Pivo users

[Flowerofthefen]

I'm hoping to do a few more online stressage classes next year combined with trips out for real! As I have no one to video me I'm thinking of getting a pivo. Those of you that use them, are they easy to use? What tech do I need to get the video off the pivo to the online competition? TIA

 

[mini_b]

I bought one for online dressage and it was so difficult to use I sold it.

you need to zoom in at end furthest away so easier for someone to film you on a phone.

when you got to C and got close to pivo it would lose the ability to track you.

If you can borrow one before you buy then I would.
It’s a good idea at a reasonable price point but it isn’t a smooth bit of kit to be honest.
It works best at X or the middle of wherever you are riding.
if you have rails/trees around your arena it makes it more difficult to track you.
much better renting a human for this purpose I found.

 

[Flowerofthefen]

I bought one for online dressage and it was so difficult to use I sold it.

you need to zoom in at end furthest away so easier for someone to film you on a phone.

when you got to C and got close to pivo it would lose the ability to track you.

If you can borrow one before you buy then I would.
It’s a good idea at a reasonable price point but it isn’t a smooth bit of kit to be honest.
It works best at X or the middle of wherever you are riding.
if you have rails/trees around your arena it makes it more difficult to track you.
much better renting a human for this purpose I found.

Thank you for your reply. That's a shame, I was hoping to do a bit more on line. Anything else I could use? Apart from a person?!!

 

[Alibear]

I love mine. The footage ends up on your smartphone as a video. There's an option in the pivo app settings on where it goes, in the pivo gallery or your smartphone gallery. So you can transfer it the same way you would for any video you take on your phone. I prefer to edit on my phone using iMovie and save and post/share all from my phone.
I need to start using mine again to check on what we actually look like rather than just how it feels.

 

[Flowerofthefen]

I love mine. The footage ends up on your smartphone as a video. There's an option in the pivo app settings on where it goes, in the pivo gallery or your smartphone gallery. So you can transfer it the same way you would for any video you take on your phone. I prefer to edit on my phone using iMovie and save and post/share all from my phone.
I need to start using mine again to check on what we actually look like rather than just how it feels.

Thank you. I might try to find second hand one.

 

[PetalPower]

I love mine too! It's a really handy tool for assessing your own riding and horse's way of going and they aren't overly expensive imho

 

[mini_b]

Thank you. I might try to find second hand one.

i would definitely get a second hand one and try it out.
It will work best in a grass arena or one that doesn’t have a fence around it. A busy background doesn’t help with tracking.
They do work - unfortunately try as I might I didn’t have the set up to enable this!

 

[Taliesan]

I've used my Pivo to record online dressage tests and I have found it a bit hit and miss. How successful it is depends on your arena and what else might distract it / get in the way.

It does auto zoom when you go to the far end of the arena, which is great, but it can lose you if you place it too close to C and then won't pick you back up until you are more towards the middle of the arena again.

Depending on your phone, and the app updates, sometimes the tracking isn't smooth and can be a bit jerky. I have to say that mine has been fine 90% of the time but some of the updates make it go a bit funky so I just have to wait and hope the issue is patched the next time round.

Overall I think it is a really useful bit of kit but don't expect perfection from it and be prepared to do your test a few times whilst you fiddle about with the placement to find out where it works best.

 

[dollymix]

I have been thinking about a Pivo too so this is a useful thread!

someone mentioned that Pivo are going to be starting to charge users for the app?

I was going to buy one second hand to try it’s put me off thinking I’ll have to pay an annual subscription to use the pod?!

p.s this is what I read on their site…

1-year free Premium Tracking included

When purchasing a Pivo Pod, customers will receive a 1-year subscription of Premium Tracking for free. Premium tracking includes Animal Tracking (horse and dog [beta]). After 1 year, users will have to manually renew their subscription for $29.99/yr

 

[Flowerofthefen]

i would definitely get a second hand one and try it out.
It will work best in a grass arena or one that doesn’t have a fence around it. A busy background doesn’t help with tracking.
They do work - unfortunately try as I might I didn’t have the set up to enable this!

We have sand/ rubber arena surrounded by a fence!! Arrgghhh!!

 

[magicmoments]

I love mine. We have sand arena, and fencing, trees etc. No problem tracking me, but haven't used it for online dressage though. It has been placed in the centre of the school.

 

[Red-1]

I bought one but it never seemed to track me properly so it ended up in the cupboard!

That was near the start though (before zoom) and I believe they have improved the software.

I won't use it if I have to pay an annual subscription, being as it has not worked for me so far.

 

[mini_b]

I love mine. We have sand arena, and fencing, trees etc. No problem tracking me, but haven't used it for online dressage though. It has been placed in the centre of the school.

i found it worked ok if in the centre but not so well at all if placed at one end which is what I bought it for. Recording tests!

 

[Merry neddy man]

In the search box put " who has a Pivo" it will show a thread with 8 pages of comments from earlier this year, plus there are other pivo threads to look at.

 

[SafeInSage]

I'm hoping to do a few more online stressage classes next year combined with trips out for real! As I have no one to video me I'm thinking of getting a pivo. Those of you that use them, are they easy to use? What tech do I need to get the video off the pivo to the online competition? TIA

I would suggest joining the Facebook groups first. I was interested last year but decided against it after seeing the countless issues people were having with tracking and recording. You’ve also gotta have a decent amount of storage on your phone and a decent battery life. From what I heard, the app really eats your battery.

Might be worth checking the online dressage sites too, some of them have different rules re zooming in. If you find one that doesn’t require you to zoom in, you could just buy a tripod with bendy legs and wrap it around a fence.

 

[Alibear]

I have been thinking about a Pivo too so this is a useful thread!

someone mentioned that Pivo are going to be starting to charge users for the app?

I was going to buy one second hand to try it’s put me off thinking I’ll have to pay an annual subscription to use the pod?!

p.s this is what I read on their site…

1-year free Premium Tracking included

When purchasing a Pivo Pod, customers will receive a 1-year subscription of Premium Tracking for free. Premium tracking includes Animal Tracking (horse and dog [beta]). After 1 year, users will have to manually renew their subscription for $29.99/yr

Yes, unfortunately, they're moving/have moved to a subscription fee for the app for new users/purchasers.

 

[rextherobber]

I love mine, it's efficiency does very much depend on what phone you have. Pivo list compatible phones. It follows the shape of the horse, so if you're outside, it might get distracted by a neighbouring horse!

 

[Dontforgetaboutme]

Also different pivo models with the silver, renamed to active more suitable for equestrian use

 

[Cob Life]

i used my pivo for online dressage, the First time I had to play around with how far behind c it needed to be but after that it was all good. I’ve only once had it get confused by another horse and tbf she was between us and the pivo so fair enough!

 

[Smccurrach]

I have used one for the last couple of years. It’s really challenging to get good consistent footage. Mine always pans off me, freezes onto a section of the arena and I have to keep riding past to pick us up again. I often lose some cracking shots due to the thing going awol.
I have the silver model and the latest iPhone. Didn’t make any difference when I upgraded and pivo could not help.
I can still use it with these limitations in mind, hope that helps!