Is A.I. The Future Of Horse Sport?
By Karin Lindell
How can we perfect the current judging process at competitions to ensure fairness and impartiality, and even take it a step further to guarantee horse welfare?
The recent discussions related to fairness and subjectively in judged events like dressage have highlighted a pressing need for reform. Questions regarding the subconscious subjectivity of judges and the criteria upon which they base their evaluations, combined with heightened scrutiny of training methods and animal welfare are top of mind right now.
While judges can only assess what they see on that day in the ring, how can we as riders ensure we train in ways that is fair and compassionate to the horse? It might sound strange, but artificial intelligence could help chart the path forward.
While A.I. and other technologies are used widely across sports, its adoption in horse sport has been limited. I believe A.I. holds promise as a tool for fostering objectivity and aiding judges in scoring.
Advancements in technology offer opportunities to enhance the accuracy and objectivity of scoring, thereby promoting a cleaner and more equitable sport.
From the use of sensors, biomechanical analyses, and A.I., there are means to supplement judges’ subjective evaluations with objective data. A.I. can already assess your position in the saddle and offer feedback. What else can it do if we explore it fully?
A.I. technology assessing a rider’s position holds immense promise. By utilizing advanced algorithms, this tech provides feedback to riders, ensuring they maintain proper balance, symmetry and posture. It reduces the risk of discomfort or injury to the horse caused by imbalanced weight. A.I. can also analyze patterns over time, identifying potential issues like irregularities in movement that may indicate pain or discomfort in the horse.
No one is looking to diminish the role of our educated judges. Rather, this is an opportunity to assist and complement their expertise with reliable data. It’s simply about integrating a tool that will mitigate the risk of bias and enhance transparency in the sport.
By promoting correct riding techniques and swiftly addressing any emerging concerns, A.I. contributes significantly to the overall health and well-being of ridden horses, fostering a stronger, more harmonious partnership, all while giving you the tools to improve your performance and score in the ring.
It’s crucial for our industry to prioritize horse welfare to maintain integrity. And isn’t transparency in our sport a better way to showcase what we do to the public?
We stand at a pivotal moment where the convergence of expertise and technology offers unprecedented opportunities to improve equestrian sports. By combining the knowledge of judges with the objective insights made available by these new technologies, we can establish a fair, more transparent competition environment with horse welfare at the center.
Ridesum is the ultimate training app for all riders and trainers who want to improve. Today, the app has 50,000+ riders and 3,000 trainers and experts from over 130 countries. Features offered by Ridesum include the revolutionary AI-powered seat analysis service ‘AI Seat Analytics’, a diary to log and track all horse-related activities, GPS, digital live remote training, the world’s largest bank of trainers and experts, and Pocket Office for efficient horse-related business.
Ridesum was launched in Sweden in 2019. The company is part-owned by Hööks Hästsport, Scandinavia’s leading equestrian company, and Lisen Bratt Fredricson, Swedish equestrian entrepreneur and Olympic show jumper. Ridesum is available for download in the App Store and Google Play.