Technology is advancing at a very fast pace to a point that is hard to keep up. The latest smartphone that you’d buy this year would be considered as an old-timer a year later.
Technology has made some big changes in the way we live. It is hard to imagine an organization, industry, or sport without some kind of technology, and the same goes for horse racing.
Horse racing is one of the oldest sports in the world, first seen in the Olympic Games in ancient Greece. Since then, this exciting race between horses has changed a lot. The idea of the sport remains the same, but nowadays there is a technology that makes the sport safer, easier to watch, and more entertaining.
Let’s find out how technology has impacted horse racing.
Table of Contents
Photo Finish
Since horses are running at high speed, in the past, it was very hard to determine the winner of a race. This is a sport where there are many close finishes and a few inches can make the difference between places.
Photo finishes are available since 1881, but the technology has improved a lot. Nowadays, newer technologies are using 1-dimensional array sensors instead of film cameras that capture the right moment before the horses cross the line.
In the past, officials waited for a photo to be developed, and only after that, they can declare the winner. New digital technology answers immediately.
Safety
The main goal of the organizers is the safety of the riders and their horses in a race. This is a very dangerous sport and we’ve seen many horrifying injuries in the past. There is a number of things that improve the safety of the participants.
For example, organizers are using bright colors on a fence to help horses see them better, which significantly reduces the number of accidents. Technology plays an important role in both riders and horse safety.
First of all, horses are overheated after the race which can cause risk to their health and safety. That is where thermal imaging cameras come in handy. Vets can check the temperatures of horses after a race, and take action to cool them off.
The same goes for the medical equipment for humans. Every track has MRI scanners, X-rays, and other ways that will help them diagnose injuries.
More Data
If you are watching horse races, you probably already know that this is a data-driven sport, and fans love to make statistical analyses that will help them choose the winning horse. Back in the past, it was very hard to keep track of someone’s performance on the race track, just because all results were handwritten.
Nowadays, you can access each runner’s skill level, performance, and previous results. The same thing goes for the horses that race on the track. All data is tracked and kept through much online software that can get access to the required information in minutes.
Mobile Sports Betting
Horse racing is a sport that becomes even more exciting when you put some money on a horse. Wagering has always been a part of this sport and many people mainly go to a horse race just to bet on their favorite horse and win money.
Nowadays, sports betting has improved in many ways. You no longer need to go on a horse race to place bets, as you can watch them from your home and place bets through your smartphone. There are many horse racing betting websites like TwinSpires that offer some of the most exciting horse races all across the world. Plus, they also offer a nice signup bonus: TwinSpires.com/200-signup
Horse betting alongside the available data you have access to from previous matches is a recipe for getting a winning streak.
Final Words
Obviously, technology is an important part of our lives, and like it or not, it makes the world a better place. New technologies are developed every day, and who knows what horse racing would look like in the future.
