HOW TECHNOLOGY IS HELPING TO IMPROVE RACEHORSE SAFETY
For most racegoers, wearable technology is something we associate with fitness watches and health trackers. But what about putting the equine equivalent on racehorses?
Similar technology is being used to help vets and trainers understand more about the horses in their care, offering new insights into their health, wellbeing and performance.
How technology is helping
Modern wearable devices can be fitted to horses during training, travel, racing, and recovery. Using small sensors, professionals can monitor factors such as heart rate, movement, stride patterns and overall physical condition, providing detailed information that was previously difficult to collect outside a veterinary clinic setting.
This data helps trainers and vets build a clearer picture of each individual horse’s health and can highlight potential issues before they become visible through traditional observation alone. Rather than replacing experienced horsemanship and veterinary expertise, the technology adds another valuable tool to support decision-making.
Monitoring heart health
A horse’s heart plays a vital role in both health and performance. The equine heart is a remarkably powerful and efficient organ, pumping hundreds of litres of blood through the body and delivering oxygen to the horse’s muscle groups. From a resting rate of approximately 30 beats per minute, a horse's heart rate can reach a staggering 240 bpm when galloping – fuelling the thoroughbred’s unrivalled athletic ability.
But, as in people, cardiac rhythm irregularities can sometimes occur. When they do, they can cause poor performance and, in rare cases, more severe signs such as collapse. Wearable biometric technology enables vets to record electrocardiograms (ECGs) during exercise, allowing cardiac activity to be monitored at racing speed and helping identify heart rhythms that may not be detectable after work.
Racehorse trainers have been using this equipment in yards and on the gallops for many years to help inform their planning around training regimes and rest periods, with daily analysis and monitoring supporting a horse’s readiness to race.
First across the line
In 2025, British racing became the first racing jurisdiction to trial the use of wearable technology on the racecourse itself.
The pilot project is helping researchers better understand the equine heart health and, in the longer term, help identify and treat those at increased risk of experiencing cardiac issues.
Working with Max Kendrick and the team at Fergal O’Brien Racing, this work is being led by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) with support from the Horse Welfare Board and funding from the Racing Foundation.
The next phase will expand the trial to include more horses and build a greater understanding of how the technology can support horse welfare.
Spotting injuries sooner
In racing, one of the biggest challenges is preventing musculoskeletal injuries, which can result from strain on bones, tendons, ligaments and joints. Many serious injuries develop gradually over time, often beginning as small changes that are difficult to detect.
Wearable technology is helping vets and trainers spot potential problems earlier by monitoring how horses move during exercise. Research has shown that subtle changes in a horse’s stride can sometimes be an early indicator of injury. By comparing this data with a horse’s normal movement patterns, vets can identify changes that might otherwise go unnoticed, helping them investigate potential issues and adjust management to reduce the risk of more serious injuries developing.
Looking to the future
As technology continues to develop, wearable devices are becoming smaller, more advanced and more accessible. Combined with emerging tools such as artificial intelligence, they could help veterinarians identify health concerns earlier, improve rehabilitation programmes and further enhance the welfare of racehorses.
While there will never be a substitute for experienced horse people and skilled veterinary professionals, wearable technology is providing exciting new opportunities to better understand, protect and care for the horses at the heart of our sport.
Discover the full story behind this innovation. In his original article for Horse & Hound, Howard Newitt MRCVS explains how data and wearable technology could help improve horse welfare through earlier detection of health and performance issues. Read more on the British Horseracing Authority website.