ONCE again the Dublin Horse Show proved to be a great place to shop with over 300 trade stands to browse through. In amongst the familiar equestrian brands there was a growing presence of innovative new technologies, ranging from apps to LED lighting. There were also some very interesting nutritional products on display. Here is a selection of some of the products which really stood out and a few hints on what we might see next year.
Equilume Stable Light
Luminare
Equilume is well known as a world leader in the research and development of light therapy solutions to assist the global horse industry maximise reproductive efficiency and competitive performance. Equilume was established in 2012 as a result of pioneering research by company founder, Dr. Barbara Anne Murphy at University College Dublin.
Many readers will have heard of the Equilume Light Mask, which is an innovative method of providing artificial light to horses – equine blue light therapy. The mask provides the optimum level of timed blue light to a single eye to effectively deliver all the benefits associated with long summer days.
The Equilume Light Mask permits efficient light management whether horses are indoors, outdoors or on the road, and it ensures early reproductive success and maintenance of coat condition and summer vigour for competition animals.
At the Dublin Horse Show, Equilume launched a new lighting system for stables called the Equilume Stable Light Luminaire. The lights are an optimum blend of high performance LEDs providing a light spectrum that best mimics natural daylight with a high blue component for enhanced biological effect.
A big benefit of this new product is that the LED technology functions at a fraction of the cost of traditional stable lighting, greatly minimising energy costs.
Precision Joint Solution Plus
360 Equine is a new business in Ireland specialising in sourcing and supplying unique products, predominantly for the Equine industry, which are yielding exceptional results to Ireland and the UK. 360 Equine’s aim is to keep it simple for customers – they will not stock multiple products that are used for the same animal condition, for example when it comes to the equine athlete’s leg, they offer one product that helps promote health in that regard.
Their product of choice when it comes to leg care is Precision Joint Solution Plus. This is an innovative supplement scientifically formulated to support and maintain the health of equine joints and connective tissue. The key ingredient is natural egg membrane – a natural source of collagen, glucosamine, chondroitin and hyaluronic acid. These ingredients help support the stability and flexibility of synovial joint functions, as well as increasing skin, coat and hoof health.
At the Dublin Horse Show, 360 Equine was meeting with veterinarians who are looking to trial the supplement as part of stem cell therapy research.
Equine Halo therapy
Halo Therapy is the use of dry salt, aerosol microns and sub particles to treat the respiratory tract, the skin and lethargy. Salt is sodium chloride.The two elements of salt – sodium and chloride – play a variety of very important and crucial roles in the horse’s body, maintaining the balance of their fluids which carry oxygen and nutrients.
Salt is also known as having anti-bacterial. anti-inflammatory, mucolytic and hydrophilic properties, hence assisting in killing bacteria, reducing inflammation, breaking down mucus, and humidifying the respiratory mucosa.
Within bespoke design-built chambers, the horse can relax and absorb the benefits of salt therapy. The unit has a controlled climate based on research and development in conjunction with and guidance from the Irish Equine Centre and Dublin City University.
There are many equine technology projects in the pipeline, including a smart saddle from CWD and a smart rug from Horseware. I’m looking forward to the Dublin Horse Show 2018!