I’m not really a gadgety type person,but am intrigued by the Fall Detection offered by the Series 4 Apple Watch. I am considering putting on my Christmas list, but am curious if jumping sets off false alarms regularly. Anyone with feedback?
I am aware of the phone apps available that don’t require the watch but am particularly interested in hearing feedback on the watch’s system.
I know my apple watch 3 asks me every day if I want to record my outdoor run while I’m riding:)
LetItBe
Resident apple nerd here. My friend sent me this thread in hopes that I might be able to help. The series 4 watch is programmed (but you must turn on this feature, it’s not automatically enabled) to detect several types of falls.
When a fall is detected, it will play an alarm (even if the watch is on silent) prompting you to answer if you’ve fallen or not. If you do not answer within a certain amount of time and it determines you have not moved from the fall In that time, the watch will automatically call emergency services for you. (It will also alert your emergency contacts that you’ve contacted emergency services as well, but you must have a medical ID set up in the health app with the emergency contacts info at bare minimum).
Apple states that the watch cannot detect ALL falls, and that certain high impact sports might trigger this alert without even falling. However, I have yet to set mine off riding, but it did detect when I tripped and fell over my dog a couple weeks back. So there’s that. I think the watch would be set off more by someone doing kickboxing, karate, or something along those lines versus riding, but I haven’t tested that theory.
I personally upgraded from the series 2 to the series 4 with cellular because I’m disabled and figured that it would be a good thing to have in case of a fall. Just be mindful that a watch without cellular (the gps only model) must be within Bluetooth range of the phone to make/recieve calls and get notifications. The cellular can only activate on the four main carriers (sprint, Verizon, att, and T Moblile) and a couple within Canada.
If you you have any more questions, feel free to ask away!
Just came here to scratch my head at all the people who wear their “wearables” to the barn! I am not an apple watch fan, but have the Galaxy watch and I couldn’t imagine wearing it at the filthy barn where it will be destroyed :eek::eek: even thought I’d love to track my fitness while there.
Fall detection will work regardless of service, but my best guess would be you would need to have some sort of cell service either on your phone or for the cellular watch for it to call 911 automatically.
The workout part has always been an interesting struggle for me in terms of tracking riding. I always use “other” under the workout selections because it really doesn’t fit into anything else perfectly. I do know that it will track “your” steps while riding- mainly your horses, but it does keep up with it. (Hint: you can submit feedback to apple suggesting that they add a workout feature for equestrians. The link is at the bottom of their website.
I have yet to damage my watch at the barn, and it’s water resistant. I don’t have to worry about taking it off when I bathe a horse or scrub troughs. Plus, it tracks all my activity there, where I’m most active, so I definitely don’t want to miss out on those steps or closing my rings.
On the bright side, I have AppleCare on mine, so should I damage it, they’ll replace it for $69 (up to two times) within the first two years. I also keep a screen protector on mine, and that’s helped.
As as far as getting dirty, I just rinse it off and keep on going. No harm done. I do have a specific band a switch to for when I’m there, but it’s mainly because it’s more breathable.
Why would you take it off? If it’s that delicate, then I imagine there would be a line of people demanding to return them! Most (if not all) of the smartwatches are at least water resistant so they can easily be wiped or rinsed off. I wouldn’t want a fabric band, but any of the silicone or metal ones seem very reasonable for barn chores. Would I wear it if I was helping pull a filly out of a mare, probably not. But I’d have no problem if I was just riding or even doing light chores.
Next we need someone who rides and also does karate to compare and contrast. :lol:
I’ve been wearing a FitBit for the last few years and love it for tracking my activity. I’ve been looking at upgrading to the iWatch 4 with cellular though since I often ride and run alone. I like the idea of not always having to run or ride with my phone on me. I had a bad asthma attack trail running this summer then yesterday I had a nasty fall in the indoor riding by myself…I think those two events are finally enough to sell me on the cost of the 4. Good to see feedback on the fall feature as I wondered about that after yesterday (not that I plan on needing it again).
I have the Apple Watch 3 with cellular and there is a way to track your workout - do other and then when you end it you can “name the workout” and there is “equestrian sports” as an option!
but yes, it does track horse steps not human steps!
@MHM I’ve been known to do some kickboxing and my bf is an amateur MMA fighter If I get it I just might be able to do that LOL
I don’t know if it’s that delicate, and for $300 I’m terrified to find out how delicate it is. The galaxy watch is completely waterproof to the point of swimming in them, I’m not worried about water. I’m worried about banging it on the gate, or it getting gunked up cleaning stalls. It has a rotating bezel so I feel like dirt and gunk could ruin that. Riding is probably the only time I would consider wearing it, the least dangerous part of the barn day. I really want to wear it to the barn, that’s where a lot of my active time comes from. I’ve just been worried! It does have a screen protector, and I do have a silicon band for it. I keep thinking about it but haven’t done it yet 
In some of my googling, someone mentioned they hit their watch face against a blanket buckle and that did shatter it. But that AppleCare covered the replacement. She now wears those little fuzzy sweatbands over it when she’s at the barn - which seems like a good idea!
I have worn a couple different Garmin watches out to the barn and have never had an issue with damage or dirt. They are completely waterproof and I have worn the ones with a silicone band so are easily washed. I don’t see a point in owning a fitness watch that can’t hold up to the various activities I participate in.
My husband just gave me the Apple Watch Series 4 for my birthday because of the new Fall Detection feature. I’ve had zero desire to get one until now.
I ride a 4 year old VERY GREEN horse alone at night (covered arena with lights) a few weeknights a week and we now have so much more peace of mind. Shoot - even on the weekends in the afternoon the barn is often quiet with no one around (I like to avoid lesson times - lol navigating a wiggly 4yo around Up Downers gets tricky).
I got the GPS only which reaches to my phone in the barn but the first ride I did place my phone on a standard in the middle of the ring. Also - I got the silicone band and put a screen protector on it. I think it should hold up well to barn life!
IMO this is almost as necessary as a helmet for those of us that end up alone a lot. As a full time working mom it’s the only way I can get ride time in on weekdays (shout out to super husband/dad that takes care of kiddo while I ride a few nights a week).
Thank you @That Grey Mare !! This is exactly why I ask!! I purchased a 3yo in November that just turned four last week. It’s difficult to find times where I can have the ring to myself to ride but still have someone in the barn.
I am guessing you haven’t jumped with it on yet? Curious if the impact of a normal landing sets it off as I also have an older horse I ride, and I don’t want to think about turning fall detection on & off…
I’ve jumped with it a ton and it never sets off fall detection. YMMV of course, but I"m jumping a pretty heavy 17.3h beast over 1.20-1.25m and it hasn’t been an issue.
… scurries to spend money …
Thanks @greysfordays that is exactly what I need to know! I’ve got one 17.2 hand 1.2m horse, one 15.3 2’6 horse and the 17 hand baby that just jumped his first crossrail!
I would guess it’s not just the impact that it’s looking for, but the falling and motionlessness after. My horse spun the other day on the backside of a jump and I fell off landing on my feet and that also did not set it off.
I have been wearing it for three months now and it’s definitely the insurance I wanted! I am able to ride and jump in it - though it is a little annoying that it keeps buzzing asking if I want to record an outdoor run - and it doesn’t alert emergency services erroneously. It is because you keep moving after landing.
I have set the fall detection off once but was able to tell it I was OK before it did anything. I was clipping a pony who stepped on my shoe (but didn’t get my toe). I smacked her and then went back to pushing on her shoulder to try to get her to lift her leg. I guess the impact of me smacking her followed by I was pinned in place set it off. Now I know to wave my arm around after making an impact like that!
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