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How to create a 3D scan of your horse's back

Saddle fit and comfort are essential to maximise our horses' performance. To help us recommend the right polo saddle for your horses - and to develop the next generation polo saddle - we are developing a tool to match 3D scans of horse backs with 3D scans of our library of polo saddles.

If you have an iPhone with face recognition (X, or later), you can now scan your horse's back in 3D. All you need is an app called ScandyPro, available for free in the App store.

1) Get the ScandyPro app
 

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2) Mark the last thoracic vertebra

The lumbar region is the weakest part of the horse's back and a saddle should never rest on any of the lumbar vertebrae. It is therefore helpful to mark the location of the last thoracic vertebra as this marks the end of the saddle supporting area.

The last rib connects to the last thoracic vertebra. Run your fingers up along the back of the last rib until the rib dives under the muscle that runs along the spine. From this point, continue the line of the last rib up towards the spine and you will have found the last thoracic vertebra. Mark it with a contrasting piece of tape, or a strip of paper. This will be visible in the 3D-scan.

3) Scan your horse

ScandyPro utilizes a technology called TrueDepth, used for face recognition by Apple. To create 3D scans, we therefore need to use the front facing camera. This is slightly arkward, but still straightforward.

Once you have downloaded the ScandyPro app, from the main screen, press "CREATE SCAN". Then press the cube in the bottom left corner, move the slider to ​a BOX SIZE of 0.9m or 3 feet, press "DONE", and you are ready to scan (if you see RESOLUTION instead of BOX SIZE, please go to settings (the three horizontal lines in the upper right hand corner), select Advanced Preferences and turn "Scan Mode v2" off).

Ask someone to help positioning the horse

  • select a level surface

  • get the horse to stand square with a "leg in each corner

  • make sure that the horse's back is straight, i,e, the horse is looking straight ahead with its head at a normal, "neutral' height


Stand on the left side, on a stool, if required. Hold your iphone - with the screen facing the horses back - about 18" (45cm) above the horses back. We recommend that you start at the withers, approximately 4-6" (10-15cm) to the left of the horse's spine, slightly tilted, so that the horse's back is captured on the screen (check this is the case before pressing start). Press the start button, and counting slowly to 3, move your iPhone on a straight line along the horse's back untl your iPhone is above the marker at the back of the support area, then across the back, tilt your iphone's screen slightly towards you and, counting slowly to 3, move your iphone in a straight line towards the withers. Once you reach the withers, press the stop button.

4) Review and save your 3D scan

You should now see a 3D scan on your screen. Check that you have captured the area that supprts the saddle, the withers and top of the shoulders. You should have a 3D image looking like this:

Don't worry if other surfaces have been captured, e.g. the front of yourself (we will crop the scan to just the portion of the back that will support a saddle). If you think that some parts are missing, please redo the scan.

Once you are happy with the scan, please press save. Please note the free version of the app only allows saving one scan per week (1 week of unlimited scans is US$1.99).

5) Email your 3D scan

Once saved, please press the share icon to the right of "TAP TO PREVIEW" (box with vertical arrow):

1) Enter a filename that includes your horse's name and the scanning date
2) Press MM for "Model Scale"
3) Press PLY for "File Type" 
4) Press EXPORT

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Email the 3D scan to info@p-polo.com. Please include:

- your name
- your horse's name
- breed
- height
- age
- current saddle brand and type, if known

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