The equine industry in Argentina is a sector that moves millions of dollars every year. As an agricultural export country, one of the foundations of its economy is precisely the export of animals to different countries around the world, which is reflected each year in its contribution to Argentina’s GDP. Between 2014 and 2023, a total of 28,387 horses were exported to other countries, generating US$263.2 million, with an average individual value of US$8,322. It’s worth noting that this figure includes all horse sales, not just those related to polo.

As is well known around the world, Argentina is a leader in breeding horses for polo. In fact, a specific breed was created for the sport: the “Raza Polo Argentino”. As a result, horses are constantly being transported around the world. As Guillermo Buchanan, veterinarian and manager of the Argentine Association of Polo Horse Breeders, put it: “Where there is polo, there are Argentine horses.”

That phrase is not only true, but also implies a broader logistical system surrounding the horses, including a host of paperwork. Each horse carries a health record booklet, similar to what humans have for vaccinations. So, when a group of horses travels from Argentina to another country, hundreds of documents identifying them travel as well.

With the arrival of technology and the help of Equus ID, this process has become much easier. Lucas Iraola, CEO of Equus ID, explained: “With Equus ID, we created artificial intelligence capable of recognizing horses through iris biometrics.” In this way, one can access the digital health record, approved by SENASA (Argentina’s National Food Safety and Quality Service), without needing to travel with physical documents that can be lost.

“With the current biometric engine, we have a 99.29% verification rate, the same rate banks use for Face ID in their apps,” Lucas affirmed. He also added that soon “facial biometrics will be possible, so with a phone, you’ll be able to scan a horse and access its specific data.”

Within the same digital health record, not only will vaccination and anemia test data be available, but there’s also a built-in calendar where users can input various details about their horses—such as shoeing or deworming—as well as set reminders if needed.

“The advantage we have over other identification methods currently used—like chips or paper health records with hoof prints—is that with the paper record, you first have to identify the hoof print on the horse, then find the corresponding page, which can even get lost. In contrast, Equus ID lets you access everything from your phone in just three seconds. And a chip doesn’t hold any information by itself—it just gives you a number, which you then need to input into a software program on a computer to get the data. So I believe what we offer most is practicality and speed,” said the CEO of Equus ID.

One of the major advantages of this innovation in the equine world is that the results of anemia tests conducted by SENASA are automatically uploaded to the app, without the need for a vet to physically go with a paper booklet to the location where the test was conducted. Another benefit for veterinarians is that they no longer need to constantly stamp or sign the health records—by simply taking a photo of the vaccine and digitally signing it using Face ID, they can certify the record and vaccinations.

On another note, Santiago Ballester, president of the AACCP (Argentine Polo Horse Breeders Association), also endorsed Equus ID:
“This is pure technology and a wonderful advancement. With the app, you’ll be able to manage your horses, identify them more easily, and maintain a database for all of them. You’ll be able to generate your digital health record. It’s a huge step forward, and it’s here to stay in the horse world. The most important part is how simple it is to identify a horse just by scanning its eye.”

“Any innovation that aims to make things easier for horse breeders, polo players—to give them a tool to simplify things—is a great advantage. With Equus ID and a phone, anyone can know everything about a horse, from its genealogy to every vaccine it’s received. It’s incredible,” added Nicolás Pino, president of the Argentine Rural Society.

Innovation has arrived in polo. Technology is now an ally in the equine world, and Equus ID is an essential tool to make life easier for vets, grooms, polo players, and everyone who works with horses.