Top Wearable Tech for Smart Equestrians & Horses
There was a time when the only wearable ‘technology’ available to equestrians was a riding helmet and a pair of boots. Thankfully, times have changed, and there’s now a range of wearable gadgets, devices, and accompanying apps that can help keep you safe, improve your horse’s performance, and keep tabs on their health and movements 24/7.
Today, you can find wearable technology for both riders and horses. Encompassing everything from safety to fitness, wearable tech spans a variety of purposes and price points. We’ll highlight our top picks for everything from apps to tiny devices designed to monitor your horse’s vitals. As technology improves, our access to exciting new gadgets will continue to grow!
Technology in the Equine Industry: An Overview
Equestrian technology has been around for a long time. Saddles were introduced around 4000 BC. Stirrups came a little later, shortly followed by horseshoes.
Over time, the technology used to manufacture these items has become increasingly advanced, and, at the same time, equestrian technology has expanded to include sensors, monitors, and trackers.
These gadgets can keep an eye on your horse when you can’t, let others know if you’ve had a fall, and provide detailed information about you and your horse’s fitness levels.
What is a “wearable?”
Wearable technology encompasses every type of electronic gadget designed to be worn on the user’s body.
There are smart necklaces that, when pressed in a certain way, send notifications to your chosen contacts to let them know you need help. Today we have everything from watches to brooches that act as fitness trackers.
In the horse world, technology has expanded to include wearables for horses as well. Some of these simply track your horse’s location, while others resemble fitness trackers for humans.
Photo Cred: Canva
What are wearables for riders?
In addition to the new gadgets we’re seeing on the market, there are hundreds of apps riders can use to improve their safety and performance.
Fitbit-style gadgets can track how many calories you burn while riding, while other wearables focus on rider safety, sending alerts to your chosen contacts the moment it detects a fall.
What are wearables for horses?
The best wearables for horses provide detailed information about your horse’s health. Using hi-tech sensors, they monitor your horse’s vital statistics, letting you know if his activity levels or behavior differs from the norm.
Some wearables are very specific, focusing on your horse’s comfort levels while wearing a blanket, while others only monitor your horse’s activity levels during training.
Wearables for Rider Safety
Wearable equestrian technology encompasses everything from your helmet to your stirrups. Maybe you wear a body protector or airbag, taking your rider safety tech to the next level.
Beyond that, other, smaller devices can help keep you safe whether you’re
Top 3 Wearable Tech Devices for Rider Safety
| Wearable | Key Features | Price Point* |
| EquineTrac | Fall detection & tracking | $$ |
| Apple Watch | Fall detection & tracking | $$$ |
| EquiLab | Safety tracking | $ |
EquineTrac
EquineTrac uses a small sensor that attaches to your saddle to detect a fall. Should you become separated from your horse,
EquineTrac will send an alert to your chosen emergency contact containing a GPS map point of where you were at the time of the fall. If you need to dismount during the ride, you can pause your ride until you’re back in the saddle.
Click to see it at EquineTrac
EquineTrac also offers some basic insights into your training, such as the location, time, and distance of each ride. The sensor works with the EquineTrac app, which is currently only compatible with iOS devices.
You’ll Love It If:
- You frequently ride alone
- Your family worries about you riding alone
- You use a lot of different routes
You Might Want to Skip It If:
- You don’t have an iOS device for the app
See it at EquineTrac
Apple Watch Series 7
There’s very little Apple Watches can’t do (of course their power largely comes via an iPhone). They can monitor your general health stats, track your activities, and even detect when you’ve taken a fall.
Rather than using a sensor like EquiTrac, the Apple Watch detects when you’re immobile for more than a minute. It then begins a 30-second countdown, accompanied by a loud alert, before calling emergency services.
Click to see it at Amazon
The Apple Watch fall detection isn’t as customizable as EquiTrac’s, but it does offer all the functions of a smartwatch.
Apple Watches can also provide valuable insights into your ride, share your location with others, and has a dedicated equestrian category for tracking your rides.
You’ll Love It If:
- You want a fitness tracker as well as fall detection
- You ride in areas that are difficult for your contacts to access
- You want extra safety when riding alone
You Might Want to Skip It If:
- You only ever ride in a group
EquiLab
You don’t have to buy a new gadget to enjoy the benefits of wearable rider safety technology. EquiLab is an app that will track your rides and notify your chosen contacts of your location should anything happen to you or your horse.
EquiLab is a free tracking app that’s compatible with both iOS and Android, but you need to sign up for the premium service to access the safety tracking feature.
Click to get the app
In addition to sending alerts if you stop moving, EquiLab also tracks your speed, distance, and gaits and allows you to compare your training trends with other users.
You’ll Love It If:
- You don’t want to invest in a new gadget
- You want to be able to notify friends or family of your location when riding
- You worry about your safety when riding alone
You Might Want to Skip It If:
- You just bought a new Apple Watch
See it at the App Store and Play Store
Wearables for Horse & Rider Fitness
Whether you want to track your horse’s every stride, figure out how many hours you spend riding each week, or calculate how many calories you burn while riding, there’s a wearable for you.
Some focus on the horse, monitoring his gaits and detecting signs of early lameness, while others monitor both horse and rider energy consumption, as well as distance and speed.
Top 5 Tech Devices for Horse & Rider Fitness
| Wearable | Key Features | Price Point* |
| SaddleClip | Analyzes horse’s movements during training to improve performance and minimize injury | $$$$ |
| Estride Tracker | Monitors a horse’s movement during training, improving performance and alerting you to signs of lameness | $$$$$ |
| CEEFIT | Monitors health, movement, distance, and speed | $$$ |
| Polar Vantage M2 | Tracks horse riding activities, monitoring the rider’s heart rate and GPS location | $$$ |
| Equilab | Tracks duration, speed, transitions, and energy during training | $ |
SaddleClip
The Equestic SaddleClip is an equine motion sensor that analyzes your horse’s movements to give you detailed information about his rhythm, impulsion, and symmetry.
It will tell you how long you spent riding on the left rein compared to the right, how many transitions you made, and how much energy your horse consumed.
Click to see it at Equestic
These valuable insights help you customize your training plan to suit your horse, minimize injury by picking up on irregularities in your horse’s gaits and monitor his progress.
You’ll Love It If:
- You’re rehabilitating an injured horse
- You’re preparing for a big event
- You’re in intensive training
You Might Want to Skip It If:
- You only ride non-competitively
Estride Tracker
Similar to the SaddleClip, the Estride Tracker measures gait regularity, stride count, training time, and energy consumption. It can also tell you how many calories you’ve burnt during your ride and pick up on subtle signs of lameness in your horse.
The trackers are waterproof capsules that you insert into the horse’s boots or bandages.
Click to see it estride
You can start with just one capsule, which will monitor stride frequency and regularity, stride rhythm, and impact of footfall, although having a sensor on each leg gives more detailed insights into your horse’s overall way of going.
Use the Estride Tracker to improve your training or to help rehabilitate an injured horse and monitor his progress.
You’ll Love It If:
- You’re rehabilitating a competition horse
- You have a horse with underlying lameness issues
- You’re training for a big event
You Might Want to Skip It If:
- Your horse is already performing at its optimum
CEEFIT
CEEFIT combines health monitoring with fitness tracking to give you invaluable insights into your horse’s overall condition and performance.
The CEEFIT Bluetooth sensor clips onto your horse’s girth and monitors his every movement during your training sessions.
Click to see it at Seaver Horse
The data it collects can alert you to a potential problem, like weak hindquarters or an irregular gait while tracking your horse’s cardio effort and speed.
CEEFIT is a horse fitness tracking system that includes medical insights into his overall health. It monitors his vital statistics to give you an idea of his fitness levels and identify areas that need attention. It will also help prevent you from overtraining,
CEEFIT is particularly useful for show jumpers, giving detailed statistics about each jump, including take-off speed, energy absorbed at landing, and cadence in approach.
You’ll Love It If:
- You’re a competitive showjumper
- You’re struggling to reach a specific point in your horse’s training
- You tend to overtrain
You Might Want to Skip It If:
- You’re not a competitive rider
Polar Vantage M2
This multisport smartwatch is one of the few to offer a horse riding setting in its fitness tracking app and has a long enough battery life to monitor day-long rides.
Click to see it at Amazon
It offers heart-rate monitoring and GPS tracking, so you can see how fast and far you’re riding. It will also give you feedback on the quality and duration of your sleep so you know how hard to push yourself in the saddle the next day.
You’ll Love It If:
- You want to track other sports as well as horse riding
- You’re trying to achieve specific fitness goals
- You want 24/7 activity tracking
You Might Want to Skip It If:
- You’re more interested in your horse’s fitness than your own
EquiLab
A great budget option for anyone who already rides with their smartphone, EquiLab tracks both horse and rider fitness free of charge.
The free app gives basic feedback about your ride, including speed, distance, gaits, and transitions. It also calculates how much energy you and your horse have consumed during your training session.
Click to get the app
The affordable premium service offers more in-depth ride analysis and safety tracking, and includes a calendar that you can use to plan your equestrian activities and coordinate with others in your yard or barn.
You’ll Love It If:
- You’re on a tight budget
- You want to monitor both yourself and your horse
- You have a busy equestrian life
You Might Want to Skip It If:
- You don’t carry a phone when you ride
Get it at the App Store and Play Store
Wearables for Horse Health & Safety
This a relatively new, yet rapidly growing, field of equine technology. Wearables can track your horse, alerting you quickly to any incidences of horse theft. They can catch colic in its early stages, keep you up-to-date on a pregnant mare’s progress, and monitor a sick horse’s recovery.
This area of equine technology is arguably the most transformative, revolutionizing how we care for our horses.
Top 3 Tech Devices for Horse Health & Safety
| Wearable | Key Features | Price Point* |
| NightWatch Halter | Monitors and analyzes vital signs and behaviors | $ (monthly subscription) |
| VetCheq | Monitors cardiac function and respiration | No pricing available |
| MiniFinder | GPS location device | $$$ |
NightWatch Halter
The NightWatch Halter is a complete health monitoring system for your horse that enables you to keep tabs on his activity levels and vital statistics even when you’re not at the stable.
It will alert you should your horse show any signs of distress and enable you to tailor your horse’s training sessions based on his overall well-being and night-time activity.
Click to see it at NightWatch
It’s particularly useful if you have a pregnant mare or a horse that’s recovering from injury or illness. You can share behavioral and biometric feedback with your veterinarian team so you can make more informed decisions about your horse’s rehabilitation.
You’ll Love It If:
- You’re caring for a sick horse
- You have a pregnant mare
- You want to customize your training sessions according to your horse’s health
You Might Want to Skip It If:
- Your horse lives on your property
VetCheq
Similar to the NightWatch Halter, VetCheq monitors your horse’s vital signs using a small sensor that attaches to the horse’s leg using a simple leg wrap.
The sensor provides real-time feedback about your horse’s heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration.
Click to see it at Pony Up Technologies
Designed for owners, breeders, veterinarians, and trainers, it enables you to monitor a horse’s recovery, see how he’s responding to different medications, and track cardiac function before a big event.
Using VetCheq, you can get clear insights into how your horse responds to travel and competition and monitor his overall physical exertion and anxiety levels.
You’ll Love It If:
- You’re preparing a horse for a big competition
- You’re rehabilitating a horse after an injury
- You want to optimize your horse’s performance
You Might Want to Skip It If:
- You don’t ride competitively
MiniFinder Atto Pro GPS Tracker
MiniFinder’s GPS tracker attaches to your horse’s halter, so you always know where to find him. Whether he’s grazing in the field or on his way to an event, you can keep tabs on your horse’s whereabouts.
You can also program MiniFinder to send an alert should your horse leave a designated area.
Click to see it at MiniFinder
The MiniFinder GPS Tracker is great if your horses have a large area to roam or if you’re worried about potential theft.
You’ll Love It If:
- Your horses have a large area to roam
- You’re worried about theft
- You want to track your horse on a long journey
You Might Want to Skip It If:
- Your horse has a small, secure enclosure or is stalled
Shopping for Equestrian Technology
Before you start shopping around for the latest gadget or app, think about how it will enhance your equestrian experience.
If you only ever ride with friends, you don’t have much need for a sensor that sends alerts when you fall off. If your horse is stabled 24/7, you probably don’t need a GPS sensor to track his location.
There are several different categories of equestrian technology to consider, including wearables for rider safety, fitness trackers for horses and riders, and wearables for horse health.
Decide on the category that interests you before you look at individual apps and gadgets, as this will give you a clearer perspective on what technological solutions are available for the problems you’re experiencing.
One of the best things about equestrian technology is that it doesn’t have to break the bank. Many apps are free and compatible with smartphones and other devices, while some smaller wearable items cost less than $50.
Of the three categories we’ve outlined, horse wearables tend to be the most expensive, but also have the potential to save you a fortune in veterinary bills and rehabilitation.
What should you consider when shopping for horsey tech items?
Identify what goals technology could help you achieve, whether it’s to monitor a pregnant horse, fine-tune your training sessions, or enhance safety.
Photo Cred: Canva
Once you have an idea of what you’re looking for, do some of your own research! This article makes for a great starting point.
Focus on products that have been well-reviewed and used by equestrians you admire. Where possible, try the product before you buy as this will give you a clearer idea of how it can fit into your equestrian life.
Remember, you’re looking for something convenient and easy to use. If it is too complicated to operate, you won’t use it, no matter how much you might like the idea.
Photo Cred: Canva
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do any Smartwatches track horse riding?
Polar and Garmin smartwatches both allow you to enter horse riding as an activity.
Q: Can Fitbit track horse riding
Fitbit has introduced a horse-riding activity into its workout options.
Q: Does Apple Watch have equestrian?
Apple Watch has an Equestrian sports category in its health/fitness tracking app.
Q: Can you put a tracker in your horse?
You can get an EquineChip™ tracking chip injected into your horse.
Parting Thoughts
Horses have been wearing technology since the first saddle was invented, but the wearable horse technology we have today offers so much more.
The best gadgets and apps offer simple solutions to everyday equestrian problems, such as keeping tabs on your horse when you’re at work or knowing how his anxiety levels affect his performance in competition.
Wearable gadgets and apps can enhance horse and rider safety, monitor health and recovery, analyze performance, and alert you to potential problems before they become life-threatening.
P.S. Enjoy this article? Trot on over to:
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- 6 Genuinely Useful Apps for Tech-Savvy Equestrians
- 20+ Horse Technology Essentials That Make Life Easier
- Write Your Own Letter to My Rookie Self
- Media Guide: Young Black Equestrians Podcast
- Braided: A Herd Dynamic (Horse Rookie Diversity Initiative)
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