New Training App ‘Horsing’ In Development

Horsing, based in Quebec, is developing an app of the same name to help amateur riders get the most from their time in the saddle between lessons. We spoke with the Horsing team to learn more!

Photo courtesy Horsing

Created by amateur riders for amateur riders, Horsing seeks to bridge the gap between the absolutely brilliant lesson you just had with your coach and your last solo ride in which your attempts to recreate that lesson turned into a frustrating fight with your horse. Co-founder Christine Haass had seen too many amateur riders struggling to reproduce the same quality of work, failing to set up the proper foundation each ride to progress and ending their ride in frustration — including herself. The concept of a smartphone app to help such riders successfully train alone was born.

How it works

While the app is still in development, we got a good idea of the scope of the plan. The app stores recorded sessions with a rider’s coach that the rider will play back during a solo training session. Each session is divided into three timed segments: warm-up, working, and stretching or cool down. The coach can record complete instructions as well as individualized reminders (“keep your heels down!”) to be played during each timed segment, helping the rider develop a sense not only of how long to warm up, train or cool down but what kind of exercises to work on as well as targeted attention towards individual problem areas or goals.

Sample screen shot courtesy Horsing

The rider can mark sessions as completed and also add feedback and notes for the coach. Horse profiles and information can also be stored in the app, with the ability to add notes such as dates of farrier appointments or other events that might affect training. The app is designed to let the rider see progress in each subsequent training session.

The app will track the overall work plan for a rider, helping to show them where they are headed as well as the smaller steps to get there.

Sample screen shot courtesy Horsing

What’s included

As the app is still in the development stages (a Kickstarter fundraiser is slated to start in February of this year) some of this may be subject to change, but the basic, free version of the app is projected to include session timers as well as basic recorded reminders. For $1/day, riders gain access to the customized sessions recorded by their coach. (All use of the app on the coach’s end is free.)

Headphones are not currently being considered as part of the app package, but Horsing is working with a company to develop bone conducting headphones better suited to equestrians for the sake of comfort and safety while mounted.

Who can benefit?

The app is not designed for any specific discipline; Horsing believes that multiple disciplines can find benefit in its tools from dressage to hunter/jumper flatwork to western to non-competitive riders working with trainers.

We’re interested in continuing to monitor the development of the Horsing app — it takes all kinds of equestrians to keep this horse world turning, and while some may still get the most benefit out of a traditional model of coaching and solo riding, others may find this app to be the tool they’ve been waiting for. For more information about Horsing, visit the company’s website!

Go riding.