The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) released findings from the AAEP Wearable Biometric Sensor Research Project, a first-of-its-kind prospective study evaluating the effectiveness of sensor technology in detecting impending musculoskeletal injuries in Thoroughbred racehorses.
The study demonstrated that these high-tech tools show promise as a detection system for musculoskeletal injury in racehorses and can serve as an effective complement to the existing oversight provided by veterinarians and trainers.
The project followed two-year-old Thoroughbreds over the course of one year, capturing data in real time as the horses entered training. By analyzing high-speed exercise sessions (breezes), sensors worn by the racehorses in the study provided one of three status levels: Green, Yellow or Red.
Key Findings & Data Insights
Of the six companies selected to participate in the study, four companies successfully submitted sufficient data reports for analysis: Alogo, Arioneo, StableAnalytics and StrideSafe. Highlights from the data analysis include:
- Increased Risk Detection: Horses flagged with a yellow or red sensor reading were about twice as likely to sustain a musculoskeletal issue compared with those with green readings.
- Cumulative Credibility: The likelihood of a documented musculoskeletal issue increased progressively for horses that received multiple resd or yellow designations.
- Training Management: Using weable sensors did not appear to interfere with the training regimen of study participants. Half of the two-year-olds participating in the study raced in 2025, compared with the industry average of 39.6% of eligible two-year-olds making a start in 2025.
Industry Implications
While the AAEP believes weable biometric sensors require further refinement before becoming a mandated device in Thoroughbred racing, the information they currently provide can be useful to those making decisions regarding ahorse's health and welfare.
"This study was not intended to validate the use of sensors as a tool to scratch horses from competition on race day but rather to validate if sensors can provide more information about a racehorse's physical condition prior to a horse being entered to race," says Dr. Sara Langsam, AAEP project coordinator for the study and chair of the AAEP Racing Committee.
As the Thoroughbred industry continues to implement proactive, data-driven methods for ensuring the health of racehorses, the AAEP urges racing stakeholders to pursue further prospective assessment to elucidate injury incidence and refine the sensitivity and specificity of individual sensors so that musculoskeletal injuries can be detected even sooner during training.
The AAEP Wearable Biometric Sensor Research Project is the first prospective research project to evaluate sensor effectiveness for injury detection. Six companies utilized proprietary sensors and algorithms to detect soundness concerns in two-year-old Thoroughbred racehorses. To ensure date integrity, reports with incomplete or deliquent data were excluded from the final analysis.
This project was funded by 11 organizations in the Thoroughbred and veterinary industries who provided over $900,000 in support: Breeders' Cup Limited; Fasig-Tiptonl; The Foundation for the Horse, the charitable arm of the AAEP; Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation; Keeneland Association; Kentucky Thoroughbred Association/Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners & Breeders; The New York Racing Association; New York Thoroughbred Hrosemen's Association; Oak Tree Racing Association; Ocala Breeders' Sales Company; Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association.
The AAEP extends its gratitude to Dr. Peta Hichens, lead data analyst, and the members of the AAEP REsearch Project Working Group who conceived and managed the project: Dr. Emma Adam, Dr. Larry Dramlage, Dr. Kate Garrett, Dr. Scott Hay, Dr. Sara Langsam, Dr. Scott Palmer and Dr. Susan Stover.
