Equilab: Horse Riding Tracker

What it does

Equilab is a comprehensive training companion for equestrians. The app uses a phone's GPS and sensors to track horse rides, automatically analyzing data like distance, speed, and the distribution of gaits (walk, trot, canter). It serves as a digital logbook for training sessions, allowing riders to monitor their and their horse's performance over time and connect with a wider community.

Where it shines

Equilab excels at creating a holistic ecosystem for riders. The live tracking screen (02:47) provides clear, real-time feedback during a ride. The post-ride summary (03:15) is detailed, allowing users to rate their performance and add notes, which then feeds into a weekly analytics dashboard (04:31). A standout feature is the gamified 'Challenges' section (04:58), which turns solitary training into a motivating community event by allowing users to join distance or time-based goals with others.

UX highlights

Detailed Manual Entry: The app allows for comprehensive manual logging of past rides (03:41), including sliders to estimate gait distribution, which is a great fallback for users who forget to track.
Horse Profiles: Users can create detailed profiles for each of their horses (01:25), making it easy to track the progress of multiple animals separately.
Rich Analytics: The weekly summary view (06:14) provides several visual dashboards for gait distribution, performance, and more, giving riders deep insights into their training patterns.
Community Integration: Features like 'Groups' (05:24) and 'Challenges' are well-integrated, encouraging users to connect and share their progress.
Safety Features: The app includes a 'Safety Tracking' feature (02:40), which can share a rider's location with contacts, addressing a key concern for equestrians who ride alone.
Contextual Actions: The tracking screen provides quick access to features like 'Coach' audio stats and 'Safety Tracking' without needing to navigate away.

Monetization & growth

The app presents a paywall with a free trial offer immediately after sign-up (00:38). It leverages powerful, niche-specific social proof by featuring testimonials from professional Olympic riders. The primary growth mechanic appears to be the 'Invite your friends' feature (04:46), which offers 30 days of free Premium to friends who join via a referral link. The app also has a 'Rewards' section (08:14) that offers discounts on equestrian brands, adding value to the subscription.

Who it’s for

Equilab is designed for dedicated equestrians, from serious amateurs to professionals. The level of detail in tracking and analytics suggests a user who is invested in structured training and performance improvement. The community features also appeal to riders looking to connect with others, share experiences, and find motivation through shared goals.

Notes & opportunities

While the app is feature-rich, the initial experience could be improved. The user is forced to sign up and face a paywall before seeing any of the app's core functionality. A short, interactive demo or a tour of the tracking features before the subscription prompt could better demonstrate the app's value. Additionally, the 'Compare' feature in the analytics section requires three trainings to unlock (06:42), which could be a point of friction for new users wanting to see all available features immediately.