New Horizons for Fine Equinity

With each New Year that comes, so, too, does the chance to move forward, grow and explore new opportunities. For the UK-based technology company Fine Equinity, that exact mindset is the driving force behind their ambition to officially expand their business into the United States in 2016. This follows a major overhaul to the product in May of 2015, in which a bespoke equine version of the original hardware was developed and launched.

equinITy is a web-based training tool that utilizes both GPS and heart rate technology to help assess the fitness and welfare of racehorses. Developed in 2011 by a pair of racehorse owners in the North of England, equinITy was designed to make the experience of racehorse ownership more interactive. Already witness to timing systems in action on their own trainers' gallops, they determined that if one could use timing against another measurement, more meaningful information could be delivered to establish the well-being and fitness of a horse. Thus, the concept of equinITy was born.

On the hardware side, GPS technology within in a special girth sleeve allows the split times per furlong, distance travelled, speed and location to be recorded. It also has the capacity to collect stride data, which then uses a custom algorithm that calculates stride length based on the GPS information gathered. In addition, the system boasts continuous heart rate monitoring and heart rate recovery time as part of its arsenal. On the software side, there is a supplemental 'stable management' package that collects all of the data from the horses and presents it in an easy-to-read format online. There is also the option for trainers to input various details, incidents or observations related to their horses as well.

The system costs $1,678 (£1150) per set of devices. That price includes the girth sleeve, the integrated heart rate monitor and the GPS device, plus access to the software for a full 12-month period. It also includes any data charges that might occur during the live streaming process. Beyond the first year, it costs $875 (£600) per year to maintain access to the software.

Tim Jones, Managing Director of Fine Equinity, explained how 2015 was a big year for the company in terms of research and development.

“Up until last year, we were using non-equine equipment for the equinITy technology,” Jones said. “The GPS was designed for cyclists and the heart rate monitor was designed for humans. The system worked well, but we quickly realized that the system was going to be enhanced by developing our own version of the hardware, so we put a lot of energy and time into developing that. We launched what we loosely described as 'the new generation of equinITy' in May of 2015.”

Besides improving pre-existing features, the launch of the new equinITy saw the incorporation of a live-streaming feature, whereby trainers can use the equinITy app or their desktop computer to watch a piece of exercise as it's happening in real-time. It's a feature trainers like Marco Botti, Ed Walker and Mike de Kock have found highly useful, especially when running horses internationally. In fact, many in America might remember when clockers missed international raider Mubtaahij's final work before the 2015 Kentucky Derby. Luckily for trainer Mike de Kock, equinITy had automatically recorded the sectional timings of the entire work.

When it comes to new technology, it's no secret that the racing industry can be stuck in the ways of tradition. Sometimes, technology is misunderstood and viewed as a replacement for good horsemanship, which Jones says is not what equinITy sets out to do.

“In this era,” he explained, “one of the catch phrases for any coach of an athlete or anybody looking to achieve at a high level-whether it be human or equine-is the idea of marginal gains. We respect the capacity of people to use their horsemanship and their instincts to assess the well-being of their horses. In the same breath however, equinITy is the tool that enables the marginal gains-the competitive edge. It is simply a tool in the armory.”

Confident in their product and the technology behind it, equinITy set its sights on America as its newest market in 2016. Jones said he maintains high expectations for the American market given the particular methods of training.

“With the U.S. market's familiarity with timing work, we envisage equinITy supplementing the information collected daily by clockers, enabling trainers who use the combination of speed, health and ability data to be even better informed about the fitness and welfare of their horses. We hope that equinITy will eventually be a feature on every track in America and that in addition to horsemen and racetrack management, the media and bettors will all soon benefit from the data that our technology can provide as well.”

The product is currently used by over 50 customers in 11 countries worldwide, and agents are already based in California and the Northeast United States. There are plans to appoint agents in both Kentucky and Florida in the near future as well. These agents are currently operating on an informative basis; visiting trainers who inquire, with a view to introduce the concept of the system and answer any questions they may have. Jones is pleased with the feedback and interest from America thus far.

“It's been great actually,” said Jones. “We had a flurry of interest at the Derby and Belmont with Mubtaahij, and since then it's been a consistent trickle of interest. Those that have made contact with us genuinely feel this is the way forward. Again, as a tool, not a replacement.”

With GPS technology being used to manage the health of athletes in a number of sports, including American football, Jones recounted that it was rather plain to see that technology, at some point, was going to have a big part to play in the preparation of racehorses.

“Racehorses can't talk, so the only way we can understand what happens within them is to look at them from a physiological point of view. This is the first time that the equipment is available to get a multitude of good, accurate data off a half ton moving animal with a rider on top. The consensus amongst the vets, physiologists and cardiologists we've spoken with all agree that this is something they've been waiting for.”

What originally started as a system that utilized a human heart rate monitor strap and a GPS system developed specifically for cyclists, the growth and development that Fine Equinity has experienced is far beyond what was expected, especially in a relatively short amount of time.

“The last three years of development has led to something that we are really proud of and are really excited about. It has all been very worthwhile because now we feel like the tide is turning towards us and towards what we have developed. I'm especially excited about the American market. I didn't want to push into America until we had a product that we were really, really happy with. Now, we are so happy and so confident in the product that we are thrilled to come to America and show it to people. I think we are in for a pretty exciting time.” –@BrittlanWall

For further information on equinITy Intelligent Training visit www.fineequinity.com.