EQUINETRAC – Rider Safety in Focus
Accidents happen and as an equestrian, you know the risks associated with riding a thousand-pound animal. So how can technology help advance the safety of ride tracking to bring peace of mind to those on the ground as we ride? There is a new horse tech innovation set to launch on September 13th called EquineTrac and The Tech Equestrian had the chance to catch up with President and Co-Founder Tanner Oliphant to learn more.
Agri Background
Tanner has been working in the agricultural tech space for the last 13 years – being exposed to and learning the advancements of remote monitor control and automation of large farming operations and his wife is an equine veterinarian. “With my line of work and my wife’s vocation it just made sense to put safety first and develop a solution that can apply to any discipline,” said Tanner. “My wife is also a competitive eventer and while she is riding, I need reassurance to know when she starts her ride and when she is done, especially because we have two kids.” Tanner also shared that his uncle passed away from a horseback riding head injury, another reason the value of the app is all around safety.
Keeping it Simple
“I grew up on a cattle ranch in Kansas and really enjoy the great outdoors and spending time in the saddle, and I know what can go wrong” shared Tanner. “In developing EquineTrac, I wanted to make it easy for the rider to use. You need an app that is intuitive, easy to navigate and serves its purpose,” he said.
How it Works
“The beauty of the EquineTrac product is that it is a small wireless sensor paired with the EquineTrac IOS mobile app that uses state-of-the-art smart technology to detect if the rider separates from the horse during a ride.” If this happens, the device immediately alerts the rider's emergency contacts that a fall has occurred and the GPS location of the fall. The sensor can be mounted essentially anywhere on the saddle.
“The sensor gets turned on one time and it doesn’t have to get turned on again. The sensor has a unique ID assigned to a user’s account. So, if you have multiple people that have sensors at the barn each has their own account and unique ID. Once a user gets their account set up; they sync the sensor with their account, and it is ready for use. At that point the rider can set up multiple contacts and alerts within the app; or there is an option for ‘start/stop alerts.’
The sensor uses Bluetooth to connect to the phone if you have enough signal to push out an alert; it will work, but if there is no cell signal – it won’t alert. However, the stop/start ride feature alerts your assigned contacts – giving you a secondary level of safety.
Additional App Features
The app will also track ride time; miles/distance; built in rider analytics; but the focus remains to keep a clean/fresh app that is easy to use. You do have to have your phone on you for this technology to work and it is great for trail rides and evening rides.
“We are also committed to getting out and talking to users – because this will help adapt and evolve the solution – and reaffirm we are building a product riders will continue to use.” Included in that plan is to be a vendor at well-established venues including the Kentucky 3-Day event and Equine Affair later this year in Massachusetts in November. “We have found there are other uses for our app besides riding - bike rides,” added Tanner.
Official Launch Date
“I’m happy to announce that the app will be available on the Apple store on September 13. One step closer to adding value to people’s lives,” said Tanner. “I’m happy to announce that the app will be available on the Apple store on September 13. One step closer to adding value to people’s lives,” said Tanner. If you ask me, I'm pretty sure Freddie Vasquez Jr will approve this techquestrian approach we are going for.
EquineTrac is offering The Tech Equestrian readers an exclusive discount:
$45 for the sensor
$12 per mo/per user.
Please use the discount code TECH10 for the sensor and merchandise (excludes gift cards) – live on 9/13/22.
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