2019 Horse Tech Year in Review: The Good, the Broken and the Reality
Pardon our tardiness for not posting this earlier, since this is a look back post that marks the second year that The Tech Equestrian has been covering all of the latest innovations and solutions in horse tech. And now that we are officially in 2020, we wanted to share some of the highlights, insights and observations from 2019 on how tech is impacting ourselves and our equine companions.
The Good
In 2019 we interviewed 15 horse tech solution providers and introduced the TTE Advisory Board that consisted of 11 members from a range of horse tech companies and startups including:
Alison Koenig, Founder & CEO, Sales Paddock
Patrick Husting, Founder, The Equestrian App
Misty Pleiness, Founder & Creator, HorseLinc
Jeffrey Schab, Founder & CEO, Nightwatch
Juan Palacio, CFO & CMO, Equo
Jenny Fudge, Co-Founder, GoHorse
Kate Motley, Co-Founder, Hylofit
Nick Rolle, Sales, Ekinox
Kate Rice, Founder, Stable Secretary
Richard Phillips, COO & Co-Founder, Huufe
Alexa Anthony, CEO, StableGuard
Many Opportunities
We saw new apps, products/services and wearables from the US and across the world emerging – there are some that tend to look similar, but each one offers a different solution to the equestrian. You can view all of the categories on the ‘resources’ page on the TTE website. You’ll notice that we have interviewed 12 vendors in the Horse Management and Care category and in other categories there are only 1 or 2. New categories are being added, take for instance Event Clinics, an organization that brings a digital aspect to organizing and planning training and horse clinics.
Equine Tech Collab
In the US, it’s exciting to see the Equine Tech Collab growing and adding new companies – which is extremely important when it comes to joining forces to build awareness and educate horse owners on the value of tech in a very traditional world. Their tagline is ‘stronger together’ and if you haven’t had a chance, we strongly encourage you to check out their website and follow them on social to keep up to date on offers or education opportunities this year.
What’s Trending
Some of the most exciting new products are taking traditional business on the digital journey overnight. For instance, we just finished a post on MedTech newcomer, Piavita – a Swiss based company that is transforming veterinary horse care by introducing a solution that enables vets the ability to monitor vitals with the use of a wearable device that is connected to a wireless base station and software program. What used to be 50% accurate indication of a horses condition, is now a more exact data-driven and consistent view of what a horse is going through. The Tech Equestrian article here.
Predictions
Who will be the Chewy® of the Horse World?
One of the keys to a successful horse tech solution will be how well do they know their customer and cater to their needs by leveraging tech and good old customer service. We see this is the corporate and consumer worlds where the customer-centric values can make or break a company. One of the best examples of standout customer service is the online pet food retailer, Chewy who is known for writing handwritten letters from its employees to their customers pets and so many other personal touches that made them stand out from the brick and mortar pet stores. Chewy received the Stevie Award for Favorite Customer Service in Retail in 2017 and 2018 and they were acquired by PetsMart in 2017. So how do you translate that type of customer service into the horse world – we are looking forward to seeing who can do it best in 2020!
The Broken
There is still an enormous learning curve the industry has to overcome to increase adoption of using horse tech. Horse care and horseback riding are steeped in tradition and there is a reason for that – working with very intelligent, fight or flight animals means the focus is on making things consistent and predictable, to increase safety and reduce risk – so change is hard. What are the obstacles that we need to overcome to see the benefits of horse tech? We think the most important step in this process is to keep an open mind and think about what these products and services can do for you and your horse(s). Maybe you start small, take the time to test and trial and then determine what you want to learn more about. Reach out to others in the industry, read up on the providers by following this blog, share and ask questions. The first step is the hardest, but after that you might be thankful you took it!
The Reality
Besides a good business model, you need investment and capital to succeed – in 2019 we saw StableGuard close shop. They had a top-notch product, but it takes more than good ideas to keep a business going. Alexa Anthony, CEO of Magic AI (makers of StableGuard) just posted her behind the scenes take on starting the company and how much she grew from the experience. I have no doubt she will be back with more great ideas and the motivation to make a difference! View story here.
We also saw UK ride tracking app, Huufe merge with Harry Hall (a popular horse retailer in the UK). This is very normal when it comes to start ups and emerging tech providers – companies are created overnight and then 6 months to a year later reality sets in and consolidation and buyouts become common place. It makes good business sense for traditional horse brands to buy up or take over these new tech innovations to keep one foot in the future and one grounded in the current day.
Cell Phone usage at Competitions
Just released from the USHJA (United States Hunter Jumper Association) there is a new rule on electronic devices usage (i.e. cell phones) that is important for all competitors to abide by in 2020. As a rider, you are prohibited to use your cell phone with or without earbuds while mounted in all areas designated for schooling and exercise and while longeing horses on competition grounds. View the full list of rules here
2020 - A New Decade of Innovation is Upon Us
Cheers to the start of a new decade and to exciting new products and services for you and your horse. We hope to see you out and about at horse shows this year and that you follow along to keep educated on what’s new and what’s next! Stay tuned for next week’s post that will feature predictions from our growing TTE Advisory Board!