Garmin Blaze - new equine fitness tracker

[dmveventer]

https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/1277934/

As a Garmin user and equestrian my Instagram algorithm has been ALL over this since it dropped today. I love to see a mainstream fitness company getting into the equine market. Hopefully it leads to better tech in general, and if they add some extra equestrian features to my Garmin watch that’ll be a huge perk. Having something that can be left on when untacked to track trailer rides and such is also a nice bonus over most of the heart rate monitors I’ve seen.

Obvious downsides are the price ($600 ), and I can’t see how the tail wrap style wouldn’t annoy the crap out of my horse. Even in the ad video the horse’s tail carriage just looks so awkward.

Please someone buy this and report back so I can either get one or get it off my feed for good!

[FjordBCRF]

Ooooo I’m putting this on my Christmas list

[RedHorses]

My first thought after viewing their ad video is that the designers evidently never trailered a nervous horse.

[Demerara_Stables]

That’s a hard no with the tail wrap design. I also can’t see that staying on at. all. My horse would be swishing her tail all over the place and that $600 would get flung into the next county.

But I love the idea!

[TheJenners]

I think the tail carriage is normal and just looks exaggerated because of the wrap itself gathering all the hair up. It just reminds me of how tail carriage looks different in tight Hunter braids.

I think it looks like a neat product! I bet they start marketing it towards eventers for sure! And maybe on the track too? The price range is too much for me, heck I couldn’t pay that much for a Garmin for myself!

[Old_Mac_Donald]

On the underside of the tail, you say…

I’ve seen my horse’s leg straps… He sharts.

[Heinz_57]

I only just got a Ceefit (with the EKG package) last Christmas, so it’s not on my wishlist, especially at that price tag but I’ll be curious to hear actual reviews. I wonder what keeps it from sliding down the tail? I could see a couple angry tail whips and that thing goes sliding off.

I’m all for using data to tailor your workout programs!

[phantomhorse]

I wish someone at Garmin would have taken the time to add fall detection to the horseback riding activity of their watches before developing a tail wrap that I sure hope is washable… would have been a lot more useful to equestrian product users.

[horseshorseshorseshorses]

My husband sent that to me and it may become my Christmas gift. If it does I shall report back. We are a garmin household.

[Ziva.Sparks]

That was my thought! That’s an expensive gadget to clean poo off of.

[rogueknits]

I will be looking for reviews. I’m sure they’ve tested it, but I wouldn’t think the tail would give the most accurate heart rate and temperature readings. Probably more than I want to spend on horse tech, but I’m a data fiend so who knows…

[coffeehag]

I’m a little surprised there’s not a girth attachment instead.

[mombc24]

I wish they’d make an “entry level” sensor that attached to the saddle pad or girth and gives you the data that equestic does about symmetry, which gaits your horse is in, etc

[K_VanOlst]

@mombc24

I wish they’d make an “entry level” sensor that attached to the saddle pad or girth and gives you the data that equestic does about symmetry, which gaits your horse is in, etc

Like the Equisense?

[shortenmyreins]

The Equisense has changed to a subscription format to fully use the app. As a long-time user, I’m not impressed.

[Demerara_Stables]

@coffeehag

I’m a little surprised there’s not a girth attachment instead.

In the description it mentions the tail being a place that doesn’t require “skin preparation” or something like that. I’m guessing the amount of hair on a horse is a problem. Although, I’d be more than willing to shave a patch on my horse’s girth area for a sensor. 🤷

[Heinz_57]

I have a Ceefit HR monitor setup, they sell a gel (similar to the stuff they use for ultrasounds, I’m sure) to put under the sensors. Or you can just wet the hair, which is what I do and it works fine. I’m assuming that’s the “prep” they are referring to!

[dmveventer]

I actually like that it doesn’t attach to the girth, my horse is really particular about his tack and I don’t want to upset the delicate balance we’ve landed on. I can’t really think of where else you could put a sensor though which I guess is how they landed on the tail. There is an artery under there too which would help. I’m guessing it’s similar to wrist-based sensors for humans where the data probably isn’t 100% accurate but still close enough to be useful.

There’s a longer video up now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPHLMQmi0zQ. After seeing it more up close it doesn’t look as uncomfortable as I originally thought, the material seems pretty flexible. And I’m actually not that concerned about the cleaning aspect - my horse already poops on his boots in the trailer, what’s one more thing to hose off?