03 May AI-Powered Lameness Detection Has Arrived at HorseMed SA — Here’s What It Means for Your Horse
AI-Powered Lameness Detection Has Arrived at HorseMed SA — Here’s What It Means for Your Horse
At HorseMed SA, we’ve always believed in combining experienced veterinary expertise with the best available technology. That’s why we’re excited to introduce Sleip — an AI-powered motion analysis tool that is changing the way equine lameness is detected and monitored.
What Is Sleip?
Sleip is a scientifically validated app that uses artificial intelligence and smartphone cameras to analyse your horse’s movement in detail that the human eye simply cannot match.
Using computer vision technology, Sleip tracks over 100 anatomical key points on your horse’s body as it moves, measuring gait asymmetries with 2mm accuracy. It analyses the vertical displacement of the head and pelvis to detect unequal limb loading — one of the earliest and most reliable indicators of lameness.
The results, including a stride-by-stride analysis with synchronised biomechanical data, are returned within minutes.
Why Is This Such a Big Deal?
Lameness is one of the most common and costly health issues facing horses of all breeds and disciplines. The challenge has always been that early-stage lameness can be subtle — even experienced vets can find it difficult to pinpoint which limb is affected, or to quantify just how significant the asymmetry is.
Sleip removes that uncertainty. It provides objective, quantified data to support our vets’ clinical assessment — not to replace their expertise, but to add another powerful layer to it.
Think of it like an ECG for a cardiologist. The machine doesn’t replace the doctor, but it gives them far better data to work with.
What Does This Mean for Your Horse?
Earlier detection. Subtle changes in gait can now be identified before they develop into more serious — and more expensive — problems.
Better diagnostics. During lameness workups, Sleip helps our vets assess the response to nerve blocks and other diagnostic procedures with objective measurements rather than subjective observation alone.
Monitoring over time. Each analysis builds a picture of your horse’s individual movement patterns — their own unique “movement fingerprint.” This makes it much easier to track progress during rehabilitation, or to spot when something changes.
Clearer communication. The visual data Sleip produces makes it much easier for us to show you exactly what we’re seeing, and to explain our findings and recommendations clearly.
The Sleip Remote Access Subscription — For Every Horse Owner
One of the features we’re most excited about is Sleip Remote Access, available to horse owners for $30 per month or $300 per year.
Pricing is simple — $30 gives you one full month of access, with no ongoing commitment or automatic renewal. You can try it once and see the value for yourself. For horses you want to monitor regularly, a full year’s access is available for $300.
With remote access, you can:
- Upload videos of your horse yourself from home, paddock, or competition
- Have the AI analysis run on your footage
- Track your horse’s movement over time
- Share results directly with our vets for remote assessment and follow-up
We’re already using this with clients whose elite sport horses are travelling interstate or competing away from home — but it’s just as valuable for pleasure horses and lower-level competitors. If you’ve ever wondered whether your horse is “a bit off” or want to monitor their recovery after an injury or procedure, this gives you a professional-grade tool right in your pocket.
Click here to purchase Sleip Remote Access
Who Is Sleip Suitable For?
Every horse can benefit from objective gait analysis — not just performance horses. Whether you have a racehorse in work, a dressage horse preparing for competition, or a much-loved trail horse, monitoring soundness is part of responsible horse ownership.
Sleip is particularly useful for:
- Horses with a history of lameness or injury
- Horses returning from rehabilitation
- Pre-purchase examinations
- Sport horses in regular training
- Any horse where you want a baseline movement record established
Sleip at HorseMed SA Hills
Our vets at our Hills clinic are now using Sleip as part of our lameness assessments. We are proud to be among the progressive equine practices in South Australia embracing this technology.
If you’d like to know more about Sleip, ask about a remote access subscription, or book a lameness assessment at our Hills clinic, please contact us:
- HorseMed SA Hills: 08 8391 9400 | hills@horsemedsa.com
24/7 emergency equine veterinary care is available — call us and you’ll be connected to the vet on call after hours.
HorseMed SA — South Australia’s Premier Equine Veterinary Service