Equestrians can gauge their performance in real time with RFID

Filed in archive Sports on August 29, 2007

If you are an equestrian who is fed up of using mirrors and watching video footage after practice for gauging your performance then you definitely need to read this. Horse trainers and riders have been on a lookout for new ways to keep a watch on their performance during practice so that they can take steps to improve their performances on the spot and their prayers have been finally answered.

An RFID based system is being tested at the Rhythm and Blues Stables which enables the riders to watch themselves practice with the aid of cameras integrated with sensors. Up till now either mirror was used for gauging performance or help of friends was taken to get some video footage of the session which could be studied later on.

Under the pilot RFID tags of the size of a flattened golf ball are being attached to bridle or bit of the horse and even the clothes of the rider in order to get the best recording angle. Riders and their trainers are able to view their performance live on the screen at optimum camera angles. On the basis of tag data the software directs the best angled digital video images for display on the screen which can even be replayed. For a hundred feet arena this particular RFID system will cost about $25,000 but this is a very small price which riders and trainers would be paying for improving their performance since millions of dollars ride on them.