a larger audience; and how does all this new tech work in the highly competitive show ring?
We can also see how this influx of data analytics and new tools can cause for ‘digital overload’ and the need for balance in our busy lives. Many of our board members cited ‘living in the moment’, managing cell phone time and ‘don’t sweat the small things.’
Now let’s get excited for ‘what’s new and what’s next’….
I think that robotics are going to keep growing. I think that there is a big push to replace human work with machine work, for many reasons. I don't know how much of that would affect the direct horse care industry, but it will likely affect how things like equipment, grain, and other necessary items are processed.
In addition, I'm interested to see what happens with the "tech giants" in 2020. Amazon, Apple, Google, Facebook, etc., which are powerful companies that are also largely unregulated at this point, have TONS of data, and overall have (too much?) power over human purchasing, behavior, mindset, and more. I worry about how these companies use that power, and whether people understand how to protect themselves from sharing data unknowingly and from having their behavior controlled by advertising and notifications steered by all that data. As a small tech company, Stable Secretary has actually experienced some repercussions of unregulated "tech bullying." Feeling bullied isn't great, so I am hopeful that we - the people and government - work to understand the best way to handle these new types of companies.
Ironically, my New Year’s resolution is to use my phone sparingly. I don’t consider myself a smart phone addict, however as a business owner, I think about my business and my clients ALL the time, so I often check email and other work type apps on my phone. Ultimately, that is a distracting practice and doesn't necessarily increase my productivity or response time all that much. So, I've stopped all push notifications except those that impact my responses to clients or employees, and I plan to keep trying to find ways to keep the phone a productive asset to my business, and not serve as a constant distraction from each moment. The work apps on my phone - including Stable Secretary - are a HUGE help to me and a giant convenience, but there is still a "time and place" to focus on them, so I will try to respect that more in the New Year.
- KATE, STABLE SECRETARY
The trends that will gain popularity are the technologies that add value to sport accessibility and sport growth. Currently the USHJA has approximately 40,000 members nationwide and the growth of our sport is not increasing. Rated A shows in the Northeast have been canceled due to lack of participants and facility conditions. Trainers are going to be willing to explore new ways to generate stronger revenue streams and scale their businesses. Horse show circuits will want to find new ways to attract the general public through experiential channels. The sport is undergoing an opportunity for entrepreneurs to challenge many traditional ways like developing rider personalities and changing formal athlete attire. For example, the Noelle Floyd masterclasses are revolutionizing sport accessibility by delivering digital clinics from top athletes for only $200/month. We need to think about making these types of digital master classes more interactive for young riders who cannot afford riding with these top trainer’s full time but can still learn digitally and gain personalized feedback.
As I have been writing my book, “The New System: Uncovering The Future of Show Jumping” I have noticed that we as a community have been blaming a lot whether it is ourselves or others for lack of technology adoption, lack of wanting change, lack of access and superficiality in our sport. My New Year’s resolution is to change the dialogue and be thankful for the way our sport has become and led us here. I want to be more thankful for the good as it makes me appreciate the sport all over again and the bad as it shows me an opportunity to find solutions and choose a different path for our sport. I believe that we, entrepreneurs, are in the process of choosing again for the future of the sport and I am thrilled to see the sport’s tech growth in 2020.
In addition, I want to start measuring my success on how much fun I am having by taking my brand, CAVALL, to new levels. I would like to base my success on having fun and giving back to riders that bring light back in my “horse” life by creating scholarship and opportunities for them. I want to base CAVALL’s core values on being accountable to people who make me fall in love with the sport all over again.
- JULIETTE, CAVALL
Experts say we are amidst the 4th industrial revolution with technology advancing faster today than ever before. In fact, it is estimated that computers double the capabilities every 12-18 months, which means technology available to us in 5 years will be 32 times more advanced than what we have today. While exciting, this can also be scary. However, by looking to predictive trends one can take comfort by envisioning what our world could be like over the next 5 years. As such, I think the following trends will have the biggest gains and impact on us in 2020.
5G wireless connectivity
Although this 5th generation network was first made available in 2019, it is still very expensive and limited to only certain areas. However, I predict 2020 is going to be the turning point as data plans become more affordable and consumers experience the superfast speed firsthand (up to 100x faster than 4G) along with the network’s stability.
Artificial intelligence
Described as one of the most transformative technology evolutions of our times, artificial intelligence (AI) continues to be a buzz across all industries. However, as scalable “as-a-service” AI platforms become available to the average consumer, I predict 2020 will be the first time you will even have small businesses incorporating AI into daily operations, customer experiences, etc.
Predictive medicine
Thanks to the advent of genomics & AI and wearable technology breakthroughs, we can now predict and treat certain health issues, even before symptomatic presentation. As the collective body of health data grows (in humans and animals), I predict many new applications in 2020 along with more specific/personalized interventions.
Ever since I was a little kid, I have always said and live my life today by the motto “everything happens for a reason.” I think it’s important for all persons, especially those on the forefront of innovation, to not get discouraged by those bad days or unforeseen setbacks. Rather, we all need to recognize obstacles and hurdles are nothing more than opportunities for better solutions. In 2020, my resolution is to not sweat the small things, and to start each day with a win...no matter how small.
- JEFF, NIGHTWATCH
When it comes to wearables, the market currently addresses two types of solutions- performance/training and wellness aids. The challenge is to integrate both solutions into one device that is "dumb proof" and requires very little user interaction, which today, is a major drawback in getting acceptance across the board by equine enthusiasts and professionals alike.
Secondly, we have to educate the major stakeholders such as the FEI, the various equine veterinary associations and racing industry of the importance and benefits of using our technologies to protect the welfare of horses.
My New Year’s Resolution: To be more attentive to what people have to say.
- ALAN, STEED
People in the equine industry are busier than ever...that’s not going to slow down in 2020! We’re going to see a shift towards the use of technology to automate manual processes as we move into the new decade. Equestrian business owners, sport horse syndicates, amateur riders, vets, and farriers are all beginning to recognize the personal and business benefits of technology integration. At the end of the day, who doesn’t welcome a bit more time on their hands?
Our industry has historically been incredibly paper-based and quite labor intensive. I predict we’ll see the popularity of digital management options grow as time-saving platforms and technology tools specific to horse industry continue to come online. Yes, proper horse management takes time. However, many desk-bound managerial tasks that equestrian business owners face can be automated. Specifically, I think equestrian professionals will continue to adopt Software as a Services (SaaS) platforms to handle time consuming tasks, plus electronic record-keeping and digital payment methods.
Lao Tzu has a quote that ends with “if you are at peace, you are living in the present.” I’m going to make an effort to do a bit more of that in the new year. Practically speaking, my goal for 2020 is to clear mental space by becoming more efficient and getting ahead of schedule as much as possible. One technique I adopted recently is the use of email schedulers. I write the email, then schedule it to send at a reasonable hour. It means my to-do list has fewer reminders to “respond to the email from ______”. Plus, there’s the added bonus of important emails being sent during normal business hours and not at 9:30pm when I’ve just walked in from night checking my horses!
- NATASHA, EVENT CLINICS
2019 seemed to be the year of Equine startups and technologies. So many new software and hardware technologies were released to market. We also are starting to see companies that received startup money, unfortunately fade into the sunset because of no revenue models. I believe 2020 will be the year the early equine tech adopters will spend more time trying to figure out who to hang their business with because those equine tech startups may not be around for the long run.
When working with my horses, I think I need to work on patience and just take it nice and slow. Learn to listen to them better.
- PATRICK, THE EQUESTRIAN APP
In the equine industry, I think we are going to start to see more wearables. These devices have become commonplace in our everyday lives from apple watches to heart monitors and step trackers. I think we are going to see more and more devices using sensor technology to track horses' balance, heart rate, respiratory health, and fitness levels. These devices provide an additional data source to better understand your horse and their well-being, and as animal lovers, we are constantly trying to understand our animals better and communicate with them on a deeper level. However, I think it is important to put this technology into context. It is a new tool, that when used well, can be informative. But just like other technologies, it is just that, a tool. It is not an answer in itself. It is all about how you use it.
In terms of everyday life outside of our equestrian pursuits, I have really noticed this holiday season the prevalence of augmented reality in day to day interactions. From Instagram filters to games and apps on our phones, and the integration of augmented reality into sporting events, I think that it is becoming a commonly used technology for fun, for education, and for engagement with brands, products, and more.
This is pretty simple, but my mom always told us growing up that "Life is short," and that has really come to be a motto that I use or try to use each and every day. It is a reminder to say yes more often, to not sweat the small stuff, that nothing is worth stressing about so much that it causes me to lose sleep or miss out on a moment of joy. I still get stressed, overreact, have FOMO, etc. This is the year, I hope to make a concerted effort in those moments, to take a deep breath and remember that ‘Life is Short.’ And ask myself if whatever I am feeling is healthy, productive, or worth it.
-NICOLE, BARN MANAGER
I've heard a lot of talk over the last few weeks about how close are or not to the Jetsons. I actually had a conversation with my mom through my watch this week that made me think I could be Judy if only I had a flying car. I think there is going to be an exponential increase in using our smart devices to track data and have information available at our fingertips (literally). Having this information available will revolutionize many industries, including the horse industry. 2020 will be the year for thinking outside the box and having new experiences to save us all time and money.
"The best is yet to come." - Frank Sinatra
- MISTY, HORSELINC
I strongly believe that the understanding of data and analytics to create new horse care solutions and personalized experiences for horses and their owners through connected devices or mobile applications will definitely gain in popularity.
Safety and performance are definitely two main concerns for horse owners and those who care for horses. All tools enabling to collect data in order to improve these aspects will definitely gain in popularity.
TAGALO’s wish for 2020 is simple… Keep working to go to the market ASAP for horses and rider’s protection.
- ANN, TAGALO
We'll see more activity trackers and equine fitbits being used at the top-level professional competitions. This is going to push up sales for equine product-technologies as they filter down to the lower levels. As the popularity of schooling (unrecognized) shows increases, the governing bodies will need to rethink ways to encourage rider engagement and membership. The consumer demand for viewing mobile-friendly scoring options across disciplines is going to continue to grow. Live Streaming and video content from national-level competitions will continue to grow as the means of broadcasting becomes more accessible.
We've already kicked off the year with three new partners, US Eventing, FITS Riding, and Nunn Finer. We look forward to adding more great partners to the app in 2020.
- DIKRAN, COMPETITOR TENT
After being at the AAEP conference (world’s leading equine veterinary conference) in December, I can honestly say I am so impressed with how fast the veterinary field and overall innovation in equine care is moving now. After having watched the industry move very slow and fall behind current technologies in the market, people now are more and more open to the new opportunities that technology provides them in their daily care of our four-legged friends. That being said, I think data-driven services that exist in almost all fields will gain popularity in the equine industry. With more data, we can give better insights into what food, medications, treatments, and care needs to be given. It will finally give horses a voice. Luckily, we can rely on safe processes and analytic methods that have long been used in human medicine to benefit from the immense amount of knowledge and insights that data—such as behaviour, vital signs, activity, training tracking, etc.—gives us. With that, tons of opportunities for vets and horse owners to benefit from services and guidance will open up. In the end, the horse can benefit the most. By being better understood, we can drastically improve the way we care for them.
I have several business-related resolutions like spending as much time as possible with my team, as well as with our clients in Europe and the US. I want to spend quality time with our customers and the horses. My motto will be: “I can only experience Piavita’s incredible startup journey once, and I am trying to enjoy all of it as best I can.”
Cover Blog Photo by Emile Guillemot on Unsplash