The Unsolved Puzzle: How Data Revealed the Hidden Pain of a Prix St. Georges Horse

Kristine Downs has been a dressage rider for 25 years. As a chemical engineer by training, she thrives on precision, analysis, and problem-solving. But nothing challenged her problem-solving skills quite like her horse, Zeus—a 16-year-old Danish Warmblood with a work ethic as strong as his stoic nature.

From the outside, Zeus looked like an accomplished athlete. The pair had competed through Prix St. Georges, and to most observers, he seemed sound. But Kristine had always sensed something was off. His reluctance to collect, his subtle unevenness—these weren’t new.

They had been there since she bought him at nine years old. And yet, multiple top vets had examined him, including a full bone scan, without finding the root cause. Kristine wasn’t ready to accept that this was just ‘normal’ for Zeus. She wanted answers.

The Data That Changed Everything

That’s when she turned to the Equestic SaddleClip. What started as a way to track Zeus’s movement symmetry soon uncovered something much bigger.

The device detected a persistent landing asymmetry of 18% on the left diagonal (FL-HR) since October, which had recently worsened to 23% during lateral movements and small circles in trot.

The Equestic Data Experts Team also observed a progressive decline in Zeus’s impulsion force over time—his walk impulsion had dropped from 0.25g to 0.2g, a meaningful decrease indicating hind-end weakness.

Kristine, like many experienced riders, had learned to manage Zeus’s quirks. But now, she had cold, hard numbers that showed the asymmetry wasn’t just an occasional bad day.

The data wasn’t influenced by rider position, saddle fit, or rein contact—it was there even during lunging, meaning it was a real physical issue, not a riding imbalance.

The analysis revealed something even more critical:

• Zeus struggled to bend left, with his body remaining crooked to the right.
• His left hind leg took shorter steps and generated less push-off force, forcing the right hind to compensate.
• This led to overuse of the right foreleg, visible in both the data and video—Zeus threw his head up and pulled the right foreleg forward to compensate, putting unhealthy strain on his right side.

Zeus wasn’t just struggling with symmetry—his entire biomechanics were compromised.

The Breakthrough Diagnosis

For the first time in eight years, the vet looked at Zeus’s hind coffin joints—something that had never been considered before.

X-rays confirmed arthritic changes in his hind pastern and coffin joints, making it clear why collection had always been difficult for him. The subtle struggle Kristine had always felt now had a medical explanation.

It was a breakthrough moment.

Because the issue had finally been pinpointed, Kristine and her vet could now create a targeted treatment and management plan:

✅ Injections to reduce inflammation in the hind coffin joints

✅ PEMF therapy, stretching, and rehab exercises to strengthen his hind end

✅ Careful workload adjustments to prevent overloading his front legs

✅ Using an Equiband to slowly encourage more engagement without stress

Why It Mattered

Without the Equestic SaddleClip, Zeus’s condition would have likely remained overlooked. For years, he had been compensating, and Kristine had instinctively adjusted her riding to minimize his discomfort.

But now, instead of simply managing symptoms, they could treat the root cause.

For Kristine, this wasn’t just about performance—it was about giving Zeus the best quality of life.

“I’m confident we would have never found his hind coffin joint issues without Equestic,” she says. “I had some of the best vets look at him, but not once was this area ever considered before.”

And that’s the power of objective data.

For riders like Kristine, it’s not about proving something is wrong—it’s about uncovering what our horses have been trying to tell us all along.

Conclusion: The Future of Horse Welfare is Measurable

Set new protocol with Equestic SaddleClip

In essence, good welfare is good horsemanship, the Equestic SaddleClip transforms traditional horse care into an objective, data-driven practice. With daily movement tracking, riders, trainers, and veterinarians can adjust training to fit the horse’s real abilities, and lead with welfare-friendly training plans.

👉 Riding by feel alone isn’t enough—integrating smart technology ensures a healthier, happier, and more sustainable future for horses. 🚀🐴 Equestic SaddleClip replaces uncertainty with clear, objective progress tracking—ensuring every horse gets the care it truly needs.

✅ Objective Progress Assessment – on top of owner descriptions, vets and therapists get precise motion data, including:

• Consistency of rhythms and its evolution
• Stride length and symmetry changes over time
• Shifts in weight-bearing patterns
• Increased/decreased forces in affected limbs
• Day-to-day variations in movement quality

✅ Early Detection of Setbacks – Instead of realizing an issue weeks later, the Equestic SaddleClip flags small changes immediately, allowing quick adjustments before regression occurs.

✅ Custom-Tailored Recovery Plans – Instead of generic rehab schedules, recovery can be adjusted based on real-time motion trends, ensuring each horse progresses at the right pace.

✅ Improved Communication Between Vets, Therapists, and Riders – Instead of relying on infrequent checkups and phone calls, professionals receive real riding data, allowing them to make evidence-based treatment decisions.

Best Practices for Horse Welfare with Equestic SaddleClip

✅ Data-driven training ensures horses receive the care they truly need— preventing injuries, enhancing recovery, and maximizing long-term performance and well-being.

✅ Customize training to the horse’s needs– Adjust exercises based on real-time data

✅ Optimize workload balance – Prevent overtraining and ensure sufficient recovery

✅ Identify issues early – Track daily movement and spot discomfort before it worsens

✅ Support structured rehabilitation – Provide vets and therapists with precise riding history