EVJ podcast spotlights smartphone gait analysis and equine biomarkers

Equine Veterinary Journal’s May 2026 “In Conversation” podcast pairs two studies that point to the same shift in equine practice: more objective measurement, using tools that are easier to deploy in the field. In the episode, Karsten Key discusses a validation study of the RealHorse smartphone-based, markerless gait analysis tool, while Olga Witkowska-Piłaszewicz discusses a proteomics study that identified exercise-specific plasma protein signatures in racehorses that may help track training adaptation and peak physiological load. The podcast was posted in May 2026 by EVJ, and the two featured papers were published in Equine Veterinary Journal with DOIs 10.1002/evj.70149 and 10.1002/evj.70146. (evj.podbean.com)

Why it matters: For equine veterinarians, the pairing is notable because it reflects two practical directions in performance and sports medicine: lower-friction gait assessment through a handheld phone, and richer biologic monitoring through omics-based biomarkers. Key’s study, summarized by the University of Copenhagen research portal, found low trial-level mean absolute errors for vertical displacement measurements versus a gold-standard motion capture system, supporting smartphone video as a plausible clinical aid rather than just a screening novelty. Witkowska-Piłaszewicz’s study followed 49 Arabian and Thoroughbred racehorses across training phases and analyzed 314 plasma samples, suggesting blood-based protein panels could eventually help distinguish routine conditioning from peak strain or overload. (researchprofiles.ku.dk)

What to watch: Expect the next step to be real-world validation in broader practice settings, especially whether smartphone gait tools and proteomic biomarker panels can improve earlier detection, monitoring, and decision-making outside research environments. (researchprofiles.ku.dk)