Book a performance session

While we're getting the software ready for distribution on various platforms (Windows, mac, iPhone, Android), we're offering riders the chance to have a biomechanics assessment with Dr Ilse Daly using a local version of the blackdogPerformance software.

What types of session are available?

We offer one-to-one and group (max 2) sessions for all abilities, details as below. You can book individual sessions through the online shop, slots on existing clinics or arrange your own clinic. Please get in touch if you have any questions!

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All reports and videos are immediately available via email (pending signal!) as well as on a USB memory device (your own, or we can supply one for a £7 charge)

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Note: a charge for petrol will apply for all sessions held at private yards unless 3 or more riders are participating.

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If you'd like to book on behalf of a group, we'd love to hear from you. We offer discounts to riding clubs, pony clubs and other groups. Please don't hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions.

What happens during a blackdogPerformance assessment?

It’s really very simple. All a rider has to do is don the BLACKDOG VMTrack jacket (alright, so it’s not the most fashionable clothing item, but it is scientific at least) and ride in a straight line away from the video camera.

In the first part of the session, Ilse will film multiple videos of the rider at different paces or riding specific movements such as transitions or flying changes. These videos will then be uploaded to a laptop and fed into the blackdogPerformance system. While the code is churning away, there's also an option to do some high-speed (i.e. slow-mo) filming of the rider for additional analysis. By the time that’s done, the results of the analysis will be ready and waiting.

The blackdogPerformance system initially produces an ‘augmented reality’ video along with a model of the rider highlighting their position as they move with the horse. This model can be viewed from multiple angles, highlighting key areas of upper body posture that can be improved. It also produces a report for each of the videos which gives a quantitative analysis of position – putting numbers to qualitative statements like “you’re tipping forwards”.

Ilse will review the results with the rider, and will pick a couple of key areas for improvement. They will then work through some exercises before finally taking more videos to run through the system. This processing time is ideal for reviewing the high speed videos to see what other issues are highlighted by slowing. The results of the second round of filming can be directly compared with the first, giving the rider immediate feedback on their improvement during the session.

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Riders will take away a series of 'before-and-after' animated videos along with a set of reports highlighting key positional metrics.