Experts have created an app that will allow horse caretakers to log information about their horses and compare it to other equines across the globe.
A team of equine trainers, vets and behaviorists at the University of Sydney are launching a global database of horse behavior. The app, known as E-BARQ, will allow horse owners to log information about a horse’s physical, mental and social development, and compare it to other data that has been inputted. Owners can share the data with their vets and coaches. The goal is to create a benchmark for certain aspects of equine health and well-being.
This project builds on a similar project for dogs called C-BARQ – an online compilation of information on over 85,000 dogs. The data has been used in more than 70 research studies, some of which have changed the way we care for canines.
E-BARQ is a not-for-profit project that allows the global horse-folk community to share their observational data with the University of Sydney and gain useful benefits in return. The resulting “share-&-compare” graphs will reveal attributes such as trainability, rideability, handling, compliance, boldness, and human social confidence.