Director of Veterinary Services, Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia
BVSc

“Sleip doesn’t tell us whether a horse should race—it augments our decision-making. We combine longitudinal gait data with clinical exams, veterinary history, and physical inspection to make the safest, fairest call. This kind of monitoring gives us confidence. If a horse presents the same way across multiple recordings—even with some asymmetry—we can understand that pattern, rather than react to a one-off. During Saudi Cup preparations, both domestic and international horses were recorded multiple times, with international entrants submitting pre-travel recordings via remote upload. One case drew significant commentary on social media around an apparent hindlimb asymmetry seen during trackwork. Thanks to serial assessments using Sleip, we knew the horse’s gait history and cleared it to race, safely and competitively. There’s no global standard yet, but we’re seeing real international momentum toward shared understanding. Longitudinal gait analysis is one more piece of the puzzle—but it’s helping shift the conversation toward earlier detection, more consistent regulation, and better welfare outcomes.”