Peter Mankowski, CEO SeeHorse Wearable

http://seehorse.ca/#

Archived interview as seen in the November 2015 Issue of Arabian Finish Line Magazine...

From Canada, welcome Peter Mankowski the CEO of SeeHorse Wearable, a device that is designed “especially for the equestrian market by people who love horses.” SeeHorse will monitor your horse’s vital signs to “help you improve the health and performance of your horse.”

Congratulations, Peter, on your new product! An awesome and timely product that is sure to become a stable necessity.  

“Most of us at SeeHorse Wearable either have a horse or have had one in the past,” Pete explains. “My background is engineering and I left BlackBerry to pursue something that blends both my skills and passion. When I was younger, I worked on the artificial human heart and found the work exciting and challenging. Saving a life of a living organism is huge responsibility and I wanted to do something relevant. I used to work for BlackBerry in Canada and lead a research and development team. Innovation is in my DNA and I have always dreamed of developing and designing my own gadget. My son left for out-of-town university and the house was so quiet with just my wife Beata and our dog 'Batxer' so to work I went. I didn't want to build another invention for humans and thought of going back to my childhood passion – horses. I started riding in Europe around the age of 5 but did not compete until my teens. Building the first SeeHorse was a result of another company co-funder, Jessica Roberts' idea. She told me that her horse has a busy show season ahead and she really wanted to shine this year so together we developed SeeHorse Wearable to help horse lovers monitor the important vitals of their beloved horse.” 

Did you develop SeeHorse out of necessity for one of your own horses?

Definitely, we built it for our own horses first. As we visit friends or show horses we face frequent horse care, injuries and transportation challenges. Without an actual business plan, we just looked at what we needed and wanted as horse lovers and that was how SeeHorse was born. Last year, one of our horses got really hurt during transportation in the trailer. I always felt that I could have done something to see it coming and SeeHorse now lets us predict when a horse needs a break during transportation. 

Where exactly is SeeHorse positioned for best results? Does it require a special halter/bridle?

No special halter/bridle is required. We provide several straps and options on how to mount it. We did not want to force users to replace what they already had.

What statistics does SeeHorse monitor?
Temperature
Heart rate
Respiratory
Horse’s movement
Fitness level
Count steps
Calories
Pregnancy analytics

Is SeeHorse configured by breed, age, or specific (horse) intrinsic, or is it ready to go out-of-the-box for all horses?
Each Seehorse is ready to help you out-of-the-box by being pre-configured during assembly. Later, you will configure your device to match closely to your horse's needs and customize what vitals you want to closely monitor.

I can share my horse’s statistics with my veterinarian, Facebook and Twitter with your app?

Yes, your horse will have a Facebook and Twitter account allowing frequent updates, even when you are not around. Any important changes are sent automatically. My horse emails me few time a day and it feels like “we are actually talking”. It feels great to be connected.

In addition, you could configure alarms and notifications to be emailed to vets, trainers, and anybody who needs to stay in the loop.

Is the device waterproof and roll proof for horses on continuous pasture?

Yes and yes. We tried our best to make it right. Horses are very large animals so if any point the device does break, we replace those as a part of our company policy, at no cost.

What drives the SeeHorse battery/power?  

The SeeHorse battery needs recharging and we provide you with the wireless charging pad. Simply place your SeeHorse on it and wait.  Another really great feature is the kinetic energy charger that translates your horse's movement into energy. If your horse is active, it will generate its own power. We thought; why not use what universe already gave us – Motion. This is 100% green power, with zero pollution.

The first thing that comes to mind is the pregnant mare ready to foal and how this app can provide critical information directly to the horse owner and vet. Can you share a success story?
In our area, horse breeders are plentiful and all of them have the same challenge – when is the foal going to arrive? We discovered that our SeeHorse can accurately determine mare foaling very accurately. It is more than a simple alarm but a proactive notification of things to come. In addition to the Night Watch feature, SeeHorse helps with watching over your mare and her well-being.

What is in the future for SeeHorse?

We are at the most critical junction and additional funding is required. We hope to continue strong sales and find investors to bring this concept to every horse very soon. We are hoping to be funding over the next few months so we can continue into the next phase of our business.

Connect with Peter and SeeHorse

Web: www.seehorse.ca
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seehorsecanada
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SeeHorseCA

Press: http://www.canadianbusiness.com/innovation/waterloo-startups-2015-seehorse/

http://alphabeatic.com/seehorse/#prettyPhoto

Peter Mankowski, Funder/CEO
SeeHorse
151 Charles Street West,
Kitchener, ON, N2G 1H6
CANADA
Email: peter@seehorse.ca
Web: www.seehorse.ca
Skype: seehorseca
+1 226.220.7210

Special thanks to SeeHorse Social Media Manager, Stacy Sage.