1. Place Pivo at X
Pivo works best when it can track the full shape of your horse at an even distance all around. X is the best position to place Pivo at for optimal performance. If you're tracking with Pivo in an open field, the middle of the space would be ideal.
If you want to track your horse anywhere but X, please turn off Predictive Follow and turn on Auto Zoom.
When placing Pivo at the side, we recommend keeping a distance in the following conditions:
- 2 meters in walk
- 3 meters in trot
- 5 meters in canter
2. 10% Rule
In order for Pivo to pick up on your horse, they should fill at least 10% of the screen. That being said, the quality of Tracking depends on other factors such as lighting, distance, speed of movement, your smartphone camera specifications as well as the size of the object on the screen.
3. Stand Out!
We want to see you, and Pivo also wants to see you! Help Pivo distinguish your horse from the background by using some brightly-colored horse tack.
Note: The tack should be in contrast to your horse and the background if your horse is a similar shade to your background.
- If your horse is light and the background is light, use dark tack
- If your horse is dark and the background is dark, use light tack
4. Set up Your Smartphone
For best tracking quality, Horse Tracking uses the back camera as default as it has higher quality than the front camera. If you wish to use the front camera, you can enable it within the settings.
Put the phone in landscape mode (horizontally) to use Horse Tracking, if the phone is on portrait (vertically), it'll still allow you to use the feature but the performance might not be on par when placed horizontally.
5. Type of Smartphone
The Pod and apps are compatible with both iOS and Android smartphones which meet the minimum configuration requirements:
- iPhone 8 or above with iOS 13.0 or higher
- Premium Android phones from 2017 and later with Android version 9.0 or higher
That being said, the more recent the smartphone, the higher the camera quality is likely to be. The higher the camera quality, the easier it will be for Pivo to track you.
Please check out the full list of compatible smartphones for tracking here.
If your phone is not on the list, please ask our Official Horse Community.
6. Action Cameras
For some variety in the footage, action cameras are a great option to use with Pivo. While Pivo is tracking your horse with Horse Tracking on your smartphone, you can be filming with the action camera attached to the Action Mount for wider lens capabilities at the same time. Click here for How to Get Started with the Action Mount.
7. Tripod
A Tripod is a must-have accessory for Horse Tracking. Set it up correctly and you're ready to capture!
Follow the steps below to get started:
- Find a flat surface to place the Tripod. Best to put it in the center of the arena for better tracking.
- Unfold the legs and make sure the legs are secure. The Pivo Tripod has 3 stability options. The wider the legs are adjusted, the more stable the Tripod will be.
- Extend the Tripod’s neck to the desired height and secure it by clicking the locks shut. We recommend at least the height of the horse’s chest for optimal tracking.
- Place the Pivo Pod on top of the Tripod and turn it clockwise until firmly secured
- Put your smartphone into the Pivo Pod horizontally.
- Add some weight on the little hook underneath the Tripod for more stability. This is not required but highly recommended especially when recording on a windy day.
Note: To prevent injuries or damages which may result if the Pivo Pod falls off, we highly suggest following all the steps mentioned above.
Tips & Tricks: Mode Settings
1. On-Screen Position
Use Left Position (if you are moving from left to right) or Right Position (if you are moving from right to left) in Landscape mode for better tracking when you're wanting to move at a faster pace.
With Auto-Alignment, Pivo will automatically adjust the alignment of the tracking target on the screen to ensure that the target is always centered. When the target is moving towards the left, Pivo will automatically adjust the alignment to the Right to ensure the target is centered. When the target is moving towards the right, Pivo will automatically adjust the alignment to the Left to ensure the target is centered.
2. Tracking Speed
Set your Pivo to Slow if you're looking to move at a chill pace, or to Fast or Frenzy if you're looking to move at a faster pace.
3. Predictive Follow
If you're looking to ride at a fast pace, turn on Predictive Follow so that even if you ride out of frame beyond the rotation speed of your Pivo, Pivo will track you in the direction you're going for 40 more degrees.
4. Target Exposure
If you're riding in an area with uneven lighting, or in the morning or afternoon where the sun is brighter on one side of the screen, we recommend turning on Target Exposure. With Target Exposure on, your horse will be evenly exposed no matter if the background gets darker or lighter, and Pivo will be able to track your horse easier.
5. Auto Zoom
Auto Zoom is a super cool feature that allows Pivo to automatically zoom in and out on the tracking target in Smart Tracking. When you move far away, Pivo will automatically zoom in to make sure you fill at least 10% of the frame in order to continue tracking you at a far distance. Please turn on Auto Zoom in order to track your horse at further distances.
