IoT is an enabler and it refers to technologies that allow data to be transferred from one device to another wirelessly. In itself, IoT or any other technology does not make a change or increase understanding, but we need to be able to draw the right conclusions from the data and also be able to change our operations. In the worst case, IoT and the data obtained from it can be an immersing swamp to rummage through or, if used correctly, it can give us a lot of useful and accurate information about what we cannot see with our eyes. In this article, we discuss the topic briefly and superficially from the point of view of measurement related to the horse's well-being.
Technology can support existing skills and deepen understanding.
Possibilities
IoT is a great way to transfer information wirelessly from one device to another. For example, in a situation where our hands are busy doing something else at the same time, which is very characteristic of the horse industry. The device handles the measurement automatically, and there is no need to extract the data from the measuring device separately. Data is transferred via a wireless connection from the measuring device to the receiver, which can be, for example, a smartphone or, for example, a Raspberry Pi, which is a lightweight computer. In the finished product aimed at the end user, the data can pass through the algorithm and the recipient, for example a coach, can see the finished analysis in real time. Data is often at least visualized to make reading easier, even if there is no algorithm between the data and the end user. In that case, the user is responsible for the analysis. In this case, the data is often, for example, various graphs and diagrams.
IoT makes it possible, for example, to measure the air in the stable remotely in real time, so you don't have to drive to the stable to check the air quality numbers. You can check them at home and if the sensors are installed, for example, in the pen and in the corridor, you can get real-time temperature and humidity differences measured at different points around the clock. In this way, it is possible to monitor, for example, the effects of fluctuations in outside temperature, air humidity and pressure on the air quality of the stable. Air quality monitoring provides important information, for example, when thinking about interior weaving, because there can be considerable differences in temperature, for example, when measured from the inside and outside of the pen. By monitoring air quality, connections can also be found with respiratory symptoms in horses. IoT enables measurement around the clock, so monitoring night temperatures is also easy.
Other potential targets of IoT technologies for measuring horse well-being can be, for example
- heart rate measurement around the clock
- heart rate development during training
- measurement of the strength and smoothness of the rider's feel
- measurement of the length of lying time
- body temperature measurement
- amount of free movement around the clock
In all these cases, the most ideal situation is that the numbers can be read from one view without separate time or actions spent on data collection. Data is easier to understand when it is visualized. In this way, the end user can interpret the effects of the data themselves, i.e. draw conclusions from it together with a trainer or veterinarian, for example. If the analysis is based on different algorithms, i.e. offered to the user ready-made, it should be based on research and expertise, such as in the horse industry, for example, veterinary expertise and research. Examples include the variations in the horse's heart rate, deviations from normal and the conclusions drawn from it.
Image: IoT equipment enables, for example, real-time remote monitoring of air quality.
Find out more about measuring garage air here.
Identified challenges
In today's society, we nimbly adopt various devices utilizing IoT technologies, but do we know how to be critical enough about how information is served to us? You don't have to be a professional to be appropriately critical and to recognize the points that are worth questioning from time to time. For example, building algorithms is heavy and long-term work in data analysis. And since the algorithms formed from the data are valuable information, the raw data is usually not opened to the end user in these cases. The user receives information for himself as the final result of this analysis work. We can't see the raw data, but even if we could, we might not understand it. So it's okay to be appropriately critical of the measuring equipment that uses animal welfare technology. Good basic advice is to consult a professional in cases where there is no clear visibility into the basis of data utilization.
In the test measurements, technical and mechanical challenges have also been observed in the measurement equipment from the user's point of view. For example, IoT devices often use a bluetooth connection, the range of which can still only be around 10-15 meters. This is often not enough, if the receiver is, for example, at one end of a 40-meter-long manes with a coach and the horse completes the track at the other end. It is important for the coach to see the real-time readings, for example in the feeling measurement, all the time, so that he can help the student in the best possible way, at the right time. In riding, it's often about getting the timing right. It is directly correlated to how the horse has been able to perform the task according to the rider's instructions, which the trainer has been able to target in the right place at the right time. We will discuss solving the challenges caused by Bluetooth in our future publications.
There are challenges other than technical ones. We can collect a wide variety of data about horses and training, but we must also know how to use it correctly. Each horse is an individual and therefore data alone without context does not give us much information. For example, when measuring feel, we noticed that it is important to identify the horse's training level, the rider's skills and the difficulty of the exercise performed in relation to the rider's level. We will tell you more about the findings of the tests in our future horse welfare measurement articles.
