Enduro Labs Equine Fitness Tracker Review
The Enduro Labs Equine Fitness Tracker was in for review this month. Testing and monitoring the fitness of our horses, we put the equine fitness tracker through its paces to give you the low-down on this innovative product.
About Enduro Labs
Enduro Labs is an equestrian brand with a vision to bring accessible health and training data into the field of equestrianism. Supporting training goals and overall welfare of horses throughout their working life, the data collected by Enduro Labs’ technology can be utilised by horse owners to note fitness, stress, and therefore, best practice in care and training.
Enduro Labs brings years of experience in creating leading technology in the fitness industry to equestrian’s hands. Working with equine scientists, professionals, and enthusiasts, they have developed a product to help riders identify and support horse training goals and health.
Enduro Labs Equine Fitness Tracker: The Product
The Enduro Lab Equine Fitness tracker is designed as a girth sleeve. Made from hard-wearing, waterproof but washable material, the sleeve is created to withstand the demands of training and whatever the weather throws at it.
The girth sleeve is laced with technology allowing the recording of distance, speed, and location. It has a small, battery-operated sensor too, attaching to the outer surface of the sleeve. This sensor is lightweight and records heart rate data.
All data is sent, via Bluetooth, to an accessible smartphone app, where training data can be saved and reviewed to the rider’s pleasure.
Enduro Labs Equine Fitness Tracker: Performance
The Enduro Labs fitness tracker arrives in a tube with just three components: the girth sleeve, a heart rate sensor, and instructions. Then, of course, downloading the app is required!
The material of the girth sleeve is made from a neoprene-type fabric. Therefore, it was tough enough to withstand long-term use but flexible enough to ensure comfort throughout work.
The instructions were very easy to follow, however, we suggest that you do check them out as device pairing is somewhat out-of-the-ordinary (i.e. it requires water). Once you have done it once though, it’s simple to pair.
The instructions state to wet the sides of the horse, where the sensors sit. Many horse owners may be put off by this. However, rubbing and chaffing were non-existent, with the material design gliding over the moistened patches of the coat. Our tester showed no signs of distress and was very settled in the kit from the start, noted by her low heart rate.
Once fitted, the girth immediately begins tracking heart rate and identifying the location. To begin tracking, all riders need to do is to go into the app and press ‘start’. From here, duration, distance, speed, route, and heart rate are all tracked. The quick and constant connection is perfect for riders looking to track recovery periods for fitness monitoring.
At the end of the session, the app then cumulates data. Average and top speed, pace, and heart rate are all saved, alongside route and distance. It also records when your horse hits different heart rate zones throughout your training. This gives riders a quick insight into horse fitness and helps to mark progression.
PROS
The Enduro Lab Equine Fitness Tracker seems the perfect accessory for any rider looking to make and monitor substantial fitness gains. Easy to use and accessible to all riders, the fitness tracker boasts;
- Being cheaper than other equine fitness trackers.
- Quick and easy set-up.
- A comfortable, hard-wearing design.
- Recording and logging of key horse fitness parameters.
- Quick, cumulative stats for easy progression monitoring.
- Saved routes for repeatability.
CONS
The fitness tracker does add extra bulk to the girth to ensure comfort surrounding the integrated technology. Therefore, for some horses, this may mean the need to purchase a longer girth for the tracker to fit on top. We were fine just loosening the girth a few holes.
One problem we did encounter was that it was difficult to track heart rate whilst on the horse. Our tester was quite safe to quickly glance at a phone screen during walk and in halt. This may be difficult on spooky or young horses. If you’re wanting to reach a certain speed or heart rate threshold during a session, it may be best to have someone on the ground to monitor parameters.
Finally, there is only a three-metre range from the smartphone to the girth sleeve. Therefore, riders do have to always carry their phone during riding for all parameters to be recorded.
The Verdict
The Enduro Equine Fitness Tracker is the perfect, easy-to-use, and accessible accessory for all riders wanting to reach their horse fitness goals. The comfortable, hard-wearing design gives equestrians an insight into their horse’s stamina and recovery. We think it’s an essential piece of kit for those serious about working up the levels of equestrian sport and a game-changer for equestrian atheletes!
The Enduro Labs Equine Fitness Tracker is available from www.enduroequine.com/product/fitness-tracker/.
RRP: £189.00
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Journalist and News Reporter, Everything Horse
Reporting on equestrian news stories, Abby also produces a variety of engaging content for the magazine.