A new invention may mean that horse people around the country will be sleeping a little better next year, taking the sting out of those 12 or so hours between evening and morning feeds when most of us can only guess at the state of our horses’ wellbeing.
Monitoring human health and fitness using Internet of Things (IoT) technology is just about par for the course these days, from the Apple Watch to the FitBit, and all the products in between. So it’s no surprise that one enterprising company is finally looking to move smart technology over into the equestrian space in a very practical way. Meet Nightwatch, the ‘smart halter’ that will monitor your horse’s vitals (heart and respiratory rates), analyze data (including motion, position, and activity), and send you 24/7 alerts by smartphone or tablet at the first sign of distress (think colic, being cast, etc.).
The Nightwatch dashboard on smartphone and tablet (via nightwatch24.com).
The breakaway halter is waterproof, dust-proof, and made of premium, high-quality leather. And while some owners might blanch at the idea of keeping their horses haltered round-the-clock, Nightwatch could be a game changer for sensitive, colic-prone animals, or those that tend to stress out while on the road.
Nightwatch is expected to roll out next year, and will be accepting pre-orders for the U.S. and Canada in early 2016. You can read Patrick Moorhead’s full report in Forbes, here.