Ehud Olmert Partners with Protequus
Former Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, Partners with Protequus to Protect the Welfare of Horses
TEL AVIV, ISRAEL and AUSTIN, TEXAS – Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Protequus® are pleased to announce a new strategic partnership to support the global expansion of the NIGHTWATCH® smart halter™ to protect the welfare of horses.
Horses are prey animals, which means they instinctually suppress expression of pain and distress as a mechanism to avoid predators. This is why nearly 90% of foals are born overnight and why signs of colic are often missed during the day by caretakers, especially in stoic horses. However, horses cannot suppress their physiologic responses to pain, such as increased heart rate and respiration, which is why having the ability to noninvasively monitor both a horse’s heart rate and respiration, in addition to their behavior, represents a viable strategy to identify early signs of pain and distress in horses.
The NIGHTWATCH® smart halter™ is a revolutionary equine distress & wellness monitor that promotes early referral and intervention of colic and other forms of equine distress (eg, foaling, being cast). Each year, approximately 10% of horses will experience an episode of colic making it the leading natural cause of death, second only to old age. However, through advances in AI (artificial intelligence), biosensors, and IoT (internet of thing) technology, the NIGHTWATCH® smart halter™ now makes it possible for horse owners to be alerted to colic and other early signs of pain/distress in their horses, especially overnight while these animals are unsupervised. For nearly 9 years, the team at Protequus® has been refining this technology and is now poised to expand this groundbreaking technology to horses outside the United States and Canada.
“Horses have been transforming the world for more than 6,000 years as a result of their speed and power. Today, horses bring together diverse cultures and people from around the world through competition, sport, recreation, and therapy. It is therefore paramount that we, as their caretakers and ambassadors, do all that we can to protect these majestic animals that do so much for us.” says Ehud Olmert.