Ways in Which Running and Horse Racing Tech Overlaps

When it comes to running long distances or sprinting as fast as possible, humans still have plenty to learn from others in the animal kingdom.

Horses in particular are built to run, able to dash at incredible speed and even throw in the odd jump here or there at the same time.

Once upon a time both humans and horses ran wild and free, but these days every aspect of their training and performance can be recorded and analysed to the nth degree.

Here are the tech advancements that overlap from running to horse racing, so that fans of both sports can get closer than ever before to the heart-pounding action.

The fitness community has been an early adopter of wearable tech, and now industries and sports like horse racing are following suit

Fit Bits Are Not Just for Humans

There was a time when tracking your training and race prep boiled down to a wristwatch or a stopwatch, with runners required to log their times in running logs and to listen to when their bodies needed to be pushed harder or required a bit of a rest.

The same went for racehorses, as so much of horse care used to come down to the experience of wizened stable hands and trainers, who simply by observing a horse or even whispering to it could decipher what the best course of action would be.

Flash forward to the present day and runners of marathons and Grand Nationals now have every aspect of their training regimens monitored, to the point that betting punters have more data to base their picks on than ever before.

Such data is harvested by the fit bits and smartwatches that runners of all levels now deem crucial to their training plans. But this fitness technology is not only used by humans.

Professional racehorse trainers now have very similar tools at their disposal, such as wearable tech developed by companies like Equilab, that track every aspect of a horse’s training, recovery, and rest. This means that by the time race day comes around, and tips and free bets are flowing online as well as down by the track, most trainers will have a strong idea of whether their beast is fit to win or trundle home in last.

Long-distance runners will know how they feel, as their fit bits and watches increasingly paint an accurate picture or how their race day will pan out.

Horse racing is big business these days, so the more data that bettors and trainers can collect about their beloved beasts’ welfare the better

Horse Riding Tracker is Every Equestrian’s Garmin or Strava

A runner is almost looked down upon if they are not part of a Garmin or Strava database, upon which runners from across the planet can compare their personal best times and even compete against one another.

Now the same is true of horse racing and hacking, thanks to the multitude of apps like Horse Riding Tracker that are now on the market. The beauty of this app is that, unlike the running ones that exist in app stores, it puts the focus squarely on allowing horse owners to care for their animals and discover new and interesting bridal paths in the process.

There are also some apps that are universally used by both riders and runners, so they never get lost on a foggy or dark trail. One of these is MyTracks from Google and another is Alert5, both of which can come in handy if you get thrown from your horse or twist your ankle badly in the middle of nowhere.