Elin Hernlund and her international research team introduce VAREN, a groundbreaking 3D parametric model of horses learned from real data. The model enables unprecedented analysis of how horses move and how their muscles respond during motion — a major advance for equine biomechanics research.
VAREN (Very Accurate and Realistic Equine Network) is a breakthrough in equine biomechanics research. Developed through collaboration between leading computer vision and equine science researchers, VAREN is the first parametric 3D model of horses created from real scanning data.
What makes VAREN revolutionary is its ability to model how horses move and how their muscles respond during motion with unprecedented accuracy. The model captures pose-dependent deformations — the way muscles and soft tissues shift as a horse moves — offering insights that were previously impossible to analyze systematically.
This work opens new possibilities for understanding equine locomotion, detecting lameness patterns, and ultimately improving how we train, care for and compete with horses. It exemplifies the kind of cutting-edge research the Professor Fredricson Foundation supports — research grounded in rigorous biomechanics that directly advances horse welfare.
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Two days. One shared goal: advancing horse welfare through science, education and practice. Join leading international experts at the Horse Welfare Summit 2026, where Dr Andrew McLean will deliver two keynote lectures and receive the Professor Ingvar Fredricson Foundation Scholarship.
A new review examines how smartphones are becoming genuine tools for monitoring a horse's soundness, heart rate and recovery, and even for meeting international competition requirements. Among the systems it highlights is Sleip, co-founded by Dr. Elin Hernlund, one of the Foundation's own scholarship recipients, whose work builds on decades of Swedish equine biomechanics research going back to Professor Ingvar Fredricson himself.
On November 2, visitors gathered in Hall B at the Jönköping Horse Show for the Professor Ingvar Fredricson Foundation’s 2025 scholarship ceremony, celebrating groundbreaking Swedish research in equine biomechanics. From the pioneering efforts of the 1970s—when high‑speed cameras and manual measurements were the researcher’s tools—to today’s AI‑powered motion analysis and robotic hoof simulators, the audience was taken on a journey through decades of innovation. Professors Lars Roepstorff and Marie Rhodin, together with Associate Professor Elin Hernlund, shared their latest breakthroughs, followed by live demonstrations showing how AI and high‑precision sensors are transforming the understanding of horse–rider interaction. Moderator Jens Fredricson guided the dialogue and inspired exchange between researchers, while post‑event discussions with attendees helped build valuable bridges between research and practice.
The FEI's guardian framework resonates with the work we champion at the Professor Fredricson Foundation. Advancing equestrian sport means placing the horse's welfare and wellbeing at the center — not as an afterthought, but as the foundation upon which all excellence is built.