What’s on your iPhone? Apps for the iPhone and iPad are the hottest commodity in commerce these days. Every business, every television show, every band, every restaurant seems to have one. But the horse world is slow in catching on. Yes, there are some apps, but we need more! I’d love to hear from readers who have iPhones–what apps do you use, especially for your horse-related activities?

I have high hopes for trade shows like the AAEP convention and Equine Affaire making apps that will both help us navigate through the maze of booths, and find companies that we might not have otherwise known had new products or perhaps events scheduled.

I know that the horse vets in Great Britain are now in an app for horsemen at shows away from home to be able to find. Can US equine practitioners and maybe farriers be far behind? How about state by state health regulations and horse hauling laws? (I bet someone has done that one.)

This week I’m learning my way around the Breeders Cup iPhone app, with pleasure. It’s great! I could go on and on about the apps I use (and the ones that I consider mere eye candy or, worse, screen clutter). I’ve spent many hours in airports scrolling through the Hallway Feeds app of horse news.

You can safely say that I love my iPhone…and the more I use it, the more I love it!

So I was happy to learn today that the FEI has launched an app full of crucial information on prohibited substances.

The “Clean Sport” app allows immediate access to the 2010 FEI Equine Prohibited Substances online database. The FEI says that the app will initially be available for iPhones only, but they are investigating how the technology could be adapted for other smart phones.

The app is free and you can download it at the iTunes Store, according to the FEI. I searched at the App Store on my phone under “FEI” and nothing came up. However, when I searched under “Equine Prohibited…”, it was right there, listed under “FEI”. I don’t know why it doesn’t search under “FEI”, but hopefully that will be resolved.

As well as enabling users to easily navigate the Equine Prohibited Substances database, the app also includes short definitions on each substance as well as a selection of common trade names to avoid confusion.

But that doesn’t necessarily work backwards. Be warned if you use it that you use it on the list’s terms. Type in “bute” and you’ll go nowhere. The list doesn’t intuitively fill in Butazoladin (a trade name) or recognize the nickname or link to the actual name. You’d better know that bute is really Phenylbutazone.

Once you have entered a searchable term in the field that the program recognizes, it will bring up a screen with definitions and facts about that substance, such as trade names, the fei’s classifications (prohibited), a definition (“vasodilator” for isoxsuprine) and some information about what the substance might do “It is used for the treatment of cerebral and peripheral vascular diseases.”)

When I searched for “codeine”, the program returned four results, including one generic result for codeine. The other three results were for products that don’t contain codeine but still came up under codeine. One was acetominophen (Tylenol), which might confuse people. Both codeine and acetominophen have analgesic properties.

There is also a feedback function which will enable users to seek further advice or clarification, if needed, and you can go directly to the FEI web site.

The complete Equine Prohibited Substances database can also be accessed on the FEI website. I’m looking forward to lots more apps from the FEI.

If you want to learn more about apps in general, information abounds on the Internet but if you are just starting, you might be overwhelmed quite quickly. I recommend a completely silly app/video blog calledApps and Hats. The emphasis is definitely on silly!

Apps and Hats follows two women–Canadian Christine and British Hattie. Technically, the “show” is over, since they’ve moved on to other projects, but the videos of 30 or so episodes are archived on the web site. And I bet they haven’t had as much fun as they did doing Apps and Hats!

Christine and Hattie have access to what appears to be the PBS Masterpiece Theater costume department and they love dressing up in hats (and boots and bizarre wardrobe bits). Each episode has a costume theme.

And what do they do with their crazy hats on? They review iPhone apps! All sorts of them–games, productivity tools, television shows (Christine reviews and then explains the animated version of The Price is Right for British viewers) and amazing apps for sound recording, video and things you never dreamed your iPhone could do. Some of the apps are out of date; many have been replaced or updated but this is an easy, low tech, non-threatening and fun way to learn about iPhones and apps. You don’t have to download anything; you can watch Christine and Hattie and learn from them.

And they have a penchant for equestrian-themed outfits…and even go to the racetrack dressed up in ridiculous outfits. These two women have so much fun, you’ll wonder if the iPhone or the costumes inspired them to start this project.

I’ll bet it was a little bit of both, but in their new projects, they’re still using the iPhones.

What’s your favorite app? I know I couldn’t live without Teux Deux, most of all, and Hootsuite for my Twitter and Facebook accounts and Gmail for my email, of course. All three of those are synced with my laptop and work seamlessly. Teux Deux is the newest app for me (besides the FEI list); it’s the to-do list I’ve always been looking for–it’s so simple and so nice to look at, I’m in danger of knowing what to next!

by Fran Jurga | The Jurga Report at Equisearch.comBe friends withFran Jurga on Facebook.comTweet