Methodology

What we measure, and why it matters.

Eight Furlong is a measurement company. Our bespoke, veterinary-grounded equine biomech model reads anatomical landmarks on parade-day video, derives a disciplined set of movement dimensions, and grounds every signal in a 14,654-horse validated cohort. Below is what we measure publicly — and at the bottom, what we don't.

Where we measure

The anatomy of the score.

A real frame from a yearling parade (2022 Inglis Easter, Lot 7) with the anatomical landmarks our model tracks. Hover any point to see which dimensions of the score it feeds.

REAL PARADE FRAME · Inglis Easter 2022 · Lot 7 · Anatomical measurement points
Eight dimensions

Eight dimensions of movement.

A disciplined set — three frame proportions, one carriage, two stride mechanics, and two soundness checks. Eight Furlong measures these on every horse it sees.

Frame · proportion

Leg-to-body ratio

Average leg length divided by body length. The single most informative shape signal in the cohort.

Frame · proportion

Chest-to-body ratio

Chest depth (back to belly) divided by body length. Indexes heart/lung capacity — the engine-room measure.

Frame · proportion

Neck-to-body ratio

Neck length divided by body length. Correlates with reach and balance in stride.

Frame · carriage

Head height

Vertical position of the nose relative to the withers, in body-lengths. Captures how the horse carries itself.

Stride · mechanics

Stride length

Distance between successive same-side hoof prints, in body-lengths. Computed across the walk cycle.

Stride · mechanics

Overtrack

How far past the front hoof print the rear hoof lands. Bigger overtrack = freer, more athletic movement.

Soundness · symmetry

Symmetry score

Left-vs-right balance of stride dynamics across the full walk cycle. A reliability flag, not just a metric.

Soundness · symmetry

Head-bob amplitude

Vertical head movement during the stride cycle. Pronounced bob can flag asymmetry or unsoundness.

What we don't publish

The recipe stays in-house.

Showing what we measure is rigour. Showing how we combine it would be a gift to the next desk. Three things we deliberately keep private:

×

The scoring formula

How the eight dimensions combine into a single value-screen score.

×

The metric weights

Which dimensions drive the score — and by how much — across price band and sex.

×

The validation pairings

The 14,654 yearling-to-race-outcome joins that calibrate every threshold.

We publish what we measure. How we combine it is the IP.

Where the model doesn't work
"We measure yearlings, not predictions. The score is a biomech value-screen — a way to find hidden value below $300k, not a way to pick the next Winx."
Framing what this is — and isn't.
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Bring this data analysis to your next sale.

Briefings for bloodstock managers, syndicators and trainers. Eight Furlong is private and bespoke — we don't publish picks.