The researchers hope these biometric sensors can help trainers and vets monitor racehorses in real time. | Getty ImagesAt a press conference on April 21, the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) shared results from a first-of-its-kind study evaluating wearable biometric sensors for musculoskeletal injury prevention in racehorses, which could shape how trainers and veterinariansmonitorhorses in real time.Speaking on behalf of the research team, SaraLangsam, VMD,Chairof the AAEPsRacing CommitteeandSensorProjectLeadCoordinator, emphasized that this was the first project to test these technologiesprospectively,in a real-timesetting.Theyfocusedon 2-year-old racehorses because theywere all at a similar point in their careers. The goal was todeterminewhether wearable sensors could reliablyidentifyhorses at risk of injury before clinical signs appeared.To be consideredviable, Langsamexplained,the devices needed to meet several criteriathey had totransmitdata efficiently, be scalable for widespread industry use, and remain user-friendly enough for adoption across entire racing populations. Six companies wereultimately selectedtoparticipate. However, incomplete datasets led to the exclusion of two companies. The researchers anonymized all data used in the analysis.Peta Hitchens,BAppSci,MVPHMgt,MFTV,PhD,associateprofessor at the University of Melbourne,in Australia,outlined the studys structure and findings. Each horsewas requiredto wear a sensor during every officially recorded breeze, as tracked by Equibase. If a horse missed two recorded breezes, theyrequireda veterinary exam and logged outcomesranging from green (no concern) to red (highconcern)within48 hours.The datasetultimately included4,252 breezes from 561 horses, with a median of 11 breezes per horse. Researchers also analyzed 2,543 veterinary exam reports alongside detailed training and racing records, including speed, distance, timing between breezes, track conditions, and prior injury history.Across the study period, theresearchersidentified221 distinct injuries across 181 horses, including both bone and soft tissue injuries. Notably, injuries most often followed anunofficial(not recorded)breeze(77%), compared to official breezes (17%) or races (7%), and typically occurredabout10weeksinto training.The data revealed clear risk patterns. Horses were more likely to sustain injury if they had a prior injury, received a yellow or red flag in their most recent sensor reading, accumulated multiple red flags over a 90-day period, or were early in training. Unofficial breezes also carried greater risk than official ones.Hitchens said this is likely another indicator of being early on in their training, not that breezing in an unofficial breeze is inherently riskier than in an official breeze.Hitchens noted that sensor performance wasrelatively consistentacross companies, suggesting the technology itself holds promise. However, limitationsremain, such as delays in data reporting, the need for dedicated personnel to track horses, and incomplete injury records.Hitchens said the take-home message is significant: wearable biometric sensors might offer a practical, scalable tool foridentifyingat-risk horses earlier, potentially allowing for intervention before musculoskeletal injuries occur.In the future of this project,researchers hope to further refinethealgorithms to ensure early detection rather than late-stage predictionandvalidateindividual biometric sensorsto reach sufficient sensitivity and specificity for implementation by the racing industry.