2a) At the Stable - Angle

In this section, we will get Vert calibrated for your horse and set up for your riding preferences. It will take about 10 minutes.

Attaching Vert To Your Bridle

Vert should be attached to the headpiece of your bridle before you put the bridle on your horse.

• place Vert on the crown piece of the bridle with the light facing the rider
• pull the working end of the Velcro strap tight around the bridle
• trim the working end with scissors
• (if the other end of the velcro strap comes loose during this process, simply tuck it back into the bottom pocket)

Once Vert is securely attached, put the bridle on the horse and slide Vert to the middle of the crown piece.

Calibrating Vert

The first time you launch the app, you will be asked to calibrate Vert.

Calibration is a one-time setup process that is necessary so that Vert “knows” what vertical is for each horse and bridle combination. It is a combination of measuring the shape of your horse’s head, and a way for you to decide what vertical looks like for your horse.

When you begin, a screen will appear asking you to input the name of the horse and bridle.

Next is the actual calibration process, and for that you will need two people; one to handle the phone and one to handle the horse.

• the horse should be standing fairly still
• the handler should use small treats to manipulate the position of the horse’s head
• the person with the phone should give direction to the handler (“forward”, “back”, “higher”, “lower”, etc.)
• when the front of the face is judged to be on the vertical, press the set button in the app
• this process should be repeated a few times; so that the app can calculate an average value
• values are often in the -10° to -30° range

Congratulations! You are now done with the hard part. The calibration for your horse is now stored on your phone.

Choosing a Mode

There are 2 modes to choose from on the main configuration screen. The active mode is white. To change between modes, just tap the one in black.

Behind The Vertical

This mode is useful as a kind of “alarm” which is triggered if the head moves through the minimum angle.

• if the head goes behind the minimum angle, Vert glows red
  
• when the head is in front of the minimum angle, Vert turns off

3-Zone

This mode is useful to give constant feedback about the current position.

• if the head goes behind the minimum angle, Vert glows red
  
• if the head goes ahead of the maximum angle, Vert glows blue
  
• when the head is between the two angles, Vert glows green
  

Usage

In either mode, you may adjust the desired angles by using your finger to move the dot corresponding with a given angle; you can watch the shape of the horse’s head and neck change, and see the numeric display change.

At the bottom of the screen is a button with a wrench to adjust other options, including the brightness of Vert’s display. In general, you will need to use a brighter light when there’s more ambient light, e.g. on a sunny day. Start with the brightness set at 50 and adjust up or down as necessary.

It’s a good idea to keep the brightness as low as possible to save battery life. You may also use the brightness to suit your own training preferences; Vert can serve as a quiet nudge or a more demanding presence.

Once you have selected a mode, chosen your angles, and decided on a brightness level, you must press the SET button to save the new settings in Vert. When the set button is pressed, the screen darkens, and Vert flashes purple, then flashes white twice. It is then ready to be used independent of the app. Then you can then simply use the on-off button on Vert at the beginning and end of your rides, and leave the phone behind.

Ready To Go!

You are now ready to ride! Off you go and try it out…


• to save battery life, turn Vert on after you’re done with longeing, warmup, etc.
• please note that Vert may be distracting until you are used to incorporating the feedback it gives you. the first few times you use it, try make sure there are no other riders in the arena. in other words, you may get fixated on the blinky lights and forget to steer. however, the effect wears off quickly.