Kurt Systems' racehorse training and monitoring vehicle
To steer the horse in the same direction as the vehicle, the open fronted stall section of the vehicle needs to be linked to independent hydraulic steering, combined with electronically controlled reins. The reins are enclosed within two forward curving booms on the body structure, controlled by the driver. The chassis and running gear contain a complex, box-section, cross-braced frame, with suspension derived from a Ford F150 series truck. A Volvo 2.4litre, five-cylinder diesel engine powers the vehicle, it drives through a conventional automotive automatic gearbox and is delivered via hub reduction on the rear axle only. Speed is precisely controlled from walking pace up to race conditions, up to a maximum 60kph (16 metres per second). The body of the vehicle is fabricated mainly from GRP and the forward 'stall' area enclosed by soft, padded, pneumatically controlled arms, which surround the horse when required.










