High-performance heart monitor for equine sport

Gmax Technology asked us to help develop an innovative heart monitor to help vets and trainers accurately monitor their sport horses. Up until now they usually adapted human heart monitors, but they often gave false results and could not spot anomalies that could indicate future heart problems.  They also did not hold up well in the demanding commercial equine training environment.

Our Approach

Working closely with Gmax, the heart monitor was designed from the ground up for equine use by first talking to trainers and vets.  The ECG electronics and analysis software was optimised for the heart signals found in horses so Vetcheck quickly displays the heart rate withing seconds of use.  The electrical contact system was also designed to work reliably through a horses coat.  Over the development many prototypes were built and tested in real training conditions to achieve a high level of performance and reliability.

The device ergonomics and user interface were created to allow the vet to see the heart beat trace, a visualisation that allows anomalies to be quickly identified.  The monitor is also wirelessly connected to a Smartphone allowing measurements to be automatically recorded in a database, alongside other training data.

The value we created

The Gmax VetCheck system is in use by equine professionals  all over the world.  It is the easiest and most accurate way to make measurements of your horse’s heart and is used both in training and international competitions to ensure that high standards of welfare are maintained.