Equine Speedometers

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Posted by michael on Sunday January 4, 2004 @05:37AM from the sorry-officer-I-didn't-know-how-fast-I-was-going dept.

Makarand writes "According to this article in The New Zealand Herald scientists at Massey University (NZ) are using GPS to monitor racehorses during their training programme. GPS technology is being used to follow horses around a racetrack and measure how far and fast horses gallop each day. This GPS data along with heart rate measurements is transforming racehorse training into a science."

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What an overkill by superpulpsicle · 2004-01-04 05:42 · Score: 2, Insightful

Now not only do people destroy their family life savings with horse racing.

Now GPS help the horse race business go even higher tech. As if fantasy football and internet slot machine wasn't enough.
1. Re:What an overkill by NtroP · 2004-01-04 05:56 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  Now not only do people destroy their family life savings with horse racing.
  Now GPS help the horse race business go even higher tech. As if fantasy football and internet slot machine wasn't enough.
  I hope this was meant to be funny. Because it sure smacks of the modern American practice of never taking responsibility for one's own actions. Just because a few people can't or won't control their own impulses, I am supposed to be "protected from myself" with draconian regulations. And to top it all off those who earn a living raising and training horses are supposed to avoid trying to get the best performance out of their horses?!
  I have never put a dime down on a horse race in my life, but having raised horses as a child and "raced" them against my firends horses, I enjoy watching these beautiful, majestic creatures, run. And to see one in top physical form, trained with the best techniques available, is for me, a wonderful thing.
  Who knows, maybe with better, more accurate data, the horses will be able to be trained more safely and efficently...
  
  --
  "terrorism" and "pedophilia" are the root passwords to the Constitution
Re:New Tech? by Politburo · 2004-01-04 06:02 · Score: 2, Insightful

Since a horse may not be at a track all day, GPS makes tracking the horse's distance and speed much easier. Plus, there is very little infrastructure to install with a GPS system, whereas your system would need to have sensors installed. The sensors for GPS are already installed, for all of us.