“Digital Horse” Solution – We Give the Horse a Voice in its Training

Dutch Start-up Equestic gallops forward with unique AI-driven solution to improve performance, coaching and safety for both 60 million horses and 335 million riders globally

NOVEMBER 6, 2024 (AMSTERDAM) – Smart Horse Technologies BV announced today its Equestic Coach-Copilot software, a first-of-its kind AI-powered solution that dramatically improves performance, coaching and safety for both riders and horses.

“We aim to transform the traditional equestrian market through Equestic Coach-Copilot by creating a digital twin of the horse and rider to enhance performance, enabling coaches to design data-driven individualized training plans and ensuring the highest standards of animal safety,” explained Equestic CEO Leon Rutten.

While rider tracking has been a part of the equestrian world for several years, Equestic Coach-Copilot is the first and only software solution that uses deep data insights and AI analysis to address the needs of the horse as well as the rider. With the system, a rider and a coach can analyze more than 100 Equine Motion Performance Indicators (EPMI) in real time to identify trends and find correlations in benchmarks with 99% accuracy through its proprietary AI intelligence platform. Built upon a dataset of more than 400,000 unique rides amassed over five years, and utilizing Equestic’s existing SaddleClip hardware and easy-to-use mobile applications, Equestic Coach-Copilot enables deeper understanding and improves communication between coach, rider and horse.

According to a recent report by Nielsen Sports[1], the global economic impact of equestrian sports – which does not include horse racing or betting – has reached approximately USD 300 billion per year, with more than half of that coming from the United States and approximately 20% from Europe. The worldwide industry includes more than 60 million horses (led by 27% in North America) and 335 million professional and amateur riders.

[1] Global Equestrian Research – Nielson, March 2024.

“In just the eight key markets across Europe, the UK, and North America – including Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Sweden and the UK – about 25% of the population aged 16 to 65, or approximately 94 million people, ride horses at least occasionally,” added Nielsen Sports.

Equestic aims to capitalize on the market by focusing on both the approximately 3 million professional and active riders and the 250,000 coaches who serve them by selling subscription services for its proprietary platform. Previously, Equestic has already raised €1.6M in investments. The company now aims to capture 5% of riders and 12% of coaches in targeted segments, with a goal of achieving €35M in subscription revenue within four years of the Coach-Copilot launch.

Many in the industry also believe that this higher level of technological innovation and insight will become the standard in the near future. “By 2030, we believe every single horse will be equipped with a sensor,” continued Rutten, “allowing AI to create a digital twin and detailed tracking of each rider’s entire training history.

Unlike other Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) that are complex and require extensive preparation, training and precise placement on the horse, the SaddleClip is designed for simplicity and reliability, attaching directly to the saddle and allowing for accurate locomotion data collection during both ridden and ground-based exercises.

Equestic SaddleClip precisely calculates training time spent standing, walking, trotting or cantering on the left or right rein as well as the number of jumps. Algorithms can then review the rhythm, impulsion and symmetry metrics of the ride. With Coach-Copilot, coaches can create personalized development plans for riders, supported by instant feedback from the system which translates complex multi-sensor data into user-friendly insights. It can also synchronize the data stream with video recordings of each training and visualize telemetry data for detailed review.

George Williams, Grand Prix Dressage Trainer, President of the United States Dressage Federation (USDF), said: “It helps me create awareness with my students and enables them to train even more precisely. It shows every little deviation you need to work on.”

One other benefit of the system is horse safety and well-being. This past year has seen several unfortunate high-profile incidents of horse mistreatment, and resultant athlete disqualification. Equestic’s solutions can better balance horse training loads, detect early signs of potential health issues, predict and prevent injuries, monitor recovery progress and prevent unintentional abuse during training.

Former World Champion, Grand Prix Rider and National Coach of WE Germany Nuno Avelar added, “As a professional rider and trainer, I have seen firsthand how important precision and data-driven insights have become in the equestrian world. Equestic is at the forefront of this digital transformation, offering technology that enhances both performance and the well-being of the horse. Their innovative tools give riders and trainers access to real-time data, allowing us to make informed decisions that can significantly improve training and competition outcomes. This is the future of the sport, and I am excited to see how Equestic continues to drive progress.”

Equestic represents the perfect combination of horse-riding experience and technology. Founded by Dutch CEO Leon Rutten, who brings a renowned family history of equestrian sports coaching to the business to complement his 30 years of IT experience on the hardware and software side, the company also features ex-Microsoft Marketing Leader Dmitry Marchenko, helping integrate AI and machine learning into the company’s products and services.

The Equestic Application is available for free download on the App Store and Google Play, with several additional subscription levels available to match desired scope of functions and cost. It is allowed by FEI, USDF and other national federations for use in competitions.

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Equestic is the consumer brand of Dutch company Smart Horse Technologies BV. Equestic has sold SaddleClips in 65 markets worldwide, recording more than 400,000 unique rides over the past five years to create an extremely precise (99% accuracy) AI solution for assessing rider and horse combinations. For more information about the company, please visit www.equestic.com.

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MediaRelations@workinginyourshoes.com

Info@equestic.com

Transform USD 300 Billion Equestrian Industry

“Digital Horse” Solution – We Give the Horse a Voice in its Training

Dutch Start-up Equestic gallops forward with unique AI-driven solution to improve performance, coaching and safety for both 60 million horses and 335 million riders globally