Get ready for another way to increase your riding intelligence with the aid of horse training app: Ride iQ. The Tech Equestrian had the chance to catch up with the horse tech entrepreneurs, fellow equestrians and sisters, Jessa and McKinsey Lux to understand how this app can make a difference in your training and performance goals.

Growing up in Minnesota, Jessa and McKinsey were active young riders in Pony Club, which got them warmed up for eventing. As they advanced in their riding careers they searched for coaches and found success with Kyle and Jen Carter in Ocala, Florida. This opportunity enabled them to send their horses to Florida, and McKinsey even moved to their farm during high school. “Kyle and Jen are two of the best coaches out there, and we were so grateful to work with them. Our riding improved tremendously under their watch, and it was apparent to us how beneficial it was to have that level of guidance,” shared Jessa. Recently, the sisters gave up their marketing and finance jobs to focus solely on making the app a start up success.

Access to World-Class Coaches
Ride iQ launched on August 17th of this year as a mobile app featuring on-demand audio instruction from the best equestrian coaches. “Having guidance from one of the most accomplished riders and coaches while you ride…it’s an incredible upgrade from a standard schooling ride, and we’re already seeing how impactful it is for our members,” explained McKinsey. The app gives you access to trainers that have decades of experience in the sport. The Ride iQ coaches find the app to be a great tool in sharing not only their teaching insights, but to leave a legacy of information to up and coming equestrians.

The sisters have partnered with the Carters and shared that they are fortunate to be able to tap into their extensive equestrian network to reach the best coaches. Right now, they’re focused on eventing, dressage, and hunter/jumpers. As the Head of Content for the app, Kyle has helped source an incredible wealth of knowledge from riders and coaches listed below:

International Coaches on the app include:
Leslie Law – British Olympic Gold Medalist Event Rider 
Ema Klugman – 5* US Event Rider, “A” Pony Club Alumni
Doug Payne – US Olympic Event Rider, Grand Prix Jumper Rider, “A” Pony Club Alumni
Jon Holling – 5* US Event Rider, FEI National Safety Officer for the US
Holly Hudspeth – 5* US Event Rider 
Sinead Halpin – 5* US Event Rider 
Peter Gray – Bermudian Olympic Event Rider, Canadian Olympic Event Coach, 5* Dressage Judge
Gina Smith – Canadian Olympic Dressage Rider, 2024 Colombian Olympic Dressage Coach, “A” Pony Club Alumni
Jen Carter – 5* US Event Rider 
Lesley Grant Law – 5* Canadian Event Rider 
Dennis Mitchell – US Grand Prix Jumper Rider 
Kyle Carter – Canadian Olympic Event Rider 

How it Works - Listen and Learn While You Ride
A coach will record the who, what, where and why for each exercise and break it down to make it easy to follow and understand. “We had 50 test riders prior to launch to help us make sure the lessons are clear and easy to follow and are the right length of time,” shared McKinsey.

Ride iQ is free to download from the Apple and Google app stores with the ability to create an account on the website. The membership fee is $29.99 (monthly) or $249 (yearly - a savings of 30%). One of the best features of membership is that the lesson program isn’t static; members will receive up to 15 new lessons every Tuesday. Lessons are organized by type, level, horse temperament, and coach and cover everything from flatwork to jumping to tests (for dressage and eventing).

An Educated Community 
To help foster continuous access and insight, Ride iQ has created a private Facebook community page called Private Ride iQ Member Community that serves as another resource for asking questions to trainers. With 12 trainers on the platform and a few soon to be announced, there are now over 200 audio lessons to choose from. They even have virtual ‘office hours’ each week to instill an open environment to ask questions of Ride iQ coaches and share feedback with the founders.

The sisters have surpassed their initial membership goals – and the word of mouth has been substantial. “The traction so far is almost entirely organic, which speaks to the product. Instead of investing heavily in marketing, we are investing in product development and in our coaches,” said Jessa.

Development Goals and Tech Adoption
An area of development they are currently working on is to align the app with products and partnerships. Both Jessa and McKinsey feel this is vital for advancing the app with partners that share the same values and vibes. “We supported the Skyline event in Utah as a partner sponsor because of their clear love of the sport and community,” said Jessa and added, “Ideally, we’d like to partner with organizations that are similarly motivated to improve access and exposure to outstanding instruction. We want Ride iQ to contribute to elevating partnerships and performances in these sports in a big way.” 

How do Jessa and McKinsey see the industry adapting to horse tech? “In 5 years we expect equestrian sports will feel the effects of technology in a big way and catch up to other sports that are already benefiting significantly from tech innovations. Many riders will be improving and analyzing their performances in a more intentional way. We are just starting to see how technology can benefit horses and riders through coaching, monitoring, and tracking support.”

The pandemic did accelerate trying new things when it came to using technology in ways we haven’t before. “It helped people be more open to trying new tools and approaches that have a tech or virtual element,” McKinsey cited.

Try It – Free 7-day Trial
The app does come with a free 7-day trial – no questions asked if you don’t want to subscribe after that time period. New lesson content comes directly from member requests. “Ride iQ is a source for correct and compassionate training available to everyone,” said Jessa.

Website

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