RideAlign Get Started

Step 1 of 3

Film or upload a riding video

For a clean screening, aim for:

  • Side view: ride a circle around the person filming. The camera person stands in the middle of a 15–20 m circle and turns with the rider, so the rider stays side-on and the same distance away the whole time. Keep the circle on flat, even ground.
  • Front or back view: ride straight down the centerline toward or away from the camera
  • Rider's full body in frame — head through foot clearly visible
  • Good, even lighting — avoid strong backlight or deep shadow
  • Phone held steady at roughly shoulder height
  • At least 10 seconds of continuous, steady riding at your usual gait — about one full circle for a side view (10–20 seconds is ideal)
  • A brightly lit clip (or your phone's slo-mo mode) — the foot moves quickly at a trot, and sharper frames track it more reliably than motion-blurred ones
  • Optional, for even smoother tracking: a small piece of brightly colored vet wrap (or tape, or a marker dot) on the boot/foot — pick a color that stands out from clothing and the horse's coat. RideAlign automatically detects it and locks on more reliably.
  • Same goes for the head: a strip of bright vet wrap or a sticker on the front or top of the helmet gives the tracker something distinct to lock onto — helmets are usually a solid dark color, which is easy to lose against trees, fences, or other cluttered backgrounds, especially while the camera is panning to follow the horse.

Our tip: use vet wrap for color markers

We recommend brightly colored vet wrap (self-adhesive bandage) for your tracking markers. It holds on its own and won't leave residue on your boots or helmet. On the horse, wrap it around the long pastern bone — between the fetlock and the hoof — so boots or polo wraps won't get in the way.

Person filming a mounted rider from the side with a smartphone held at shoulder height

Real examples from RideAlign clips

Stills from real SeatCheck screenings, filmed on a phone. The green dot is the head point, the purple dot is the foot point, and the line between them is the balance line RideAlign scores.

Rider cantering a bay horse past a white fence, with a tracked head-to-foot line and a tilt reading of 0.3 degrees from vertical shown on the video
Tracked result with the live tilt readingAt this moment of the canter the head-to-foot line is 0.3° from vertical. The orange marker on her heel gives the foot point a bright color to lock onto, even with trees behind her.
Rider at the trot on a bay horse, filmed side-on, with the tracked head and foot points joined by a balance line
Trot, side-on — a good SeatCheck clipRider's full body in frame from helmet to stirrup, camera level and side-on. A bright sticker on a dark helmet helps the head point against busy backgrounds like these trees.
Camera access wasn't available — you can upload a video instead.