British firm Racewood Ltd is in the business of building equine simulators and now offers eight different models, with the promise of a dressage version on the market soon.

The dressage simulator has the ability to do flying changes, leg yield, shoulder in, half pass, piaffe, passage, pirouette and dressage tests. It also has a saddle sensor that gives balance feedback.

Racewood is the brainchild of Bill Greenwood, who built his first horse simulator in 1990 after he was approached by a jockey who wanted to maintain his riding skills while recovering from injury.

He went on to develop a trotting simulator in 1995 and a cantering simulator later the same year. A more advanced racehorse model followed a year later and a polo pony simulator was finished in 2000.

The head action of the Ridemaster Pro. The first horse simulator was devleoped in 1990 and interactive models were released in 2007.

Fully interactive models were released last year.

The Ridemaster Pro simulates a 15.2hh medium-build horse. It allows the rider to ride to a screen in real-time.

The horse is perfectly schooled and capable of doing advanced movements such as medium trot, medium canter, lateral work and rein back. The neck is moveable and the leg aids are detected by "on the girth" and "behind the girth" sensors. The screen displays the show ring. The rider controls the horse and the screen shows the results, providing feedback on control and riding ability.

A calorie counter can be added for those who also use their simulator time as a workout.

The racing simulator can be programmed to duplicate the start and all the other stages of a race which a jockey can encounter, including neck hang and whipping.

The polo horse has an action that is accurate for practicing in a pit. Racewood can provide a system that continually delivers the ball past the horse at the correct speed, enabling players to practice at 40 shots a minute.

Racewood models have been sold around the world and are being used in equestrian centres as a teaching and training aid, as well as by private individuals.