FAQ
Yes, we have already discovered a few reviews. We have linked a selection of them on our homepage. For example, the Association of Leisure Riders and Drivers in Germany (VFD) has published a detailed test report. You can have a look at it at https://www.vfdnet.de/index.php/9625-guardian-horse-im-vfd-test. In addition, the journal St. Georg recommended our system as a digital emergency helper in its April 2019 issue .
Yes, you can apply the basic horse rider safety mechanism without any additional products. The app is free of charge and the only costs that may arise are the standard SMS costs for sending an emergency SMS.
If you want to apply additional safety mechanisms like automated accident detection or first-aiders support, you need to buy the required accessoiries like our accident tracker or SOS badges.
The app only needs a minimal edge signal at the moment when the emergency SMS is to be sent. Otherwise the app only runs locally on the mobile phone - without an internet connection. The network coverage for GSM / Edge signals is almost 100% in Germany. The impression that there is no reception in the area is usually misleading because WhatsApp, Facebook or Runtastic may not be usable here properly. It is often sufficient for an SMS.
On average about 30-50m. Since the system is based on Bluetooth wireless technology, the exact distance depends on the surrounding interference. In the VFD test report, for example, the alarm started after 20m.
Our system is intended for severe falls where the rider is no longer able to use her mobile phone herself. In most cases, such falls are a situation in which the horse gets frightened and breaks. And even if some horses stay with the rider after the fall, they often return to the stable and the herd after a few minutes. A horse is and will remain a flight animal. We discussed this question with many riders, horse and riding accident experts who all confirmed our assumption. Of course there are also exceptions in which this may not happen, and cases in which you are active alone in the riding hall or in the paddock. To support such scenarios as well, we have built a motionless detection feature into the app.
No, unfortunately it is not possible to locate the horse. To do this, you would have to install a GPS transmitter. That would make the product much more expensive, it would be more cumbersome to use and would require significantly more energy. We want to keep our system simple and offer it as inexpensively as possible for many people. We have therefore decided not to use GPS tracking in the first version of our tracker.
Smartphones can withstand a lot, especially if you also use a protective cover. But of course our system doesn't always help either. We believe, however, that it makes more sense to use a safety system that can automatically call for help in 95% of cases than to be left unconscious on the floor 100% of the time in an emergency.