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Thursday, Mar 28, 2024

Tail Lights Make Horses Traffic Safe

Emergency room physician’s assistant Sami Gros has turned a near tragic accident into a positive business opportunity that could wind up saving lives. The accident occurred Nov. 7, 2008, as Gros and a friend were riding her two horses along a street in Hidden Hills after dark. They had bicycle-type reflectors on, but a driver hit one of the horses when the animal unexpectedly turned its hindquarters into the road. Thankfully, the horse survived and neither rider was seriously injured, but the accident inspired Gros to invent a safer way to ride after dark. The 45-year-old Woodland Hills woman spent four years researching, designing and prototyping the Tail Lights Rider Safety System, investing $160,000 in savings and retirement funds as well as raising investment capital from friends and family. What she came up with is a four-strand, high-intensity LED light that wraps around a horse’s tail and attaches to its breast collar. The system runs for up to nine hours on a single charge; is controlled by a wireless remote; and can cycle through several colors, patterns and intensities. Gros started selling a $549 professional version in late 2013, mainly to mounted police units whose officers spend many hours in the saddle after dark on patrol during events and running search-and-rescue missions. She said law enforcement agencies in Canada, Montana, Michigan and California have purchased the system, with one test unit recently shipped to a mounted group in Australia. She said her company, Tail Lights Inc., brought in $70,000 in revenue this year and she expects around $200,000 in sales next year, thanks to a new consumer version rolling out as part of a successful Kickstarter campaign. The consumer product will sell for $270 beginning in January, but 200-plus Kickstarter donors got it for $155. She markets the lights at horse shows, rodeos and equestrian trade shows around the country and has done extensive social media campaigns as well. “The horse network is pretty small and people have been sharing it on their Facebook pages,” she said. “I’ve gotten a lot of interest from riding clubs around the world and we’ve set up distributors in Europe, the U.K. and Australia” as well as across the United States. While Gros doesn’t expect to quit her day job at Northridge Hospital Medical Center anytime soon, she’s encouraged that her product will prevent accidents. “You never know when you’re going to be out later than expected and it can be terrifying,” she said. “I set out to change how the world sees horses and I’ve done that.” – Karen E. Klein

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