Apps – programmes for your smartphone or tablet that help with life’s little chores – are still relatively little used by riders.

But with an increasing range of options on the market to help with stable management to racing and betting, perhaps we should be changing our ways.

We select the best horsey apps currently available via iPhone/iTunes App Store (iA) and/ or Android Market (AM).

Competition and training

D&H/H&H young rider app (FREE) List of young rider fixtures in nine disciplines – from eventing to endurance – including dates, details and maps, plus training tips, including video content, and discipline-specific feeding advice from the experts at Dodson & Horrell.

CourseWalk ( £2.99, iA, AM, developed in the USA) allows you to upload full course details and a map, plus distances, terrain, photos of fences etc, then keep records or share!

EquiTempo ( £2.99, iA) metronome utility at a predetermined rate. Plug into an arena sound system and change tempo to suit movements.

FEI EquiTests 1 (iA, developed in the USA) try out a freesample of the FEI young riders individual competition test. FEI EquiTests – Dressage; FEI EquiTests – Eventing. FEI EquiTests Para ( £2.99 each, iA, developed in the USA).

PRP Rescue Pay On Use (iA, AM) free pay-on-use horsebox breakdown and recovery service using GSP. PRP Rider Rescue (free download, £15 per year) emergency rider rescue service.

EquiSketch Dressage ( £2.99 iA) uses graphic “equisketch board” to create, manage and review tests, including both visual and written cues, sharing facility.

101 Dressage ( £13.99 iA) popular collection of dressage training exercises.

CleanSports (iA, AM) free from FEI to update riders on the FEI CleanSport prohibited substances database – boring but essential.

Horsemanship (iA, AM, £1.99) the first in an excellent series of training apps, followed by Groundwork and Riding Exercises
(iA, AM, £1.99).

Stable management

Ask The Vet (iA, £3.99) Available for iPad only, your veterinary questions answered by Horse & Hound’s experts.

Horse Budget (iA, £0.69) keep a track on your equestrian spending.

Equine Weight (iA, £0.69) tool for accurate weight measuring in foals, yearlings and full-grown horses, easy graphics.

EquiList (iA, £1.49) preloaded list and checkboxes of over 100 items needed for competition, including categories for travel, documents, tack and the rider, customisable.

EquiSketch Records (iA, £2.99) massive database creation tool includes farriery, medical and all records for a professional yard.

V-E-T (iA) a free app that allows you to access a vet when away from home.

EquineVet (iA, AM, £2.49) extraordinarily extensive health information and diagnosis, also in series, EquineConformation (iA £2.49).

Racing and betting

William Hill, Betfred, Paddy Power, Coral, Victor Chandler, the Tote and Betfair (iA, AM, BlackBerry) all have mobile betting apps, but visit websites for download details as they vary between iPhone App Store, BlackBerry and Android.

Racing UK and Racing Post(iA, AM) both have excellent horseracing industry apps; for general racing app details visit www.attheraces.com.

Betting calculators available from Bet Calc UK (iA), Bet Compute ( £1.99, AM) very useful for working out multiple betting.

Oddschecker (iA) is the best-known odds comparison site, along with Betrescue Odds (AM), both aimed at serious punters.

Raceform (iA, £1.49) provides database templates for personal form notes.

Events

Badminton Horse Trials (iA) keeps you up to date with all the news, views and gossip from one of the world’s most prestigious horse trials for free.

The Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials (iA) is also free and will bring you all the latest news, results and competition details direct to your iPhone – it will even keep a note of your car park row number for you.

Hickstead (iA) provides live updates for competitors and visitors and includes an in-built map that gives you traffic updates and directions straight to the event for free.

Ascot (iA) is designed to be your free on-course raceday guide providing you with up to the minute odds and racing information.

To read the full feature on equestrian apps see the current issue of H&H (26 April 2012)