It had all the makings of being a banner year – two thousand and twenty – the dawn of a new decade with the economy in hyper drive and so many exciting new horse tech advancements, horse shows and more until that all changed in the blink of an eye. We’ve had to learn to navigate the ‘new normal’ and if you were like me, you cherished your time riding and the therapy of being around horses even more so. And given the difficulties this year has given us; I structured the question to the advisory board around top takeaway from the year…

December question:
Please share what you've learned most from this year as it relates to horse tech.

This has been a tumultuous year of ups and downs for everyone, but the one thing that has remained constant is the love and dedication to our horses. BarnManager's mission to support that love and dedication has persisted and enabled us to reach more barns and more people. As we grow, we learn more and more about the people who dedicate their lives to caring for horses, and we have discovered a major imperative for two big product updates. First, we have made some adjustments to our design and strategy for BarnManager Pro. This has led to a delay in the release of our billing features but has also helped us to see the challenges of our clients more clearly and ultimately to design a better product for the long run. Second, we have decided to prioritize updates to our scheduling features. The pandemic created new challenges for barns of all sizes and disciplines around scheduling to support their safety protocols. We have heard the requests, and we are currently making plans to address those needs through integrations and design. 

As we reflect back on what we have learned this year, I think the lesson that has reigned supreme is how much power there is in listening to one another. When we really hear each other, we can be there for each other, support one another, and overcome the challenges that we face together. 

Nicole – BarnManager

It’s almost pointless to say that 2020 has been challenging. From talking to our customers, we know that the veterinary industry took a blow right from the start in terms of struggling to adapt to telehealth and all its facets. Many clinics had to figure out how to manage with a smaller staff, and all had to take new measures to ensure everyone’s health and safety. 

But despite these hurdles, we saw the desire to investigate new technologies. And in our space of telemonitoring, the value has never been higher. The usage of the Piavet Systems in the field were rocketing and we are very excited for the long-term trend for digital solutions. Vets know the future is more digital and data is more and more vital to everyday diagnostics and treatment plans. And 2020 really has opened the industry up to this reality. We are really proud of the Piavet Solution and so happy to see its benefits, especially in the face of a pandemic.

Dorina- Piavita

There are two tech related issues/opportunities that stood out for me. The first is the ever-growing acceptance by people of telemedicine during the pandemic and I see no reason why this concept/technology cannot become a norm in the equine industry. Telemedicine opens up a whole new opportunity to evolve the reactive design of today's equine medicine model into a preventive model of care.

The other major issue is the necessity for all horse owners in the States to microchip their horses as done in Europe and their countries. This will make it easier for local authorities and the police to track down owners who abandon/neglect their horses, help prevent horse theft, which according to a recent report is around 40,000 annually (very few are found or reunited with their owners), and lastly, to monitor the movement of horses across multiple jurisdictions or internationally. Mandatory microchipping will improve animal welfare standards, prevent horse theft and prevent the movement of sick/contagious horses. It only takes one sick horse to close down an entire industry.

Alan – Steed

With regard to the question, here are a few things I learned about horse tech and the horse community this year.

· Horse people speak with their heart, but act with their minds 

· Influencers (vets, trainers, peers, social, et al) impact consumer purchase habits differently depending upon breed and discipline affiliation

· We all live in a society/culture more interested in (and likely to) address a problem when it's in front of us (i.e., treatment) versus getting ahead of it (i.e., prevention)

· The equine industry, albeit very large, is still a very small piece of the larger animal industry (companion, production) and we can learn a lot from one another; there is a need for more integration and shared learnings

Jeffrey - NIGHTWATCH

In an industry that has historically been hands-on (and tech-off), the pandemic has perhaps forced many of our subscribers to rely more on record-keeping done through our software. We have enhanced some of our Reports based on customer feedback and needs this year. Our subscribers have added horse owners and staff members to facilitate communication and information sharing from afar. We have received excellent feedback from our customers for our live, prompt, personalized support and training that we have always provided, and will continue to provide.   

Kate – Stable Secretary

I want to take a moment to thank all of the advisory board members for their insights and feedback during the year. As a horse tech community it is paramount to work collectively to educate equestrians on the advancements technology can bring to help the overall health, performance and safety of our horses. I encourage you to follow and ask questions to these providers as the horse tech journey continues.

Nicole Lakin, Owner & President, BarnManager
Juliette Silvain, Founder, Cavall
Dikran Yapoujian, Founder and CEO, Competitor Tent
Juan Palacio, CFO & CMO, Equo
Misty Pleiness, Founder & Creator, HorseLinc
Dave Harig, CEO and Founder, mystride
Jeffrey Schab, Founder & CEO, NIGHTWATCH
Dorina Thiess, CEO and Co-Founder, Piavita
Alison Koenig, CEO and Founder, Sales Paddock
Kate Rice, Founder, Stable Secretary
Alan Wielunski, CEO, Steed
Natasha Sprengers-Levine, COO, Strider
Ann De Mot, Co-Founder, Tagalo
Patrick Husting, Founder, The Equestrian App